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Based in Berkeley, California, The Bob Roden Quintet is a versatile musical ensemble that plays a wide variety of tunes falling under the broad label of jazz. From standards to bebop, from ballads to bossa, BRQ plays it all and loves sharing it with other jazz fans as well as with those for whom jazz may be a new and (hopefully) delightful discovery.
The band’s experience is that jazz naturally lends itself to occasions that are intended to be special -- whether it’s a night on the town, a wedding, a fundraiser, a corporate event or some other kind of celebration. Jazz brings a level of musicality and spontaneity that makes people feel good and adds a bit of class to everything it touches.
The members of The Bob Roden Quintet collectively have played in clubs, hotels, casino showrooms and countless other venues all over North America. Although the band now performs primarily in the greater San Francisco Bay Area, they are always happy to make new friends and visit new places. All you have to do is ask!
The members met through their long and continuing involvement with the California Jazz Conservatory, which they consider a local treasure.
Bob Roden
Trombone, Vocals, Witticisms
Bob came from a family of musicians and became a full-time professional himself at age 20. He toured for over a decade, starting out in Holiday Inns and working up to top showrooms such as Harrah’s in Reno/Tahoe and the Sahara in Las Vegas.
Bob subsequently had a career as a technology and entertainment lawyer before returning to music. In 2011, Bob was inducted into the Las Vegas Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He has studied with Wayne Wallace, Joshua Vincent, Morris Acevedo, Omar Ledezma Jr., and Glenn Richman.
His children's music CD "Mammals Eat Coconuts" is a perennial favorite on Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora and elsewhere.
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Ron Jackson
Alto Sax
Although he's a fixture in the Bay Area jazz scene, Ron is originally from Alabama and is a music graduate from Alabama A&M University. He has studied saxophone with Mel Martin, George Brooks, Jim Grantham and others. His CD "Love Is a Crazy Game" is available on CD Baby.
Mark Rossi
Piano
After years of playing with jazz and R&B bands on the East Coast as well as fronting a band in a jazz series that included many of Boston's jazz luminaries, Mark headed to the West Coast. Inspired by the eclectic sounds of the SF bay area, he sought to integrate elements of jazz with the rhythms of Pop, Latin and R&B music. A few years ago, Mark's crossover song "B.H.F.J." climbed the indie charts. Today, Mark finds a perfect partnership playing the eclectic repertoire of the Bob Roden Quintet.
Jamie Dowd
Bass
Jamie is the solid pulse of BRQ and brings a wealth of musical experience to the group. In addition to his small group work, Jamie is the principal bassist for the Albany Jazz Band, a community big band in Albany, California, and hosts a private weekly jam session.
Richard Freeman
Drums
Richard Freeman has performed with Broadway's Flying Karamazov Brothers, as well as with Bay Area stalwarts vocalist Jamie Davis (Basie Big Band), guitarist Jeff Massanari, pianist and author Kevin Fellezs, pianist Stephen McQuarry (Resonance Jazz Ensemble), saxophonist Andres Soto, pianist Mark Little, pianist Michael Smolens, bassist Dan Seamans, bassist and author Barry Green, the Albany Jazz Band and the vocal ensemble Con Alma.
Richard has studied privately with Peter Magadini, Chuck Brown, Barbara Borden and Richie Lepore. He has performed at Anna's Jazz Island, the Vancouver Folk Festival, the Oregon Country Fair, Armando's, and rock venues of yore, such as the Keystone Berkeley, Mabuhay Gardens, the Chi Chi Club, and the Last Day Saloon.
© 2017 - 2023 Bob Roden