Dave Rempis (born March 24, 1975) is an American free jazz saxophonist. He plays the soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone saxophones.
Life and career Dave was born in Wellesley, Massachusetts in 1975. He began his musical studies at the age of 8. While caddying in the Boston area, Rempis was given a deep collection of jazz LPs, in exchange for transferring them to cassette tape. In 1993, Rempis began a degree in classical saxophone at Northwestern University with Frederick Hemke. As part of his studies in anthropology, he spent a year at the International Centre for African Music and Dance at the University of Ghana in Legon, studying African music and ethnomusicology. After graduating from Northwestern in 1997, Rempis decided to focus on performing, and in March 1998 was asked to replace saxophonist Mars Williams in the Chicago jazz band The Vandermark 5, led by saxophonist Ken Vandermark.
During his tenure with The Vandermark Five, Rempis also began to develop many Chicago-based groups and cooperative units as Triage, The Rempis Percussion Quartet, The Engines, Ballister, and The Rempis/Daisy Duo. He recorded for labels such as Okka Disk, 482 Music, Clean Feed, Not Two, and Aerophonic, an artist-run label that Rempis founded in the winter of 2013. His collaborations include a wide variety of creative improvised music legends, ranging from Peter Brötzmann and John Tchicai to Joe McPhee, Marshall Allen, and Roscoe Mitchell.Travellin’ Light: Dave Rempis at Point of Departure
Rempis also works as a music programmer in the Chicago area. He curated the weekly "Improvised Music" concert series at Elastic Arts (2002-2023), helped establish the Umbrella Music collective and its annual music festival, worked as lead organizer of the Downtown Sound Gallery concert series at Gallery 37, and organized the yearly Pitchfork Music Festival.
Rempis added the soprano saxophone to his arsenal of instruments after his friend and mentor Mars Williams (d. November 2023) left his soprano saxophone to Rempis after years of battling cancer.https://www.freejazzblog.org/2024/09/dave-rempis-tashi-dorji-gnash.html
Discography
As leader/co-leader Release yearTitleLabelPersonnel/Notes2001Premiun PlasticsSolitaire RecordsAs Triage; with (bass), (drums)2003Twenty Minute CliffOkka DiskAs Triage; with Jason Ajemian (bass), Tim Daisy (drums)2004Out of Season482 MusicQuartet with (piano), (bass), Tim Daisy (drums)2004American MythologyOkka DiskAs Triage; with Jason Ajemian (bass), Tim Daisy (drums)2005Back to the CircleOkka DiskDuo with Tim Daisy (drums)2005Circular LogicUtech RecordsAs The Rempis Percussion Quartet; with (bass), Tim Daisy, Frank Rosaly (drums)2006Rip Tear Crunch482 MusicAs The Rempis Percussion Quartet; with Anton Hatwich (bass), Tim Daisy, Frank Rosaly (drums)2006StaggerUtech RecordsAs Triage; with Jason Ajemian (bass), Tim Daisy (drums)2007Hunter-Gatherers482 MusicAs The Rempis Percussion Quartet; with Anton Hatwich (bass), Tim Daisy, Frank Rosaly (drums)2007The EnginesOkka DiskAs The Engines; with Jeb Bishop (trombone), (bass), Tim Daisy (drums)2009The Disappointment of ParsleyNot TwoAs The Rempis Percussion Quartet; with Anton Hatwich (bass), Tim Daisy, Frank Rosaly (drums)2010Cyrillic482 MusicDuo with Frank Rosaly (drums)2010Wire and BrassOkka DiskAs The Engines; with Jeb Bishop (trombone), Nate McBride (bass), Tim Daisy (drums)2010Bastard StringSelf-releasedAs the band Ballister; trio with Fred Lonberg-Holm (cello), Paal Nilssen-Love (drums)2011Montreal Parade482 MusicAs The Rempis Percussion Quartet; with Ingebrigt Håker Flaten (bass), Tim Daisy, Frank Rosaly (drums)2012Instruments of ChangeNot TwoAs the band Construction Party; quartet with (trumpet), (piano), (drums)2012MechanismsClean FeedAs the band Ballister; trio with Fred Lonberg-Holm (cello), Paal Nilssen-Love (drums)2013Other VioletsNot TwoAs The Engines; with John Tchicai (tenor sax and flute), Jeb Bishop (trombone), Nate McBride (bass), Tim Daisy (drums)2013Mi Casa es en FuegoSelf-releasedAs the band Ballister; trio with Fred Lonberg-Holm (cello), Paal Nilssen-Love (drums)2013PhalanxAerophonicAs The Rempis Percussion Quartet; with Ingebrigt Håker Flaten (bass), Tim Daisy, Frank Rosaly (drums)2013Boss of the PlainsAerophonicAs the band Wheelhouse; with Jason Adasiewicz (vibes), Nate McBride (bass)2014Both EndsBocianAs the band Ballister; trio with Fred Lonberg-Holm (cello), Paal Nilssen-Love (drums)2014Second SpringAerophonicDuo with Tim Daisy (drums)2014AphelionAerophonicTrio with Joshua Abrams (bass), (percussion)2014SpectralAerophonicTrio with (trumpet), (tenor/sopranino saxophone)2015From Wolves to WhalesAerophonicQuartet with (trumpet), (bass), Chris Corsano (drums)2015Worse for the WearAerophonicAs the band Ballister; trio with Fred Lonberg-Holm (cello), Paal Nilssen-Love (drums)2015Western AutomaticAerophonicAs The Chicago Reed Quartet; with (alto sax), Mars Williams (sopranino/soprano/alto/tenor saxophone), Ken Vandermark (clarinet, bass clarinet, alto/tenor saxophone)2015Cash and CarryAerophonicAs The Rempis Percussion Quartet; with Ingebrigt Håker Flaten (bass), Tim Daisy, Frank Rosaly (drums)2018HiljaisuusAstral Spirits, Monofonus PressAs the band Kuzu; with (guitar), (drums)2018IthraAerophonicTrio with Tomeka Reid (cello) and Joshua Abrams (bass)2019Lift to DragMedium SoundAs the band Kuzu; with Tashi Dorji (guitar), Tyler Damon (drums)2020Purple Dark OpalAerophonicAs the band Kuzu; with Tashi Dorji (guitar), Tyler Damon (drums)2020Of Things Beyond Thule Vol. 1Aerophonic2020The COVID Tapes: Solos, Duos & TriosAerophonic2021The Glass DelusionAstral Spirits, AerophonicAs the band Kuzu; with Tashi Dorji (guitar), Tyler Damon (drums)2021All Your Ghosts In One CornerAerophonicAs the band Kuzu; with Tashi Dorji (guitar), Tyler Damon (drums)2023BennuAerophonicDuo with Avreeayl Ra2023SiroccoAerophonicTrio with Tim Daisy (d) and Mark Feldman (violin)2023EarscratcherAerophonicQuartet with Fred Lonberg-Holm (cello), Tim Daisy (d), and Elizabeth Harnik (p) (recorded at Alte Gerberei, mixed by Markus Massinger)2024LipAerophonicDuo with gabby fluke-mogul (strings)2024PropulsionAerophonicJason Adasiewicz (v), Joshua Abrams (b), and Tyler Damon (d)2024GnashAerophonicDuo with Tashi Dorji (g) (recorded at Sugar Maple, mixed by David Zuchowski)2024TrussAerophonicQuartet with Jakob Heinemann (b), Bill Harris (d), and Pandelis Karayorgis (recorded at Elastic Arts, mixed by David Zuchowski)2024Near Mint MinusAerophonicThe Brunt, with Gerrit Hatcher (ts), Kent Kessler (b), and Bill Harris (d) (recorded and mixed live in Chicago)2025Sudden DuskAerophonicArcher, with Terrie Ex (g), Jon Rune Strøm (b), and Tollef Østvang (d). (Recorded at Constellation & the Sugar Maple)2025House and HomeAerophonicWheelhouse, with Nate McBride (b) and Jason Adasiewicz (vb) (recorded at Constellation)2025Embers and AshAerophonicQuartet with Russ Johnson (tr), Jakob Heinemann (b), and Jeremy Cunningham (d) (recorded at The Hungry Brain by Dave Zuchowski)2025 Dial UpAerophonicTrio with Jason Adasiewicz (vb) and Chris Corsano (d) (recorded at Constellation & the Sugar Maple)2026Three From The VaultAerophonicTrio with Katinka Kleijn (c) and Lia Kohl (c) (recorded at May Chapel).2026OrbitalAerophonicThe Outskirts, with Ingebrigt Håker Flaten (b) and Frank Rosaly (d) (recorded at Teatro Torresino). Marta Warelis (p) joins the trio on disc two (recorded at Rataplan).2026Clocking the WheelAerophonicBallister + Luke Stewart (b)
As sideman
with Audio One Release yearLeaderTitleLabel2014Audio OneAn International ReportAudiographic2014Audio OneThe Midwest SchoolAudiographic2015Audio OneWhat Thomas Bernhard SawAudiographic
with The Resonance Ensemble Release yearLeaderTitleLabel2011Kafka In FlightNot Two2012What Country Is ThisNot Two2013Head Above Water, Feet out of the FireNot Two2015Double ArcNot Two
with The Territory Band Release yearLeaderTitleLabel2000-1Transatlantic BridgeOkka Disk2002-2AtlasOkka Disk2004-3Map TheoryOkka Disk2005-4Company SwitchOkka Disk2006-5New Horse for the White HouseOkka sisk2007-6CollideOkka Disk
with The Vandermark 5 Release yearLeaderTitleLabel1999SimpaticoAtavistic2000Burn the InclineAtavistic2001Acoustic MachineAtavistic2003Free Jazz Classics 1 & 2Atavistic2003Airports for LightAtavistic2004Elements of StyleAtavistic2005The Color of MemoryAtavistic2006Free Jazz Classics 3 & 4Atavistic2006A Discontinuous LineAtavistic2008Beat ReaderAtavistic2009Annular GiftNot Two2010The Horse Jumps and the Ship Is GoneNot Two2013Impressions of Po MusicOkka Disk
others Release yearLeaderTitleLabel2008Year of the BoardJazzland2008Keefe JacksonJust Like ThisDelmark2009Get In to Go Out482 Music2009Four WallsMultikulti2013CircuitousDriff2014AfterimageDriff2015Seven Compositions for DuetRelay
References
External links Official site Interview : Dave Rempis at Burning Ambulance Dave Rempis: Communication, Improvisation And No Screwing Around at All About Jazz A Chat with Dave Rempis: Jazz, Aerophones & Telepathic Empathy at Gapers Block