Biography

I was born in California; raised in Minnesota, Virginia and Oregon. Went to 14 different schools before graduating from College. Much of this moving around was due to World War Two. This was the age before television and computers. We had radio. At age 11 I was entranced with the new music called Boogie Woogie and especially a pianist named  Mead Lux Lewis.

I thought Tommy Dorsey's rendition of Pinetop Boogie was the Cat's Meow. When I was 14 I played a popular tune at the time called Near You for Spike Jones, who suggested I come back and audition for his City Slickers Band when I was of age. I decided to go into Psychology instead.

I had training in classical piano, clarinet and tenor sax. In High School I organized a little jazz band called Wrenn's Ramblers. I played Tenor Sax and tried to sound like Stan Getz. Decided piano was my best choice of instruments.

I learned how to play Chopin's Polonaise in Ab Major and Debussy's Clair De Lune in Db Major but didn't think I was very good at reading music. Improvising from tunes I would hear on the radio or on 78's was such a thrill. And! I would get invited to parties. "Let's hear Bob play something!". For an adolescent this was very heady stuff. Still is!

I played piano one summer at Yellowstone Park and at times during basic training in the Army and throughout my career as a Psychologist. Whenever I had the chance! I especially enjoy solo and small group gigs and the old standards from the 30's, 40's and 50's.

I have had the priviledge of playing some one nighters with or for John Denman, Bob Crosby ( Bing's younger brother), Phyllis Diller, Jack Carson, and on the movie set at Old Tucson in a made for TV special called Poker Alice, starring Liz Taylor, George Hamilton and Tom Skerrit. I was the Honky Tonk Piano player in the bar - and didn't get shot!