Chet Doxas

Chet Doxas is a saxophonist, clarinetist and composer based in Brooklyn, NY. His work has been nominated for numerous Juno, Grammy and Academy Awards. Doxas has released a number of albums as a leader and has received accolades for his work as a performer, composer and arranger. His work can be heard on over one hundred recordings.

Born in 1980 and raised in Montreal, Canada into a musical family, Chet Doxas’ love of music was fostered by his father, a musician, music teacher and recording engineer; and his older brother and drummer, Jim, with whom he regularly performs. He started performing and recording professionally while in his teenage years during what some would called the end of the good old days of Montreal - dance bands, burlesque reviews, radio shows, recordings, and night club work.

During this time he developed an interest in composition and began leading his own groups. He enrolled in McGill University and completed his undergraduate and graduate degrees in Jazz Performance, an institution where he later taught private lessons and ensembles. Now based in Brooklyn, NY since 2014, Chet leads and co-leads several projects including The Chet Doxas Trio, Doxas Brothers Quartet, Landline, Rich in Symbols, Larum, and the Ceremonial Sextet. He was recently appointed the first tenor saxophone chair in the Canadian National Jazz Orchestra. Since his move to New York City, he has had the opportunity to perform alongside or record with: Carla Bley, Steve Swallow, Dave Douglas, John Abercrombie, Michael Formanek and several other luminaries of the creative music scene.

Chet has led and co-led the release of fourteen albums and is a multiple Juno Award nominee who’s playing was also featured on the Grammy and Academy Award nominated soundtrack, Les Triplettes de Belleville. In 2019 he was awarded SOCAN’s Haygood Hardy Award and most recently, he was named in the 2022 & 2023 Downbeat Magazine Rising Star Critic’s Poll in the categories for Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone and Clarinet.

Doxas was born to parents who were teachers. In his youth, he was in a swing jazz ensemble which performed around Montreal.[1] He later attended McGill University, where he would perform his music. In 2014, Doxas moved to New York City to further his career.[2]

After recording Big Sky and Dive (which he recorded before moving to New York),[3] Doxas's album Rich in Symbols was nominated for a Juno award for Best Jazz solo album of 2018. The album, which conveys a rock-world approach to jazz, features guitar work on select tracks by Dave Nugent.[4] Doxas has also been a member of the Sam Roberts Band where he would play the woodwind instrument.[5]

• Chet Doxas' website