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Robert Kyle

Saxophonist/Flutist/Composer Robert Kyle has become known for his unique warm sound, melodic style, and his ability to harmoniously cross musical borders. His lyricism and passion are evident in whatever situation he finds himself, and he is fluid in many styles including Jazz, Blues, Brazilian, Afro-Cuban, R & B and Classical.  His performance & recording credits include work with Linda Hopkins, Gino Vannelli,  Cee Lo Green, Natalie Cole, Michael McDonald, Johnny Mathis, Chet Baker, Jason Mraz, Chaka Khan, Michael Bolton, Linda Ronstadt, Carole King, Kenny Loggins, Brenda Russell, Lou Rawls, Perla Batalla, Paulinho Garcia, Guinga, Chico Pinheiro, Teka, Kleber Jorge, Rique Pantoja, Seu Jorge, Googoosh, Adam Levine, Christina Aguilera, Pharrell, Blake Shelton, Babyface, Della Reese, Francisco Aguabella, Pete Escovedo, Jessica Simpson, Al McKibbon, Billy Mitchell, Roy “Guitar” Gaines and many others. He's served as musical director for blues diva Linda Hopkins, Jazz Bliss BrazilBrazil & salsa artists Leslie Paula & Miguel Gutierrez. He was featured in the "Bossa Nova 60th Anniversary Concert" at the Moss theater, also celebrating Sergio Mielenczenkos' 40th anniversary as host of "The Brazilian hour" radio show. He's made over 50 tours to Europe and has performed at many of the biggest Jazz festivals, theaters and clubs in the world. He has played for the Academy awards, the Emmy awards, the Voice, The BET awards and many others.

 In addition to being a very busy and in demand live & session musician, Robert performs regularly in the LA area with a long list of groups, including the Tony Guerrero Quintet, Betty Bryant, Billy Mitchell,  Heartbeat Brazil, Excursion, also leads several of his own groups and has released eleven CDs on his own “Dark Delishious Music” label available through his website www.robertkyle.com. His quartet plays a variety of instrumental music with a focus on Latin & Brazilian Jazz, and is regularly featured at clubs and festivals all over.  His Brazilian trio plays a mix of classic as well as contemporary Samba, Bossa Nova & Brazilian Jazz, mixing vocal and instrumental music.
 
Besides producing his own projects, Robert has acted as producer on numerous recordings, including “Es Cosa Latina” for salsa artist Leslie Paula,  the debut CD for salsa artist Miguel Gutierrez, “Oye mi Ritmo-Oye Mi Voz,”  Carol Bach-y-Rita's debut CD “What Love Is,” vocalist Rose Mallet’s “Building Dreams.” He has produced and/or co-produced the last 6 projects from legendary Kansas City pianist/vocalist Betty Bryant. He was co-producer & arranger on the debut CD from “Brazliando” and on the Hi-Fi Quintet’s CD “This is the Hi-FI Quintet.” Robert’s songs have been recorded by Alessa, Betty Bryant, Bobby Zee, Zoe, Leslie Paula, Miguel Gutierrez, Larry Williams & Anna Estrada. His music has also been featured on television & in movies and commercials internationally. His songs can also be found on numerous American and European Jazz compilations.
 
Robert’s  playing is featured on the Hal Leonard instructional books, CD’s and DVD’s “Brazilian styles for drum set” and “Afro-Cuban styles for drum set” by Maria Martinez, for which he also composed and arranged all  the music. 
 
 He has studied privately with Phil Sobel, Bill Green, Plas Johnson, Lanny Morgan, Danilo Lozano and Greg Fishman. His love of drums and rhythms caused him to become increasingly interested in Brazilian and Afro-Cuban music. He has studied African drumming with Nigerian Master Drummer Francis Awe, and Brazilian drums and hand percussion with Maria Martinez, Cassio Duarte, Edson Gianesi, Carlinhos “Pandeiro” Deouro, Gello and Chalo Eduardo. In 2002, Robert’s love of Cuban music led him to Cuba to study traditional “Charanga” style flute at The Havana Conservatory with the great “Lele” (from Los Van Van) and the legendary Richard Egues (from Orchestra Aragon.) He has studied composition with Mauro Bruno and is a student of Lyle “Spud” Murphy’s Equal Interval System of composition & arranging. In 2010 he traveled to Brazil to study with the Brazilian masters Hermeto Pascoal, Jovino Santos Neto and Alessandro Penezzi. He's been attending “California Brazil Camp” anually since 2005 to study with Brazilian master musiicans too numerous to mention.
 

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2
Album Review

Chad Edwards: Wyoming Roads

Read "Wyoming Roads" reviewed by Nicholas F. Mondello


In his performing career, pianist Chad Edwards has probably heard more wisecracks and quips about his actually being a retired rocket scientist than there are stars in the Cosmos. However, rest assured--as he has done in his parallel and now formal career, and is presented in Wyoming Roads--his keyboard and compositional talents certainly stand on their own. It is a fine nine track collection of five Edwards' originals and four Great American Songbook classics, with the pianist backed up by ...

27
Album Review

Betty Bryant: Lotta Livin'

Read "Lotta Livin'" reviewed by Jack Bowers


First, double-check to make sure there aren't any misprints. No, it's an honest-to-goodness fact that Betty Bryant--who sings, plays piano, wrote four of the nine numbers and arranged half a dozen on her fourteenth album--really was almost ninety-four years old when Lotta Livin' was recorded in 2023. Bryant's rough and edgy voice is remarkably strong and steady, while her piano playing simply defies any generational labels. As a vocalist, no note seems out of her reach, and ...

149
Album Review

Robert Kyle: Blue Winds

Read "Blue Winds" reviewed by Dave Nathan


Sax payer Robert Kyle's third album continues in the mode of his second in that all the compositions on the set are his own. They are the standard lot, a couple of blues, some ballads and a swinger or two. All are listenable, but not all are especially memorable. Two exceptions are the lovely ballads “Three Angels" and “Sweet Life" where Kyle's similarity to the playing of tenor man Ernie Watts is especially apparent. Another fine track is the swinging ...

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141
Recording

Robert Kyle Celebrates the Bossa Nova with "Bossalicious"

Robert Kyle Celebrates the Bossa Nova with "Bossalicious"

Source: All About Jazz

Saxophonist/flutist Robert Kyle and friends celebrate the 50th anniversary of the deliciously elegant Bossa Nova with Bossalicious, their latest release of Brazilian music! This collection features instrumental Bossa Novas and Brazilian Jazz classics from the pens of Brazilian masters Antonio Carlos Jobim, Ary Barrosso, Dori Caymmi, Edu Lobo, Guinga and more, including music from the classic 1959 film “Orpheu Negro" (Black Orpheus) which helped opened the world's ears to Brazilian music. “Brazilian music is elegant, classy and totally infectious. It ...

Zoot Sims
saxophone, tenor
Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis
saxophone, tenor
Stan Getz
saxophone, tenor
Lucky Thompson
saxophone
Stanley Turrentine
saxophone, tenor

Photos

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Lotta Livin'

Self Produced
2024

buy

Wyoming Roads

Self-Produced
2024

buy

Holiday Soirée

Playing Records
2024

buy

Bossalicious

Self Produced
2008

buy

Blue Winds

Upside Out Records
2001

buy

Boogie Woogie Christmas Party

From: Holiday Soirée
By Robert Kyle

Videos

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saxophone, tenor
Cal Tjader
vibraphone
Yellowjackets
band / ensemble / orchestra
Ernie Watts
saxophone, tenor
Maceo Parker
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