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RODERICK PAULIN FULL BIO

Roderick Paulin is one of the most soulful, versatile and accomplished saxophonists in New Orleans. That status has been understood by musicians for years now, and when an artist as experienced, astute \u2013 and not prone to hyperbole \u2013 as great New Orleans singer Germaine Bazzle says of Roderick Paulin, as she recently did with unabashed enthusiasm, \u201cI just love the way he plays\u201d \u2013 or awardwinning composer and educator Roger Dickerson adds, \u201cRoderick is quite special, truly creative \u2013 he was one of my \u2018top students\u2019 at SUNO (Southern University New Orleans)\u201d \u2013 those are cues for the rest of us to take note of the talents of Roderick Paulin. If the name Paulin sounds familiar, there\u2019s a reason for that \u2013 Roderick is the twelfth of the thirteen children \u2013 ten boys, three girls \u2013 of legendary New Orleans bandleader Ernest \u201cDoc\u201d Paulin and his wife Betty. \u201cDoc\u201d Paulin \u2013 who passed away in 2007 five months after his 100th birthday \u2013 led bands on the streets of New Orleans for over 70 years. He insisted that the musicians in his bands adhere to certain standards: show up on time \u2013 and arrive dressed in the traditional brass band attire of white shirt, black pants and tie, well-shined black shoes and band cap. \u201cDoc\u201d Paulin also gave many young players their start \u2013 a \u201cDoc\u201d Paulin gig was often a player\u2019s first paying job, and many who got started with \u201cDoc\u201d have gone on to musical prominence \u2013 clarinetist Dr. Michael White, saxophonist Donald Harrison, Jr. and trumpeter Gregg Stafford among them. Six of \u201cDoc\u201d and Betty Paulin\u2019s ten sons elected to pursue music professionally, and they have worked together for many years now as the Paulin Brothers Brass Band. Roderick Paulin grew up in these musically-rich surroundings, and remembers, even before he started playing alto sax in the fourth grade, daydreaming about someday standing in front of an orchestra and conducting it. Roderick was so intent on getting started learning the alto, in fact, that when his fourth grade band director announced on a Friday that the following Monday he would finally distribute the instruments the students had chosen to play, Roderick walked to the man\u2019s house on Saturday, camped out on his front porch all day, and knocked on his door multiple times in hopes of getting his hands on \u201chis\u201d saxophone a couple of days early. To no avail, as it turned out, but he was playing \u2013 and loving it \u2013 soon enough. Just two years later Roderick played his first gig with his dad\u2019s band, subbing for a saxophonist who cancelled at the last minute, but not without some trepidation. \u201cI was worried,\u201d Roderick recalls, \u201cbecause I only knew maybe two and a half songs \u2013 but my dad told me, \u2018just use your ear, you\u2019ll be fine\u2019 \u2013 and I got through it okay.\u201d From that point on Roderick made gigs with the \u201cDoc\u201d Paulin band and others, continued to play in school bands, and came up with a way to teach himself more about a side of music he was increasingly drawn to, modern jazz. Community radio station WWOZ featured a three-hour modern jazz program each weekday morning \u2013 and Roderick regularly loaded up an older brother\u2019s two-cassette jambox with a pair of 90 minute cassette tapes, taped the \u2018OZ show \u2013 then listened to it when he got home from school. He\u2019d often play along as he listened, and sometimes try to transcribe a solo or whole tune, all the while sharpening his ear and adding to his repertoire. After high school, Roderick studied music at Southern University New Orleans (SUNO), coming under the guidance of two of New Orleans\u2019 most able music educators, saxophonist Edward \u201cKidd\u201d Jordan, and the previously mentioned pianist and composer Roger Dickerson. Their counsel gave Roderick a clear understanding of just how much...