Remy Le Boeuf

Remy Le Boeuf works as a saxophonist, composer, and multi-instrumentalist whose nuanced modern creative jazz incorporates textures drawn from folk, classical, and indie rock. Early notice came through performances alongside his brother, pianist Pascal Le Boeuf, before wider recognition arrived with Assembly of Shadows, the self-titled 2019 debut by his big band that earned Grammy nominations. The ensemble followed that effort with The Architecture of Storms two years later.

Le Boeuf was born in Santa Cruz, California, in 1986 and first took up the oboe at age ten, switching to alto saxophone the next year. He and his identical twin brother Pascal shared an emerging interest in jazz, appearing together in various groups throughout adolescence and their teenage years. After finishing high school the siblings attended the Manhattan School of Music, where Remy completed both bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Recording as the Le Boeuf Brothers, they issued House Without a Door in 2009, In Praise of Shadows in 2011, and Imaginist in 2016, the last of which featured the JACK Quartet.

Working independently, Remy has joined forces with progressive musicians including Bob Mintzer, Dayna Stephens, David Liebman, Linda May Han Oh, HAIM, and Donny McCaslin. He has received commissions for his composing and arranging from SFJazz, Chamber Music America, The Jerome Foundation, and Jazz at Lincoln Center, among other organizations. In 2019 he made his debut as a leader with Light as a Wind, featuring his sextet of Walter Smith III, Aaron Parks, Charles Altura, Matt Brewer, and Peter Kronreif. That same year he introduced his big band on the album Assembly of Shadows, earning Grammy nominations for Best Instrumental Composition and Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella. Le Boeuf also serves on the faculty of the Manhattan School of Music, teaching saxophone and composition. Architecture of Storms, his second album with Assembly of Shadows, appeared in 2021 and contained both original compositions and a version of Bon Iver’s “Minnesota, WI.”