Victor Goines

Victor Goines
Goines in 2016
Goines in 2016
Background information
Born
Victor Louis Goines

(1961-08-06) August 6, 1961 (age 65)
New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
GenresJazz, avant-garde, big band, traditional New Orleans
OccupationsJazz Chair, New Orleas Center for the Creative Arts - Musician, composer, educator
InstrumentsSaxophone, clarinet
Years active1980–present
LabelsAFO, Criss Cross, Rosemary Joseph
Websitewww.victorgoines.com

Victor Louis Goines (/ˈɡɔɪnz/; born August 6, 1961) is an American jazz saxophonist and clarinetist, and arts administrator. From 2000 to 2007, he served as the inaugural Director of Jazz Studies at the Juilliard School. From 2008 to 2014, he held the position of Director of Jazz Studies at Northwestern University. Additionally, from September 2022 to February 2026, he was the President and Chief Executive Officer of Jazz St. Louis. He is currently the Jazz Chair at the New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts.

Career

Goines graduated from St. Augustine High School in New Orleans and has been a member of Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and the Wynton Marsalis Septet since 1993. Goines served as the director of jazz studies and professor for the Bienen School of Music at Northwestern University from 2008 to 2022. He became president and chief executive officer of Jazz St. Louis in September 2022. Goines concluded his tenure with Jazz St. Louis at the close of February 2026.

Goines has collaborated with Terence Blanchard, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Ruth Brown, Ray Charles, Bo Diddley, Bob Dylan, Dizzy Gillespie, Freddie Green, Lionel Hampton, Freddie Hubbard, B.B. King, Lenny Kravitz, Branford Marsalis, Ellis Marsalis, James Moody, Dianne Reeves, Marcus Roberts, Diana Ross, Eric Clapton, Wycliffe Gordon, and Stevie Wonder to name a few.

He has performed on more than 20 recordings, including the soundtracks for three Ken Burns documentaries and the films Undercover Blues (1993), Night Falls on Manhattan (1997), and Rosewood (1997). Goines has performed on Wynton Marsalis's Pulitzer Prize-winning "Blood on the Fields" and Ted Nash's Grammy-winning "Presidential Suite".

He has composed more than 300 original works, including commissions by Jazz at Lincoln Center, ASCAP, Scranton University, and Music Institute of Chicago.

He has also served on the faculties of Florida A&M University, University of New Orleans, Loyola University of New Orleans, and Xavier University of Louisiana. Goines is an artist for Yamaha Corporation and Vandoren.

Discography

As Leader

Collaborations

with Janio Abreu

As Sideman

With Wynton Marsalis Septet

With The Jazz At Lincoln Center Orchestra

With Ruth Brown

Notes

  1. ↑ Victor Goines Discusses Barney Bigard (Video). Jazz at Lincoln Center. August 7, 2017 – via YouTube.
  2. ↑ Jeremy D. Goodwin (2022-08-23). "Jazz St. Louis picks musician Victor Goines as its president and CEO". St. Louis Public Radio. Retrieved 2026-03-02.
  3. ↑ Jeremy D. Goodwin (2026-02-27). "Victor Goines leaves Jazz St. Louis after leading it since 2022". St. Louis Public Radio. Retrieved 2026-03-02.
  4. ↑ "Northwestern Press Release". Archived from the original on 2008-05-14. Retrieved 2008-05-19.