Rob is…
…desiring to incorporate all the best aspects of every person and each culture he has crossed in hopes that he can reach a unique worldview to inform his musical voice. He is not limited to his instrumental medium in order to create and inspire others. Language, food, dance, humor, physical touch and silence are all tools he employs to attain the goal of togetherness, the creation of lasting memories, and shared wonder.
Rob is not and never has been confined to singular ‘genres’ nor does he condone the practice for any true artist. When people ask, “What kind of music do you play?” the response ranges from a vague ‘only the good kind’ to a direct challenge ‘genres are for writers’. The groups that he leads are a direct reflection of his firm belief that ALL music has a context, as long as it doesn’t stem from materialism.
The Groups
SONGEVITY - SONGEVITY is dedicated to the creation of lasting music and shared social experiences. Originally consisting of the Justin Kauflin (piano) and Nadav Snir-Zelniker (drums), the band has featured the contributions of musical giants Mark Gross, Steve Wilson, Abraham Burton, James Weidman, Gary Bartz, and more. The vibe is more ‘concert material’ and the compositions are generally catered to a ‘listening audience’ (the phrase being sometimes an oxymoron!) including more involved material such as changes in time signature or profound tributes to his heroes such as Charles Mingus and Mulgrew Miller. SONGEVITY is generally booked where there is a grand piano and the project took on a life of its own worldwide with satellite groups performing Rob’s works in places like Finland, Mexico, France, United Kingdom, and Latvia.
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The Low Key Trio - The Low Key Trio started as a trio that could squeeze into a corner of a bar or restaurant and play ‘party music’. The band consisted of Willie Applewhite III on trombone and Charles Pulliam II on congas and voice. The band played steady gigs for years and then it morphed it into a jam session band. The trio then featured Jordan Piper (keys) and Nadav Snir-Zelniker (drums) performing for ten years straight in midtown at the Turnmill. The session became legendary for hosting special guests each week and the top tier of musicians passed by to jam. The trio is still swinging. Check out their most recent performance at Mezzrow NYC here.
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The Outernet - When the ‘internet’ goes down, what poems will you remember? What music can you sing from start to finish? Whose phone number will you remember? Who will still drop by for dinner? The answer to all these questions is your “Outernet”. Rob started the band in order to arrange and perform some of his music from his childhood, including works by Bjork, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Babatunde Olatunji, “The Muppets”, and Hugh Masekela. The original group featured Antoine Drye (trumpet), “Ku-umba” Frank Lacy (trombone) and Dave Miller (drums).
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Timeless River - A collaboration with musician and studio engineer Mike Goldberg at Studio by a River. This life long collaboration between friends was reinvigorated during the pandemic when Rob spent some time in Connecticut. The project is meant to be lighthearted and explorations of diverse styles. In some of the tracks are elements of ‘hip hop’, ‘house music’, ‘Afro beat’, and more but mostly just the ‘good kind’ of music. Click this sentence to listen to “A Hug from Hugh”, a dedication of Rob’s to the great Hugh Masekela.
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Aside from performance, Rob is currently professor of bass at the University of Vermont; the COO of the nonprofit organization Jazz Generation; the founder of Music Explorers — a program for families to enjoy music together in Ridgewood, Queens; composing new works of music; and booking public and private events from Montreal to Mexico City and everywhere in between.
Rob was…
born in Oakville, Ontario to music loving parents and quickly moved to Connecticut, USA. Rob is Canadian and American. Taking piano lessons from age 5 along with his siblings, he recognized a talent for memorizing music and interpreting music differently. He famously (!) won the talent show in his elementary school for playing a blues on the piano. In high school, he would often visit one of his closest friend’s house where the parents had basically turned the basement into a music studio. There, along with Mike Goldberg, he would study bass, keyboards, drums, and singing. Their collaboration continues today with their project “Timeless River”.
Rob attended the University of Vermont (‘05) as an International Business Management major and was simultaneously in all of the jazz ensembles. Under the direction of Dr. Alexander Stewart, he had the opportunity to perform with grand masters such as Clark Terry, Maria Schneider, Arturo O’Farrill, and Paquito D’Rivera. During his tenure in VT he took the opportunity to study abroad in Paris, France. There he joined several bands such and performed regularly while studying French. Rob does not admit to speaking ANY language fluently but has a passion for learning new languages and phrases in all the countries in which he visits.
After graduating he took his parents advice to pursue a Master’s degree in Jazz Studies and so moved to New Orleans in early August, 2005. Only two weeks later, hurricane Katrina came along and forced everyone to evacuate. Not knowing the destruction she would cause, Rob lost most of his possessions, instruments, sheet music, and more. It was during this period he felt the kindness of his family and friends and even random strangers who helped him quickly get back on his feet. For instance, visiting the bass luthier guru David Gage in New York City, David sent Rob home with a new bass, bow, case, and rosin saying, “Don’t buy anything now, you’ve been through a trauma. Focus on playing, writing, performing only. You can bring it back or buy it later.” Rob still uses his “Czech Ease” bass to this day. (Rob has four basses - one in Montreal, one in New York City, one in Burlington, VT, and one in Mexico City…)
Rob pursued a Master’s Degree in Jazz Bass Performance at William Paterson University of NJ. There, he studied under some of the world’s top musicians such as Mulgrew Miller, Harold Mabern, Vincent Herring, Marcus McLaurine, James Weidman, Armen Donelian, Gary Smulyan, and Bill Goodwin. The proximity to NYC led to regular performances in NYC weekly before finally moving to Brooklyn and Queens. Rob has spent the last 20 years in NYC and touring extensively in Europe, Africa, and North America and performing with a top tier list of musicians far too numerous to describe here. Rob has always been a bandleader and composer and started many weekly gigs with his various bands over the years. For his composing skills, he won the prestigious ASCAP Louis Armstrong Award for Jazz Composition in 2006 and received his honor from grand master Dr. Billy Taylor.
Rob is not just a performer and has been involved in the business and pleasure of music for decades. Examples include, but are not limited to: Correspondent for the French Jazz Radio station TSF; Researcher at the Smithsonian Institute under the jazz curator Dr. John Edward Hasse; Maitre d’ at the legendary jazz club Jazz Standard; Artistic Director for About the Swing; Jazz Curator for Standard Hotel Highline; Booking agent for private events; and private educator.
Rob has over 50 compositions and released 6 albums as a leader under various names “Rob Duguay Quartet” and SONGEVITY. Stay tuned and check back in here for a lot more releases and re-releases in 2026 as well as his first ever music video collaboration. He also loves to write lyrics to his own compositions and in the ‘vocalese’ style. In 2026 he will release a resource for vocalists called the “Vocalist Corner”.
Rob considers himself blessed to be able to answer “All things music” when asked the question, “What do you do for a living?”