Terry Robb
Friday, 26 June 2009 18:37
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Terry Robb at Burnside's 10th Anniversary Party
Muddy Awards:
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1991 Best Traditional Blues Player
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1992 Best Acoustic Guitarist
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1993 Best Acoustic Guitarist
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1994 Best Acoustic Guitarist
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1994 Inducted into the CBA Hall of Fame for Best Acoustic Guitar
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1995 Best Acoustic Guitarist
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1996 Best Acoustic Guitarist
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1997 Best Acoustic Guitarist
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1997 Terry Robb Acoustic Blues Trio won Best Traditional Blues Act
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1998 Best Acoustic Guitarist
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1999 Best Acoustic Guitarist
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2000 Terry Robb Trio wins Best Traditional Blues Act
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2000 Best Acoustic Guitarist
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2001 Best Acoustic Guitarist
Related Links:
Portland's Musical Renaissance Man
With a Heart Made of Steel
Article Reprint from the December 2000 BluesNotes
Article by: Greg Johnson
"Terry Robb is a fantastic guitarist, he plays Acoustic Blues like it should be played. He plays the real thing, precise, right to the point."
- Bill Rhoades
The Thursday afternoon following the "Muddy Awards" was overcast with an occasional shower. On this day, I met Portland music icon Terry Robb at the Burnside Records warehouse in inner southeast Portland. The night before, Terry had taken home two more of the coveted statuettes bringing his total to 13, including an unprecedented 10! consecutive "Acoustic Guitarist Of The Year" selection.
When asked whether winning the "Muddy" had the same meaning to him now as it did the first time, he responded, "Probably more so. You work hard at this stuff and you get the feeling that you're doing something okay. I'm really appreciative of it, but in no way do I consider myself the best Acoustic Guitar player. Anywhere."
For the next hour-and-a-half Terry and I would reflect on his career, from his earliest influences and relationships with his peers, to his most recent recording, "Heart Made Of Steel". Throughout our conversation, Terry was very humble regarding his achievements and proud at the same time. His life is the story of the Portland music community. He is the epitome of that scene. An accomplished musician, songwriter and producer. Portland's Renaissance man.
Terry Robb was born in Vancouver, British Columbia. In the early 1960s, his family moved to the United States, first settling in Pittsburgh and later transferring to Oregon. From an early age, music was an important factor in Terry's family life. His father would take him to concerts, including shows by Louis Armstrong and The Beatles. Both his father and grandmother played the piano. His uncle, Dave Garofalo, was a professional guitar player who worked in Swing bands. He would often play Swing and Italian music at family get-togethers and parties. His cousin, Bryan Garofalo, worked in the '60s-'70s Los Angeles music scene and wrote "The Load Out" for Jackson Browne's "Running On Empty" album.
One night while watching television with his family, Ray Charles came on. His grandmother asked, "What kind of music is that?" His brother replied, "That's the Blues, Grandma." And, that sound stuck in Terry's young mind. He soon found himself absorbing as much of the Blues as he could find.
It was an enlightening time becoming infatuated with the Blues. The Revival period of the 1960s was in full bloom. Artists like B.B. King, John Lee Hooker, Furry Lewis and Lightnin' Hopkins made frequent appearances on television, not to mention the emergence of The Beatles. Radio stations were also playing a significant role in Terry's exposure. Underground stations were broadcasting a wide musical variety at all hours of the day. Everyone from Quicksilver Messenger Service to Muddy Waters. Even Top 40 radio offered a strange conglomeration. At one moment you might hear Frank Sinatra, followed by Marvin Gaye and then "They're Coming To Take Me Away Ha-Ha". It was this varied attitude that impressed Terry, giving him a feel for doing a number of different things within his own music.
Terry credits his brother's copy of a Duane Eddy record as inspiring him to pick up the guitar. "How could you miss with the original guitar god? Guitars were everywhere! They looked cool and the people playing them looked cool."
In junior high school. Terry met another Young guitar enthusiast by the name of Alan Hagar. The two became fast friends, hanging out with each other learning the instrument, going to concerts and even forming bands by the age of 12 or 13. Then later, the pair met Steve Cameron, who was also infatuated with the Blues. Originally a harmonica player, Cameron soon took up the guitar and the three fed off one another trying to figure out the licks to their favorite artists. Even to this day, these three musicians hold each others' attention with their craft, not to mention the fact that they perennially find themselves each nominated for the "Muddy Awards"' Acoustic Guitar top honors.
"Terry is really a dedicated guy," comments Alan Hager. "The music appeals to him and he really loves it. A lot of people don't get that. They miss what he's really about."
During that period, Terry was listening to the masters of pre-war Blues and Ragtime guitar. People like Blind Blake, Elizabeth Cotton and Mississippi John Hurt. "If there is anybody's record that I would be stuck with for the rest of my life, it would be a John Hurt record. After high school, Terry began seeking Country Blues musicians whenever possible. He wanted to capture as much as he could of their techniques. He spent a week following Bukka White, trying to build up enough courage just to speak to him. "There was no such thing as instructional videos," states Terry. "Videos didn't exist. Books were starting to come out, but I never learned anything out of these books." Terry also found inspiration from electrical players like B.B. King, Albert King, and especially the rhythm guitar work on Jimmy Rogers' "Chicago Bound" album.
While in college, Terry continued working with small Blues bands. He also began to work with a musician who had recently moved to Oregon from Los Angeles by the name of Ramblin' Rex. Rex had gone to high school with Frank Zappa and was part of the early '60s Blues community in L.A. that featured a number of Blues trios led by people like Zappa and Henry Vestine. These bands would eventually evolve into The Mothers of Invention and Canned Heat, respectively. Rex was fairly well-known and it surprised Terry that when they traveled to small communities he'd never heard of, they'd find banners welcoming Rex to their town. "He showed me the ropes about being a musician on the road''
Another artist that enamored Terry was John Fahey. His playing was like something he'd never encountered before. "It was like the history of American acoustic guitar. It was something else, it took you forward." He would go to see Fahey all the time, but as with Bukka White, he needed to build up his courage to approach him. A friend sent Fahey a cassette that Terry had made which included an obscure Country Blues number titled, "One way Gal" by William Moore. Fahey liked the idea that somebody else knew about the song and sent Terry a message stating he'd like to meet him. That meeting took place following a concert one night, and the two became fast friends. They ended up playing Charley Patton songs backstage. This led to a conversation about Patton's "Down The Dirt Road Blues". Both had been trying to figure out it's chords for a number of years only to find out they each had different parts worked out. This helped to build their bond even greater.
John Fahey had recently signed with Rounder Records, a big player in the independent market. To Terry's surprise, Fahey asked him to produce his next recording. Terry had never produced before, but Fahey taught Terry his way around the studio. The result was "Let Go". It was lauded by Rolling Stone critic Kurt Loder as one of the three best albums of the summer of 1984, alongside "Purple-Rain" by Prince and Bruce Springsteen's "Born In The USA". The production's success was the beginning of a long string of recordings that Terry has gone on to produce. There were several more for Fahey and a string of releases from Portland's Burnside Records, including Sheila Wilcoxson's W.C. Handy nominated "Backporch Blues".
Over the years, Terry Robb has also released a handful of fine recordings under his own name, including the well received "Stop This World" (1996) and "Terry Robb's Blues Trio" (1994). His most recent recording, "Heart Made Of Steel" has been enjoying some very positive reviews and airplay on national radio. It is also a new venture for Terry, as he not only utilizes his traditional settings playing with his trio or solo, but also has included many numbers featuring what he calls his "AllStar Blues Orchestra".
"Some people are confused by the instrumentation," Terry said. "But, hopefully the songs will get everybody past that."
Terry approached this new CD in a different manner than one would usually expect. He had been listening to Ray Charles recordings and was also thinking to himself about some gigs he'd done with Carlton Jackson's big band and how much fun he'd had.
"I thought it would be great to do an orchestra behind my acoustic guitar," mused Terry. "It would be like Mose Allison or Ray Charles, but instead of the piano, it would be acoustic guitar."
He began to haunt the library every Monday and drown himself in the works of people like Thelonius Monk, Jelly Roll Morton, Duke Ellington and Lightnin' Hopkins. He checked out the music and studied the charts, transposing piano pieces to the guitar. Not that he intended to use all of this, but as an exercise. "It's kind of like working out for a big race," he explains. "You do all of these things that you're not going to use anyway. Like climbing ropes and stuff. Is that going to help you run around a track? Well, it's going to do something for YOU."
He took the idea to Terry Currier of Burnside Records and they decided a whole album of the big band material may be too much at this time. But, they would do a few pieces. So, Terry took some of the songs he'd been writing to Dave Mills, so he could add horn charts around the guitar. There was nothing else to the songs at the time other than the guitar, and maybe some drums and bass. There were no vocals, no lyrics, no melody, no nothing. T hough this may seem odd, it is normal practice for Terry. For instance, on his previous recording, the title song, "Stop This World" was completely pieced together in the studio, nobody played at the same time.
The song, "Heart Made Of Steel" is another that came about in this manner. When the CD was released, Albert Reda told Terry that he didn't even remember recording the song. Terry explained it as "kind of a thing that I had everybody do in the studio that day." It even had a piano solo that was later edited out. The song had started out as a Lightnin' Hopkins type of song, and Terry claims that his Henry Vestine influence really shines on that piece.
The selections for "Heart Made Of Steel" were pieced together with material that had been written with certain musicians in mind. He put together tracks with vocals that he knew would blend nicely with Albert Reda. Others were created that would work with Carlton Jackson or Janice Scroggins' keyboards. "Omaha Bounce" was composed for pianist Peter Boe, specifically.
And, some of these songs had previous lives that were reworked for the new album. "Enron Blues" started out as a rhythm track with bass, drum and the guitar. Terry had been doing guitar samples for a company that would then chop them up for use in commercials. "Enron Blues" originally developed during this time. Terry thought that it had a catchy base and decided to renew it for the CD because he thought the sound would work well with the rhythms of Jeff Minnieweather and John Mazzacco.
"West Covina Rag" was also an earlier piece that had been originally written for Sheila Wilcoxson. He went back to it and made it an instrumental.
Austin, Texas guitarist Steve James has been a friend of Terry's for a number of years. He also learned to play guitar from following the masters gathering as much as he could. A recent signing with Burnside Records had brought James to Portland for a weekend and Terry had wanted him on his album. He had decided that they would do Canned Heat's "Change My Ways", but he wanted something else as well. Terry sat down after a gig that weekend and began working on a tune. He refined it for a couple of hours, then went over to James' hotel room and showed it to him. The next day they went to the studio and recorded the song, "Cypress Inn Stomp", named for the hotel. "When you're working under pressure, for some reason it's stressful and everything, but things get done."
"Change My Ways" is one of three non-original songs that Terry had decided to include on the CD. "Down & Out" is an old Charlie Rich number that the trio had been playing for quite some time. He believes that Charlie was a great musical treasure. A man who could play most anything: Blues, Jazz, Rockabilly, Country. But, the simple reason for its inclusion is that he likes the song. The other cover is "Little White Moon". Terry first heard this song when Hoyt Axton performed it on "The Tonight Show" in 1977. At that time he decided one day he'd record it himself. He felt that this was the right album to include it on.
When asked if there were any plans to take the band on the road, Terry said that he is waiting for the right opportunity. He's watching the radio play to see how it is received. It's not cheap to take an eight or nine piece band on the road and he wants to make sure everybody will be paid when they do go out.
I asked him if we could expect more recordings with the big band in the future. "I would like to make a solo record next. Instrumental stuff, some Blues and some original things. I haven't got a solo record out and I do a lot of solo gigs. I would like to do some more of the big band, but I would also like to record my electric band, live, and edit together a bunch of stuff. Because that's the stuff that I do."
When Terry Robb is not performing or producing, he spends his time teaching. This past year, he helped to start the Northwest School of Acoustic Guitar. The course offers levels in Advanced, Intermediate and Beginning guitar. This is not your basic guitar lesson, though. Rather, it is a college style class that covers playing techniques, has written material, lessons on CD format and spends a great deal of time talking about musical history. "I've given guitar classes before, and when I talk about history, 'Well, Robert Johnson got this from so-and-so, and that comes from Charley Patton's "High Water" song,' people begin to connect. It gives them an image instead of just notes." The course also includes labs where students have to actually play.
Yet another project that has kept Terry busy is the Acoustic Guitar Summit. Along with fellow guitarists Mark Hanson, Paul Chasman and Doug Smith, the quartet has recently released their second recording, "Summit Meeting". They started playing together in 1995. Four guys who each play in different styles, but blend together beautifully. It started out as a performance they would do every Christmas season, but more requests for gigs kept coming in. They will soon be making a trek down to California for a handful of performances, including a showcase for Acoustic Guitar Magazine.
I asked Terry, with all the different projects he has going on, if he ever had any spare time? "I wish I had more spare time." He doesn't-get out to hear other performers as much as he'd like, but when he does, he says there's always somebody good playing in town. "I would encourage people who just go to Blues clubs to check out other clubs, too. If you want to hear some great guitar players, go to some of the Country places. Some guys play some great James Burton or Albert Lee licks. There's some professional musicians out there doing professional jobs. There's a lot of different stuff going on in this town: Jazz, Country, Rock & Roll, Alternative. It's all good."
If it sounds like Terry Robb has a wide selection of the type of music he listens to, you're not mistaken. It all returns to those early childhood exposures. "Lately, I've been listening to Stan Getz and the first couple of albums by The Band that have been reissued and remastered. I love "Music From Big Pink", it is one of my favorites. That and Classical music. I'll get into these spurts where I'll read a biography, so I'll want to hear more of their stuff, so it makes more sense. I've also been listening to Coltrane's Atlantic stuff lately." Definitely a variety of sounds.
So, what does the future hold for Terry Robb?
"I'm going to go on promoting my records. That's what I want to do. I would like to record the solo thing, maybe more of this big band and to get the electric band down on tape. I've put out two records this year, the Guitar Summit and "Heart Made Of Steel". I really like that record. I'm really proud of it. I worked hard on it."
It certainly shows. "Heart Made Of Steel" is an exceptional recording from an exceptional musician. There can be little doubt that Terry Robb will succeed in accomplishing all the goals he has set for himself. And, more than likely, he's going to exceed even our expectations.
Note: If interested in enrolling with the Northwest School of Acoustic Guitar, contact Morrison Bridge Music at (503) 231-9133. Leave your name and phone number, and you'll be contacted with information when classes are scheduled to begin.