The Rob Rasch Trio
The Rob Rasch Trio
Madison, WI
Jazz / Jazz organ,electric piano,trio / psychedelic inspired 1960s jazz,
-
- Songs
| Status | On hiatus currently... |
|
Join the Mailing List |
Bio
Rob Rasch Trio – unique approaches to pop, jazz classics, standards, fusions. It's jazz with a sense of humor...
Rob Rasch is a WAMI (Wisconsin Area Music Industry) nominated keyboard artist and composer (Best Jazz Artist or Group 1999).
Bassist Ben Johnson plays the upright and electric bass. Matt Krueger is the rythmicist
About
Rob Rasch (jazz keyboardist and composer) was born July 1961, near Lake Geneva, WI.
Rob's father, Jim Rasch, was a part time professional musician/entertainer, who sold (and played) Hammond organs. Rob’s mother Shirley spent hours sharing her love for music and gracefully introduced him to fake books and music notation. Rob heard jazz at an early age. Louis Armstrong, whom his father met, was the most listened to in the old days. Rob's dad was self taught, he incorporated jazz solos into his "saloon" kind of lounge music (Jim was also a talented singer).
At 17 Rob got a part time job at Hammond Organ Studios, in Kenosha WI. Concert artists ocassionaly performed there, such as Chicago White Sox stadium organist, Nancy Faust (of Na Na Hey Hey Goodbye fame)who mentored him with her unconventional but world class approach to superbly crafted pop organ music for sports audiences (Rob would go on to play the organ for his college at basketball games).
2 years into playing, he won the Southeastern WI. Yamaha Electone Festival, an international organ and improvisation competition, becoming a regional finalist in the Northern US competition. The following year he won again, along with the Best Improvisation award. His original composition,“Bouquet,” impressed Festival world champion, Jim Levesque, who mentored his development further.
Rob studied “Jazz Appreciation” with Milwaukee jazz radio icon Ron Cuzner, who taught at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside. Cuzner broadened Rob's jazz vistas introducing him to Milwaukee’s best jazz artists, like Penny Goodwin, Randy Sabian and Don Linke. While at university he studied with composition professor Dr. August Wegner, who greatly enhanced Rob's musical thinking.
Rob received his B.A. in Communication (his advisor was Dr. Lee Thayer, a world class CEO leadership coach, author of the book, Leadership: Thinking, Being, Doing) and began to work as a solo musician around Kenosha and Racine clubs. Arranging music on the side for vocalists and Miss America hopefuls, he mentored many Wisconsin contestants.
Throughout the 90s Rob was featured by several SE Wisconsin media outlets: The Kenosha News (a full page feature story), the Racine Journal Times, The Scott Barter TV Show (as co host), Kenosha Today, Lou Rugani, Music of the Stars, and the Kenosha band shell. Being self contained, Rob quickly became THE local musician to hire, and was an integral part of key parties, banquets, city functions, fashion shows, as well as the biggest community and political events.
In I998 Rob developed a concert jazz repertoire. He was promptly recognized by the Racine, WI. music industry and was nominated as Best Jazz Keyboard player. Rob was a warm-up to national jazz acts Paquito D’Rivera, Joe McBride, and Spyro Gyra, but eventually performed several concerts as the main attraction: Milwaukee's Summerfest, Racine Harborfest, and Jazz After 5 at the Anderson Art Center, a one time mansion on Kenosha’s lakefront.
1n 1999, Rob was recognized by the Wisconsin Music Industry (or WAMI awards) and nominated as a Best Jazz Artist or Group-Traditional category (as a one-man jazz band).
Elsewhere in WI, Rob was a featured concert artist during the inaugural season of Madison's Frank Lloyd Wright designed Monona Terrace and Convention Center. Rob also performed a concert for Bank One's Rooftop Concert Series.
In 2000 Rob performed at several Madison clubs, and was invited to perform at the Isthmus Jazz Festival.
In 2006, (after 4 years living in Minneapolis) Rob established his first jazz band, The Rob Rasch Trio, featuring bassist Ben Johnson, and drummer, Matt Krueger, both of the Madison Gypsy jazz band, the Gadjo Players. In the fall of 2007, the RR trio was featured on Madison radio station WORT for a full one hour live performance.
In the summer of 2008 the trio performed on the University of Wisconsin’s Union terrace for the “Behind the Beat” jazz series, and last month, the band was featured with an article in the Verona Press.
