Berkeley trombonist, vocalist, and bandleader Bob Roden will return to the Piedmont Harvest Festival on Sunday, Sept. 21, leading the Bob Roden Quintet in a 1 p.m. – 2 p.m. performance at 711 Highland Avenue in Piedmont. This will mark the quintet’s third appearance at the festival.
Roden’s path to the bandstand is anything but typical. In his twenties he toured nationally as a rock musician, including a long stint in Las Vegas with the legendary lounge act Sidro’s Armada — an experience that led to his induction into the Las Vegas Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Seeking a more normal life, he later returned to college and pursued law, spending 25 years as an entertainment and technology attorney, with senior roles at Lucasfilm and Pixar.
After retiring from law, Roden returned full-time to music. In 2017 he formed The Bob Roden Quintet, which has since become a fixture in Bay Area jazz venues. In recent years, the group has developed a special connection performing for senior audiences in residential communities — concerts Roden describes as some of the most rewarding of his career.
The quintet includes Ron Jackson (alto sax), Larry Walter (piano), Jamie Dowd (bass), and Richard Freeman (drums). The day before the festival, the group will give what is expected to be their final performance at Richmond’s Riggers Loft before the venue closes.
Roden was recently profiled in the Richmond Standard
View a video introduction to the quintet HERE