| Bob was soon in demand and working at piano bars around the Big Easy, most notably Harrah's Casino, various hotel lounges and cruise ships, and eventually settling in at Ivory's on Bourbon, where he was one of the Street's favorites for six years in a highly competitive musical environment. Working in the piano bar world enabled Bob to showcase the versatility of his voice covering Pop, R & B, Country, Jazz standards, and a lot of real N'Orleans Blues. He has an on-demand repertoire of more than 500 tunes.
Bob has opened for Garth Brooks (country), Irma Thomas (Soul Queen of New Orleans), Asleep At The Wheel (western swing), T. Graham Brown (country) and Moe Brandy (now with his own theatre in Branson, MO). The highlight of Bob's New Orleans days was a visit from superstar Billy Joel, who gave Bob a big thumbs up for his rendition of The Lady Is A Tramp. Bob has also played in venues from Key West to the Ritz Carlton hotels in Chicago and Palm Springs. He is a journeyman musician accoustomed to singing four hours a night, five nights a week. Bob loves music and entertaining!
In 1995, Bob recorded his first CD, Long Cold Summer, with ten original tunes in the Pop and R & B genres. The CD has done well for him whereever he plays. You simply cannot hear Bob and not want to take his music home with you.
In 2002, Bob left New Orleans for Evansville, Indiana to anchor the French Quarter Piano Bar in an upscale New Orleans' cuisine restaurant opened by a New Orleans chef and friend, Jimmy Chehardy. The French Quarter Piano Bar was designed and built around Bob. While the restaurant has since closed due to structural problems, Bob has become a fixture in Evansville - with a regular following of 500-plus. Bob is also a frequent host to local and touring musicians who relish sitting in with this high-energy vocalist. One of the highlights of 2003 was a post-concert jam session with the Dukes of Dixieland, including Bob's bass-playing idol, Everett Link. The Dukes were in town for a performance with the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra. In 2003, Bob traveled to Chicago to catch its Blues Fest. The trip culminated in a post-Fest jam session at Buddy Guy's Legends. In addition to meeting Buddy (a fellow Louisiana native), Bob was invited to sit in at the keyboard and to sing a few songs. Suffice it to say that the reception to Bob's singing and playing was enthusiastic - so much so that he was asked to remain on the bandstand for the balance of the three-hour jam. |
