Roderick "Rev" Paulin, a saxophonist and clarinetist, was born into one of New Orleans' most storied musical families. His father, Ernest "Doc" Paulin, led brass bands on the city's streets for more than 70 years, and young Roderick grew up steeped in musicianship, performance standards, and a deep love of the city's traditions. He earned his undergraduate degree at Southern University in Baton Rouge, studying under Edward "Kidd" Jordan and Roger Dickerson, and later completed a Master of Music at LSU, where he remains a Ph.D. candidate in Music Education.
In the late 1980s, Paulin's tenure with Rebirth Brass Band proved pivotal, as his innovative compositions and arrangements helped modernize brass band music and attract younger audiences to the genre. His career since has taken him across the breadth of New Orleans jazz: principal clarinetist for The Original Tuxedo Jazz Band led by Gerald French, a featured soloist and member of Preservation Hall Brass Band, and a featured soloist for more than a decade with Delfeayo Marsalis's Uptown Jazz Orchestra, contributing to their recordings and world tours. His performance credits extend well beyond New Orleans jazz circles, including work with John Legend, Allen Toussaint, The Grateful Dead, Aaron Neville, Harry Connick Jr., the Marsalis family, Trombone Shorty, The Afghan Whigs, and the Brand New Heavies.
Paulin's own band, Rev and The Congregation, released the album Slow but Steady in 2017, blending traditional jazz elements with funk and blues on tracks including "'Lil Liza Jane," "Let Your Mind Be Free," and "7th Ward Boogaloo." Though he had performed at French Quarter Festival many times before — alongside his father, his siblings in the Paulin Brothers Brass Band, and other collaborators — his 2023 appearance marked the first time leading his own band there. Beyond performing, Paulin is a dedicated educator, serving as a jazz instructor at Southern University and a longtime faculty member of the Louis Armstrong Summer Jazz Camp, and remains a regular at venues including Tipitina's, the Maple Leaf, Snug Harbor, Preservation Hall, and Mahogany Jazz Hall.
