Robert Kyle

Robert Kyle stands as a model of adaptability in contemporary music. Born and raised in Los Angeles, where he continues to base his career, he moves fluidly among multiple jazz idioms while sustaining peak technical command regardless of the idiom demanded. Early and constant exposure to music came through his upbringing in a household of devoted listeners.

Initial professional experiences took place in rock and roll groups during junior high, where he played drums and appeared in neighborhood clubs throughout his teenage years. After committing fully to music he changed to saxophone and received instruction from leading exponents of the instrument, among them Lanny Morgan, Plas Johnson, Herb Geller, and his ongoing mentor Phil Sobel. Sideman work further informed his approach, most notably alongside blues and R&B performer Linda Hopkins. He served ten years as her musical director and identifies that association as central to his evolution into a seasoned and accomplished saxophonist.

Additional recording credits include bluesman Lou Rawls, straight-ahead jazz vocalist Toni Jannotta, and assorted rock ensembles. In 1996 he launched his own imprint, Dark Delishious Music, and issued his debut album the same year. The four leader dates that followed distill the breadth of his training and stage experience, moving from an unaccompanied a cappella saxophone recital that constitutes a genuine tour de force to a project devoted to Brazilian music, all the while traversing an expansive spectrum of jazz idioms that also embrace R&B and blues. Three of the albums further highlight his considerable skills as a composer.

Beyond performances with his established working group, Kyle appears regularly at Los Angeles clubs and festivals that include the Playboy Jazz Festival, the 94.7 FM Wave Concert Series, Jazz on the Green Festival, the Whittier Uptown Festival, the Baked Potato, Chadney’s, and Jax.