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Bob Patin

Jazz pianist living the dream in North Texas

About Me

Bob Patin has been passionate about the piano since he was 5 years old. One of his childhood dreams was to work in recording studios; another was to perform on stages in front of large crowds. Still another was to get the chance to play with great musicians.

Bob has realized all of these dreams countless times. After leaving graduate school at the prestigious North Texas State School of Music, he moved in Nashville, where he lived for 34 years. He was part of thousands of recording sessions, played with some of the finest musicians in the world; he's played for crowds as large as 90,000 people, played in 49 of 50 states, toured the world as a professional musician; he's played on stage, on national TV or in the studio with hundreds of well-known recording artists over the years.

Some of the great musicians Bob's played with include Larry Coryell, Bela Fleck, Buddy Emmons (who was a close friend), Steve Morse, Albert Lee, Bill Watrous, Chet Atkins, Jerry Reed, Tommy Emmanuel, Joe Bonamassa, Nokie Edwards, David Clayton- Thomas (BS&T), just to name a few.

Bob's CDs have been bought by listeners from 5 continents. In addition to 15 CDs as an artist, he's played on hundreds (if not thousands) of CDs by artists in a wide variety of musical genres.

Bob started playing jazz piano when he was a teenager; after listening to blues for several years, he discovered jazz and found his musical place in the universe. His earliest influences included Chick Corea, Keith Jarrett, Herbie Hancock, Oscar Peterson, George Shearing, Leon Russell, Les McCann, Ramsey Lewis, Professor Longhair, Mose Allison and most of all, Bill Evans, who remains his greatest influence. During his career, he's had the opportunity to play with a huge array of well-known performers in all areas of music.

My Jazz Story

I was first exposed to jazz in college, when I started listening to Mose Allison, Eddie Harris, Les McCann, and most of all, Bill Evans. After almost 50 years, I still listen to my greatest influences—Bill Evans, Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, Keith Jarrett, McCoy Tyner, Brad Mehldau, and others too numerous to mention—on a daily basis. Having just finished recording 24 new tracks in the studio with my piano trio, I just released a new CD titled "If Not Now, When?" and will release the other half of the tracks sometime at the end of the year. I've played with quite a few great musicians, including Bill Watrous, Larry Coryell, Tommy Emmanuel, Bela Fleck, Steve Morse, Albert Lee, Joe Bonnamassa, and many others. During my 34 years in Nashville, I was fortunate to tour with guitar great Jerry Reed, Crystal Gayle, Ray Price, and the Everly Brothers, and played onstage with the Beach Boys, Leon Russell, Glen Campbell, Dolly Parton, David Clayton-Thomas (BS&T), Bo Diddley, Nokie Edwards, Kenny Rogers, Alabama, George Jones, and dozens of others.