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Bob Crawford - Piano
Bob Crawford was born in Long Beach California, and raised in the Bay Area with his 12 brothers and sisters. He started playing in bands with his saxophone playing twin brother during their college years. After graduating, Bob gained experience in various Bay Area ensembles, playing jazz, funk, Latin and Brazilian music. In 2001 he was offered the keyboard chair in Michael Franti’s band Spearhead. Bob logged multiple tours throughout the United States, Australia, Canada, Europe and Japan. Bob also recorded on several of Spearhead’s albums and appeared on a number of international TV programs with the band. Also with Spearhead, Bob found himself performing with a who’s who of international stars (who had a habit of sitting in with the band), including Tre Anastasio, Chuck D, Ani DiFranco, Jack Johnson, Robert Randolph, Woody Harrleson, as well as members of Ozomatli, Zap Mama, and Galactic.
Bob took time off from extensive touring to spend time with his family, and to pursue his own musical vision. Now residing in the East Bay, Bob continues to perform and record with a variety of artists. He's performed and /or recorded with Pete Escovedo, John Santos, Sheila E., Taj Mahal, Ray Obeido, Fito Reinoso y su Ritmo y Armonia, Mazacote, Los Angelitos, Wild Mango, Boca De Rio, Greg Errico (Sly and the Family Stone), Lee Oskar (War), Lenny Williams and Mic Gillette (Tower of Power), Pedrito Calvo and Yeni Valdes(Los Van Van) Richard Bean (Malo), Jorge Santana, The New York Gypsy Allstars, as well as members of El Chicano, Santana, Tierra, Big Brother and the Holding Company, and many more.
Bob has served as the musical director for the Latin Kings All Star band, which features members from Tower of Power, Malo, and The Whispers. He has worked with the Alayo Dance Company and the Stagebridge Theatre Group. He has also worked for two years with the San Francisco Symphony’s “Adventures in Music” program, bringing music to every public elementary school in San Francisco. He teaches jazz ensembles and piano at Marin Country Day School and EPACenter in East Palo Alto. Bob also leads his own piano trio, and is founding member of the Latin jazz-funk band Machina Sol.
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Ray Obiedo: Latin Jazz Project Vol. 2
by Richard J Salvucci
Sometimes it is difficult to banish the words of Ecclesiastes from your mind when listening to a recording: “There is no new thing under the Sun." While that may be true of music in particular--one builds on the past, just as in other fields--it is no good reason for not listening or for simple indifference. Gerald Wilson's “Viva Tirado" has been around since the 1970s, and Wilson himself has been quoted as being once surprised by hearing the El Chicano ...
Continue ReadingRay Obiedo: Latin Jazz Project Vol. 2
by Pierre Giroux
There is a train of thought which proposes that the beginnings of the modern Latin jazz movement originated with the co-mingling of mambo and bebop. Although there is no empirical evidence to support this proposition, the uptake of the Latin style by boppers such as Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker and Herbie Mann gives some credence to the notion. The music presented by guitarist Ray Obiedo in Latin Jazz Project Vol. 2, while grounded in the Latin jazz construct, is delivered ...
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Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson
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Bob Crawford - Piano
Location: Los Angeles
Instrument: Keyboards
