Ronnie Cuber

Ronald Edward Cuber was an American jazz saxophonist. He also played in Latin, pop, rock, and blues sessions. In addition to his primary instrument, baritone sax, he played tenor sax, soprano sax, clarinet, and flute, the latter on an album by Eddie Palmieri as well as on his own recordings. As a leader, Cuber was known for hard bop and Latin jazz. As a side man, he had played with B. B. King, Paul Simon, and Eric Clapton. Cuber can be heard on Freeze Frame by the J. Geils Band, and one of his most spirited performances is on Dr. Lonnie Smith's 1970 Blue Note album Drives. He was also a member of the Saturday Night Live Band.

Cuber was in Marshall Brown's Newport Youth Band in 1959, where he switched from tenor to baritone sax. His first notable work was with Slide Hampton (1962) and Maynard Ferguson (1963–1965). Then from 1966 to 1967, Cuber worked with George Benson. He was also a member of the Lee Konitz nonet from 1977 to 1979.


Ronnie Cuber (left) and Chuck Rainey at the Porretta Soul Festival, 2005
Cuber played with Frank Zappa on the live album Zappa in New York, which was recorded in 1976. He was a member of the Mingus Big Band from its inception in the early 1990 until his death. He was an off-screen musician for the movie Across the Universe.

Cuber died on October 7, 2022, at the age of 80.