Richard Dennis Oatts (born April 2, 1953) is an American jazz saxophonist, multi-instrumentalist, composer, and educator.

After high school, Oatts attended Drake University[1] for one year before dropping out and moving to Minneapolis to begin a career in music in 1972.

Oatts' work on woodwind instruments (saxophone, clarinet, flute) became more widely known when he led the crossover jazz group Flim & the BB's in the 1980s and '90s[4] with bassist Jimmy "Flim" Johnson, drummer Bill Berg, and keyboardist Billy Barber.

Since the 1970s, Oatts has released more than a dozen albums as a leader and co-leader, and he has appeared on over 100 albums as a sideman with Joe Henderson, Jerry Bergonzi, Eddie Gómez, Bob Brookmeyer, the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, Joe Lovano and others, working extensively with Steeplechase Records.

[2] With Thad Jones/Mel Lewis With Vanguard Jazz Orchestra With Flim & the BBs With Red Rodney With Ray Mantilla With Colors of Jazz With Everything but the Girl With Armen Donelian With Susannah McCorkle With Joe Lovano With Nnenna Freelon With Ted Rosenthal With Eddie Gómez With Gary Smulyan With others