© 2024
NPR for Northern Colorado
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

'Boss Of The Boogie' – That’s Rob Rio

For 30 years pianist and vocalist Rob Rio has delighted worldwide audiences with genuine boogie-woogie plus 1940s & 1950s inspired Jump Blues. When "hep cats" applied the term "chops" to mean virtuosity they must have been thinking of Rio.

Certainly Rob Rio is my definition of "chops." People around the World have shared my admiration, especially in Western Europe and the United States. His feeling and talent landed him in the Boogie-woogie Hall Of Fame in 2008.

Rio was born in the Bronx, New York, now lives in Los Angeles, but he really lives in the past, influenced by great pianists like Otis Spann, Memphis Slim, Albert Ammons, Meade Lux Lewis, Jimmy Yancy, and Roosevelt Sykes.

Rob is fortunate to have had the chance to play with true legends like Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon, James Cotton, Charles Brown, and Paul Butterfield and recorded with the likes of Mick Jagger, Canned Heat, Billy Boy Arnold, William Clarke, and Coco Montoya.

Rio has a recent alter ego named "Harry Tonic, Sr." who has added a note of Country Swing to Rob's sound. The result is an assured future delighting audiences in clubs, at festivals and other events around the world for some time to come.

If you love boogie-woogie and Jump Blues you'll love Rob Rio. And if you don't know boogie-woogie and Jump Blues I suggest you round out your education and Rob Rio would be a very fine place to start.

Tags
Related Content