Ronnie Cuber


Ronald Edward Cuber was an American jazz saxophonist. He also played in Latin, pop, rock, and blues sessions. In addition to his primary instrument, baritone sax, he played tenor sax, soprano sax, clarinet, and flute, the latter on an album by Eddie Palmieri as well as on his own recordings. As a leader, Cuber was known for hard bop and Latin jazz. As a side man, he had played with B. B. King, Paul Simon, and Eric Clapton. Cuber can be heard on Freeze Frame by the J. Geils Band, and one of his most spirited performances is on Dr. Lonnie Smith's 1970 Blue Note album Drives. He was also a member of the Saturday Night Live Band.
Cuber was in Marshall Brown's Newport Youth Band in 1959, where he switched from tenor to baritone sax. His first notable work was with Slide Hampton and Maynard Ferguson. Then from 1966 to 1967, Cuber worked with George Benson. He was also a member of the Lee Konitz nonet from 1977 to 1979.
Cuber played with Frank Zappa on the live album Zappa in New York, which was recorded in 1976. He was a member of the Mingus Big Band from its inception in the early 1990s until his death. As a member of the Mingus Big Band, Cuber plays the iconic solo on Moanin' by Charles Mingus, found originally on Mingus' album Blues & Roots, in the Mingus Big Band album Nostalgia in Times Square. He was an off-screen musician for the movie Across the Universe.
Cuber died at the age of 80 in his studio on New York's Upper West Side, due to complications from a fall.
WWW ronniecubermusic.com

Discography

As leader

  • 1976: Cuber Libre!
  • 1978: The Eleventh Day of Aquarius
  • 1979: New York Jazz
  • 1985: Two Brothers
  • 1985: Passion Fruit
  • 1986: Pin Point
  • 1986: Live at the Blue Note
  • 1992: Cubism
  • 1993: The Scene Is Clean
  • 1994: Airplay
  • 1994: The Scene Is Clean
  • 1996: In a New York Minute
  • 1997: N.Y.C.ats
  • 1998: Love for Sale
  • 2009: Ronnie
  • 2009: X-Mas in New York
  • 2010: Infra-Rae
  • 2011: Boplicity
  • 2013: Live at JazzFest Berlin recorded 2008
  • 2018: Ronnie's Trio
  • 2018: Ronnie Cuber - Live At Montmartre
  • 2019: Four
  • 2019: ''Straight Street''

As sideman

With Patti AustinEnd of a Rainbow Havana Candy
With George BensonIt's Uptown The George Benson Cookbook Good King Bad
With Nick BrignolaBurn Brigade
With Maynard FergusonThe New Sounds of Maynard Ferguson Come Blow Your Horn Color Him Wild
With David Clayton-ThomasDavid Clayton-Thomas
With The Gadd GangThe Gadd Gang Here & Now Live at the Bottom Line
With Grant GreenThe Main Attraction
With Billy JoelAn Innocent Man The Bridge
With Sam JonesSomething New
With Lee KonitzLee Konitz Nonet Yes, Yes, Nonet Live at Laren
With Jimmy McGriffFeelin' It McGriff Avenue
With Idris MuhammadHouse of the Rising Sun Turn This Mutha Out
With Mark MurphySatisfaction Guaranteed
With Horace SilverThe Hardbop Grandpop
With Lonnie SmithMove Your Hand Drives Live at Club Mozambique
With Mickey TuckerSojourn
With Gerald WilsonDetroit
With Rare SilkNew Weave
With Randy Brecker34th N Lex
With Dr. JohnTrippin' Live Duke Elegant
With Paul SimonGraceland
With Tom ScottBebop United
With Eddie PalmieriHarlem River Drive Vamonos Pa'l Monte Live at Sing Sing Vol. 1 & 2 The Sun of Latin Music Unfinished Masterpiece Lucumí, Macumba, Voodoo Wisdom/Sabiduria
With The Rein De Graaff TrioBaritone Explosion! - Live At Nick's
With Steve GaddCenter Stage
With Steely Dan Gaucho
With Conrad HerwigThe Latin Side of Wayne Shorter
With Gary Smulyan
  • ''Tough Baritones''