Dave Rempis is an American jazz and improvisational musician. He began playing the saxophone at age eight and performed locally while in high school. From 1993, he studied classical saxophone at Northwestern University with Frederick Hemke, also pursuing anthropology and ethnomusicology. During his studies, he spent a year at the University of Ghana’s International Centre for African Music and Dance, performing with local highlife and reggae bands. In 1998, he joined Ken Vandermark’s ensemble The Vandermark Five, with whom he toured extensively in the United States and Europe. Rempis has led his own ensembles, including The Rempis Percussion Quartet and the Dave Rempis Quartet. He has also worked in duos and trios, including the Ballister Trio and the trio KUZU. In 2006, Rempis was nominated in the Down Beat Critics’ Poll in the Rising Star category for alto and baritone saxophone. His discography includes The Early Bird Gets (2019), Earscratcher (2023), and Dial Up (2025), among numerous other recordings with his various ensembles and collaborations.
