Live in Brooklyn

A live recording by saxophonist Pete Robbins’s Unnamed Quartet, captured in Brooklyn in 2009. Released by Not Two in 2010, the album documents Robbins at a moment when his voice on the New York scene was defined by its agility—moving freely between jazz tradition, contemporary composition, and the indie‑leaning sensibilities that shaped his writing.

A graduate of New England Conservatory (B.M., Jazz Studies) and Tufts University (B.A., Philosophy), Robbins has long framed his work within a broader artistic and educational mission. “I am a professional saxophonist, composer, educator, administrator, and concert curator,” he says. “I believe deeply in the power of music to impact and develop people in profound ways, and I’ve experienced this myself as a musician, mentor, and program designer. The role of the regional music center—the joyful rigor that we bring to music education and the vibrant experiences we bring to the concert hall—is essential and often overlooked in broadening and deepening the role of music in our culture. The bonds, the memories, and the impact we generate make deep and lasting impressions on our patrons, and can change their lives forever.”

On this Brooklyn session, Robbins leads what The New York Times called “an ambitious ensemble that combines spacious avant‑gardism with the melodic punch of rock,” a description that captures both the openness and the drive animating the quartet’s sound.