Ronell Regis
Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies, Kent State University
Ronell Regis is a saxophonist and composer born in the Flatbush area of Brooklyn, New York City. It was in Brooklyn where he was exposed to immense diversity especially in the Caribbean realm, through his Grenadian parents.
He then moved to Atlanta, GA, where he attended Tri-Cities High School, then he began playing jazz. He began playing saxophone for his home church at 12, starting from hymns to spirituals to gospel music. He then attended Kent State University, where he completed his undergraduate Jazz Studies degree in the Spring of 2022.
Through his compositions, he blends his experiences in gospel, R&B, jazz, hip-hop, and reggae at any given moment. Examples of this aspiration can be found in his work through his suite, Grenada to the World, a dedication to his family’s history in Grenada while also pinpointing the culture/history of the island. Also, his upcoming self-produced album, IV, which combines his love of all black music aspects, unleashing another side of his musical ear that explains the four years of his mental and musical growth as an individual from ages 18-22.
Highlighting the importance of the black diaspora and its musical evolution is at the forefront of his work and purpose. It is all in correlation with the push towards equality.