Richard Dennis Oatts (born April 2, 1953) is an American jazz saxophonist, multi-instrumentalist, composer, and educator.

Biography

While growing up in Des Moines, Iowa, Oatts gained an interest in music from his father, Jack Oatts, who was a saxophonist himself and a respected music educator in the Midwest. After high school, Oatts attended Drake University for one year before dropping out and moving to Minneapolis to begin a career in music in 1972. In 1977, he was called by Thad Jones to join The Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra, which later became the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra. Oatts moved to New York City to join the band, first playing tenor saxophone, and began playing Monday nights with Jones and Lewis at the Village Vanguard, as well as touring in Europe with them. Eventually Oatts switched to playing alto saxophone in the band, and he continues to play with the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra at the Village Vanguard every Monday night. Oatts' work on woodwind instruments (saxophone, clarinet, flute) became more widely known when he led the crossover jazz group Flim & the BB's in the 1980s and '90s with bassist Jimmy "Flim" Johnson, drummer Bill Berg, and keyboardist Billy Barber. Since the 1970s, Oatts has released more than a dozen albums as a leader and co-leader, and he has appeared on over 100 albums as a sideman with Joe Henderson, Jerry Bergonzi, Eddie Gómez, Bob Brookmeyer, the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, Joe Lovano and others, working extensively with Steeplechase Records. He has also accompanied Joe Williams, Sarah Vaughan, Mel Tormé, and Ella Fitzgerald. Oatts has taught at the Manhattan School of Music and has been artist-in-residence at the Amsterdam Conservatory. In 2006, he became a professor and artistic director of the jazz studies department at Temple University in Philadelphia.

Discography

As a leader or co-leader

As a sideman

With Thad Jones/Mel Lewis With Vanguard Jazz Orchestra With Flim & the BBs With Red Rodney With Ray Mantilla With Colors of Jazz With Everything but the Girl With Armen Donelian With Susannah McCorkle With Joe Lovano With Nnenna Freelon With Ted Rosenthal With Eddie Gómez With Gary Smulyan With others