About – rodney

The Early Years

During the decades of loving music and having turned it into a practical craft, there were distinct moments of inspiration.

In 1956, karma hearing the vocal duet of “True Love” in the film high society featuring Bing Crosby and Grace Kelly
In 1957, hearing Johnny Mathis’ vocals and the fine arrangement of “Chances Are” and his other hits
In 1961, Del Shannon runaway; Ray Charles versions of “What I’d Say” and “I’ve Got a Woman”
The Platters hits, notably: My Prayer”
The Everly Brothers hits “Let It Be Me” and “Kathy’s Clowns”; The Beatles “Hard Day’s Night “album
Astrud Gilberto / Stan Getz & Charlie Byrd – The Girl From Ipanema / Desafinado in 1964

I was also enchanted and influenced by recordings of South Pacific, Kismet and other theatrical productions; so many tunes which I grew to love.
As I matured as a musician and artist writers like Burt Bacharach, Jim Webb and Marvin Hamlisch also influenced my work.

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About Rodney

My playing career began inconspicuously in 1965 with a job in a three-piece ensemble at a pizza joint in Davis, California for the grand sum of $5 per night.

The first full-time work came in 1970 with a group in Sacramento, CA followed by a long term gig at Yosemite Valley to work with a dance trio at the Ahwahnee hotel for six months. Performances were six nights a week.

In 1972, I began a two-year stint as a GI in West Germany, returning to the Bay Area in 1974 and found work with a local drummer and guitarist. That engagement changed into a solo partnership venue in 1975 and lasted until 1977.

I then took my performances to southern California Kern County area meeting and getting to work with the first woman to have ostensibly played electric guitar professionally, Mary Osborne.

I returned to Yosemite valley in 1984 and continued sporadically until 1990.

In 1988 and from 1991 to 92 I performed a solo engagement at the Beverly Hilton Hotel as the lobby pianist, working six nights a week six days a week.

In 1992, I returned to the Bay Area and found work as a solo performer at Scott’s Seafood in Walnut Creek, performing three nights weekly until 2014.

In July 1997, I joined a Sunday brunch trio (saxophonist, drummer and vocalist) at Scott’s Seafood in Jack London Square (Oakland, California) performing there every Sunday until March 2020.

Other work as a soloist or within trios and quartets was fairly constant from 1995 to 2020. Solo work became more concentrated with the performing in retirement homes.

My Repertoire

The bulk of the tunes I play emanate from the Great American songbooks of Rodgers and Hart, Rogers and Hammerstein, George Loesser, Duke Ellington, Burt Bacharach, Michael Legrand, Antonio Jobim, Lennon and McCartney, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Hamlisch, Jim Webb, Dimitri Tomlin and many others.