Robert Aaron (born Robert Arron Vineberg; November 13, 1955) is a Canadian

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

musician. According to John Leland of the

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

"Mr. Aaron played flute, saxophone, clarinet and piano, then taught himself guitar, trumpet, bassoon, French horn and other instruments." He performed for rapper

Wyclef Jean Nel Ust Wyclef Jean ( ; born October 17, 1969) is a Haitian rapper, singer, and record producer. Born in Haiti, Jean emigrated to the Northeastern United States, United States as a child. He gained fame as a founding member of the Fugees, a Ne ...

's band from 1998 to 2008. Robin Caulden of Press-Republican said "He's played with everybody — Afrika Bambataa, B52s, Blondie,

Chic Chic (; ), meaning "stylish" or "smart", is an element of fashion. It was originally a French word. Etymology '' Chic'' is a French word, established in English since at least the 1870s. Early references in English dictionaries classified ...

David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer, songwriter and actor. Regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Bowie was acclaimed by critics and musicians, pa ...

Heavy D Dwight Arrington MyersCuda, Heidi Sigmund Keeping it reel. '' Vibe'' ("born Dwight Arrington Myers")Samuels, Anita M. (January 12' 1996)Heavy D, the C.E.O. ''New York Times'' (May 24, 1967 – November 8, 2011), known professionally as Hea ...

James Chance James Chance, also known as James White (born James Siegfried, April 20, 1953 – June 18, 2024), was an American saxophonist, keyboard player, and singer. A key figure in no wave, Chance played a combination of improvisational jazz-like musi ...

and The Contortions,

RZA Robert Fitzgerald Diggs (born July 5, 1969), better known by his stage name RZA ( ) or the RZA, is an American rapper, record producer, composer, actor, and filmmaker. He is the '' de facto'' leader of the hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan, having pro ...

, Stetsasonic, William Vivanco and

Wu-Tang Clan Wu-Tang Clan is an American hip hop collective formed in Staten Island, New York City, in 1992. Its members include RZA, GZA, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Masta Killa, and, until his death in 2004, O ...

." In 1981, he first started work with

for the group James White and the Blacks; and has toured with him since in Europe and Japan. He played sax on

's 1983 hit " Let's Dance". In 2010, Aaron released his album ''Trouble Man'', which Michael Daly of the

Daily Beast ''The Daily Beast'' is an American news website focused on politics, media, and pop culture. Founded in 2008, the website is owned by IAC Inc. It has been characterized as a "high-end tabloid" by Noah Shachtman, the site's editor-in-chief ...

called "artistically adventurous but commercially unsuccessful". Folk singer

Eric Andersen Eric Andersen (born February 14, 1943) is an American folk music singer-songwriter, who has written songs recorded by Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, Judy Collins, Linda Ronstadt, the Grateful Dead, Rick Nelson, and many others. Early in his career, ...

, who used Aaron on several albums as a producer and performer, described him as "Absolutely dedicated. He lived for his art."

Early life

Aaron was born in Montreal in 1955. He was discouraged from pursuing music as a career by his father, who taught piano. However, as a teenager in the 1970s, he decided to move to New York to perform and record with his band.

Death of Philip Seymour Hoffman

Aaron was arrested in February 2014 for suspicion of selling the heroin that caused the overdose death of Philip Seymour Hoffman. Ultimately, prosecutors dropped the most serious charge, which was intent to sell heroin. He pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of felony drug possession, and was sentenced to five years’ probation.

Notable credits

Credits according to

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Aaron, Robert Living people Canadian jazz saxophonists Canadian male saxophonists Musicians from Montreal 1955 births 21st-century Canadian saxophonists 21st-century Canadian male musicians Canadian male jazz musicians