Roger Rosenberg

Roger Rosenberg
Born	1951 (age 73–74) New York City
Genres	Jazz
Instrument	Baritone saxophone
Years active	1978 - Present
Member of	Steely Dan

Roger Rosenberg (born 1951) is an American jazz saxophonist.

Early Life and education

Roger Rosenberg was born in 1951 in New York City and grew up on Manhattan's Upper West Side. His high-school teachers offered any student willing to learn the baritone saxophone the opportunity to own the school's rarely used instrument, and the young Rosenberg accepted. ^[1]

As a teenager in the mid-1960s, Rosenberg attended a summer music camp outside New Hope, Pennsylvania, called Ramblerny. The camp was directed by renowned saxophonist Phil Woods, and Rosenberg received a scholarship to attend for three consecutive summers. There, he befriended fellow students Michael Brecker and Richie Cole, who would also become prominent jazz musicians. Rosenberg later described this experience as defining, noting that after his first summer at age 13 or 14, he knew he wanted to pursue a music career.

Rosenberg went on to study at Indiana University and the New England Conservatory of Music, receiving instruction from Phil Woods and composer Harold Seletsky.

Career

Early professional work

By the late 1970s, Rosenberg had become an active presence in the New York jazz scene. In 1978, he performed with George Russell's New York Big Band, and in 1979, he was part of the Lee Konitz Nonet that performed at the inaugural Chicago Jazz Festival. That performance was broadcast on NPR's "Jazz Alive" program hosted by Billy Taylor, and featured Rosenberg's explosive solo on John Coltrane's Giant Steps .

During this period, Rosenberg worked extensively in Latin jazz, performing with Tito Puente, Mongo Santamaria, and Ray Barretto. He also performed with drummer Buddy Rich and Chet Baker's quintet in the late 1970s and early 1980s, playing baritone, soprano, and tenor saxophones with Baker's group.

Bob Mintzer Big Band

In the early 1980s, Rosenberg became a charter member of Bob Mintzer's Big Band, a relationship that has continued for over four decades. He has appeared on virtually all of the band's recordings and remains the anchor of the saxophone section. His work with Mintzer includes albums such as Camouflage (1986), Art of the Big Band (1991), Gently (2002), and Meeting of Minds (2018) with the New York Voices.

Steely Dan

Rosenberg (left) with Walter Becker (center) and Walt Weiskopf (right)

Rosenberg has been a member of Steely Dan's touring band since 2000, performing on baritone saxophone. Although he did not begin touring with the band until 2006, he appeared on several Steely Dan and solo recordings by band members Walter Becker and Donald Fagen, including: ^{[2] [3]}

• Two Against Nature (2000) – Grammy Award for Album of the Year
• Everything Must Go (2003)
• Donald Fagen's Kamakiriad (1993)
• Donald Fagen's Morph the Cat (2006)
• Donald Fagen's Sunken Condos (2012)
• Walter Becker's Circus Money (2008)

Teaching

Rosenberg maintains an active teaching schedule and performs regularly with his quartet. He has conducted workshops and masterclasses at institutions including Berklee College of Music, where he has led all-baritone saxophone ensembles and discussed his career as a multi-instrumentalist and touring musician. ^[4]

References

1. Coltelli, John (2009-09-11). "Roger Rosenberg: Baritone Madness article @ All About Jazz". All About Jazz. Retrieved 2025-12-14.
2. "Roger Rosenberg Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & ..." AllMusic. Retrieved 2025-12-14.
3. Peterson, Tyler. "Steely Dan to Play The Beacon Theatre in October". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2025-12-14.
4. "Roger Rosenberg of Steely Dan gives Workshop at Berklee – Modern Bari & Bass Saxophone". 2019-11-12. Retrieved 2025-12-14.