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Rob Duguay

Rob Duguay lives in Queens, New York and performs regularly around the New York City tri-state area, leading multiple groups including Songevity, Low Key Trio, and Rob Duguay Quartet and Trio. He has performed with a large list of fine musicians including Steve Wilson, Abraham Burton, Mark Gross, Chip White, Justin Kauflin, Nadav Snir- Zelniker, Chris Brown, Winard Harper, and more. Aside from performing, Rob stays busy in the music community by teaching private music lessons, composing original music, and booking jazz events both private and at NYC clubs. Rob also acted as a New York correspondent for TSF Jazz Radio in Paris, France, and is the artistic director for About the Swing, a non-profit that brings jazz events to schools throughout the NYC area. In 2015, Rob became president of KEYED UP!, a non-profit organization that helps venues to sponsor jazz programs and create work for hundreds, if not thousands, of musicians. Born in Toronto, Canada, Rob grew up in Simsbury, Connecticut. He began studying classical piano at age 6 and started playing jazz in high school, picking up the piano, upright bass, and percussion instruments. He found his passion. Throughout the years, Rob has had the opportunity to study and play music formally and informally with many great jazz talents while living in Connecticut, Vermont, New Orleans, New York City, Washington, D.C., and Paris, France. While a business student at the University of Vermont, Rob was the big band bassist for four years under the direction of Alex Stewart. He had the opportunity to perform with Clark Terry, Paquito D'Rivera, and Arturo O'Farill, among other talents. While a student, Rob also had the opportunity to live and study in Paris, France for eight months where he was quickly integrated into the jazz scene, playing in many of Paris’ jazz venues. After graduating with a degree in International Business Management, Rob was accepted into the University of New Orleans graduate jazz studies program. He received an ASCAP award for jazz composition upon entrance to the university through the help of the Louis Armstrong Foundation. He fell in love with New Orleans and performed in a handful of local establishments before hurricane Katrina led to evacuation. Without skipping a beat, Rob entered the Master’s of Music in Jazz Studies graduate program at William Paterson University under Dr. David Demsey. He was mentored by bassist Marcus McLaurine and studied the art of ensemble playing with Mulgrew Miller, Vincent Herring, Armen Donelian, Harold Mabern, James Weidman, Gary Smulyan, Bill Goodwin, and Paul Meyers.

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“The bassist, Rob Duguay, pursues a literate and slightly tricky derivation of hard-bop with this quartet...." - Nate Chinen, New York Times (NY) "This cat is a fine jazz bassist and composer.” - Ken Laster, In The Groove and Beyond (CT) “Rob is also an in–demand bassist, inventive composer, and first–rate bandleader.” - Jazz Standard (NY)

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