Roy Patterson Music

Jacob's Cattle will be back at the Rex for two nights this Sunday and Monday, Dec. 17 & 18. For anyone who hasn't heard the band, we play mostly original, instrumental americana music, featuring pedal steel, string bass, drums, and guitar. We hit at 8:30 PM.

Tuesday night at the Hirut Cafe with a new trio: Mark Godfrey-bass and Will Fisher-drums. Last June I was on a gig with these two great musicians in Halifax and it felt like home, so when I got the call for this gig I asked them to join me. The guitar-bass-drums trio format has always been just about my favourite. We'll play a few Billy Strayhorn tunes, a couple of Monk's tunes, and some of my originals. The first person to guess the number of musicians in the band wins a trip to outer space.

It feels great to be back in Taiwan. This is from last night's gig; great musicians and the audience was fantastic. Yen-Yu Chuang on vibraphone, Refa Wang on bass, and my old friend Wei-Chung Lin on drums. After the gig there was a late night jam session; lots of great young musicians coming up onto the scene here. Our next gig will be on the 21st at Yuppie Bookstore.

https://www.jazz9.tw/2022/10/music-20231021m.html?utm_campaign=20231021%28六晚%29_音樂會&utm_source=T&fbclid=IwAR1JNIGDvyD03cKBTyzp33f3MFaXz1eb7IldcGlyEkf6utf7lca8Wkqc6Jk

爵士音樂會《爵士經典與當代》加拿大音樂家 Roy Patterson 2023/10/21(六)晚上 來自加拿大的Roy Patterson，用一把吉他，點燃爵士經典的浪漫火炬，火紅的楓葉落在鋼琴的黑白鍵上，瞬間就燒成一首愛情的永恆之詩…

It's so great to be back home in Nova Scotia. Also great to be playing Wednesday night, June 14, with fellow guitarist Gabe Mink and his quartet at Obladee, 1600 Barrington St., Halifax. We play from 7-10PM. Hoping to see some old friends.

Come hear the Sundar Quartet at Mahtay Café & Lounge in St. Catherines this Sunday, as part of the TD Niagara Jazz-Festival Twilight Jazz Series! Along with Roy Patterson, Ethan Ardelli Music, and Dan Fortin, I'll be playing and singing music by the great Antonio Carlos Jobim and Duke Ellington. If you're not in the area, pass it on! Discounts for Musicians/Arts Workers/Students.. More details on the link below.

Here's the goods on the gigs coming up Sunday-Tuesday.
Hi,
As part of their ‘Masters Guitar’ series, I’ll be playing two sets of tunes written by guitar players. Jim Hall, John Abercrombie, Bill Frisell, Jimmy Raney, Wes Montgomery, Sonny Greenwich, and others; even one Pat Metheny tune.😀 That will be at the Hirut Cafe this Tuesday, May 2, 8-10 PM. Reservations are recommended. $15 Terry Clark- drums, Neil Swainson-bass, and moi-guitar. Nice place with good vibes and nice Ethiopian food, and the audience comes to listen.
2050 Danforth Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, Canada 647-779-1986

Also, this Sunday and Monday Jacob’s Cattle will be back at the Rex down on Queen St. 2 sets starting at 8:30.

Peace,
Roy

Couple of nice gigs coming up. The first one is with the Americana band, Jacob's Cattle at the Rex on Sunday and Monday. Shows start at 8:30 with two sets. See attached poster. The other one is with Terry Clark and Neil Swainson at the Hirut Cafe on the Danforth. Jazz trio, and we'll be playing all compositions by guitarplayers. I'll make another post with the details.

I seem to have a knack for booking gigs on holidays and major sporting events; oh well. The String Band will be playing a gig at Annette Studios this Sunday, April 9, from 2-4 PM. Free admission as it is sponsored by the the Recording Industry's Music Performance Trust Fund in cooperation with Local 149 Toronto, Canadian Federation of Musician's. Annette Studios is at 566 Annette St. and is a very cool venue seating about 40 people with nice lighting and sound.

https://soundcloud.com/roypatterson/sidewinder?si=5ac337540d6943269be01ece20958c00&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing
Dear All,

Please join us on Thursday, March 2nd at 12:30pm for Jazz at Midday featuring York faculty guitarist Roy Patterson with his group Organomix. Organomix presents the jazz organ trio in a contemporary light as part of a renewal of the format currently evolving on the international scene.

Thursday, March 2, 2023
12:30-1:30pm
Martin Family Lounge

Organomix

Organomix is a trio in the classic format of organ, drums, and guitar, led by Randy Stirtzinger, and is a vehicle for the performance of music associated with the jazz organ tradition ranging from early ‘soul jazz’ of the 1950s on up through the 1960s styles of artists like Wes Montgomery and Larry Young, to original music composed by the trio’s members.

The trio brings together the collective experiences of Graham Lear on drums, who’s extensive credits include drumming for Santana during the 1970s, Gino Vannelli, and REO Speedwagon, to name a few. An FCLMA Lifetime Achievement Award recipient and Hall of Fame inductee, Graham performed at the original Live Aid concert in 1985, the Royal Albert Hall in London, England, and venues worldwide.

Guitarist Roy Patterson is credited with awards from the Montreal Jazz Festival (Prix du Jazz 1996), the Jazz Report (Guitarist of the Year for 2000), and several CDs of original compositions. His playing has taken him to Asia, Europe, and the USA, where he performed at the Canadian Embassy in Washington, D.C. He is profiled in the Hal Leonard book, “The Great Jazz Guitarists,” and his 1990’s quartet was the subject of a one hour concert special for Bravo.

Randy Stirtzinger’s decades of performance, arranging, and composing have established him as a mainstay artist in the Niagara and upper New York state regions. From out of a four decade career defined by a gamut of stylistic collaborations with symphony orchestras, the Warren Stirtzinger Group (jazz fusion), an Oscar Peterson inspired trio with pianist John Sherwood, Latin jazz group Cache, singer Tommy Ambrose, and many others, the multiinstrumentalist has returned to one of his earliest passions; jazz organ.

Dr. Noam Lemish (he/him)
Assistant Professor and Jazz Area Coordinator
Department of Music, School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
Affiliated Faculty, Koschitzky Centre for Jewish Studies
Series Coordinator and Artistic Director "Sound and Sense: Jewish Music @ York"

YORK UNIVERSITY
York University land acknowledgement | confidentiality statement

Sidewinder Arrangement of the classic Sidewinder. Performed by Organomix: Randy Stirtzinger-organ, Graham Lear-Drums, and Roy Patterson-guitar. Arrangement by Randy Stirtzinger.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bN9lkRh1y-c

From Dec. 20, 2022 at Annette Studios. Andrew Downing-bass, Aline Homzy-violin, Mike Eckert-pedal steel

Sowing Words Roy Patterson's String Band playing Sowing Words, recorded at Annette Studios, Toronto, Dec. 20, 2022Roy Patterson-guitarAndrew Downing -bassAline Homzy-viol...

Sunday and Monday at the Rex with Jacob's Cattle and Tuesday this. The first set will be live-streamed and we'll be recording the second set for upload later. Free admission and here's the link to the live-stream: https://fb.me/e/2ipMoSouX
Unfortunately it will only be streamed in Canada and the USA as per the sponsor's request.

Jacob's Cattle will be at the Rex this coming Sunday and Monday. Here's a poster with all the details, or 'deets' as they say nowadays. Mike Eckert will be joing the band for the first time.

Sat. Nov. 12, 8-10PM Hirut Cafe is presenting a trio with Ethan Ardelli-drums, Dan Fortin-bass, and yours truly-guitar. It's been a while since I played a jazz trio gig, but I'm really looking forward to playing with Dan and Ethan. Now back to trying to get some chops and brushing up on repertoire.

This Thursday at the Hirut Cafe with the String Trio: Aline Homzy-violin, Andrew Downing-bass, et moi-guitar. This performance is being funded by the Danforth BIA, so there is no cover, but a 'pay-what-you-feel-like' is appreciated. 2 sets starting at 8PM.

Off to play at 1st Canadian Place in St. Catharines as part of the 'Hungry for Hammond' series. This one is in honour of Pater Shea, a wonderful musician and human being. One of his last dreams was to own a Hammond B3, and fortunately that was realized. Tonight, each band will use Peter's Hammond. See the earlier post for details, and if anyone in the Niagara region is looking for something to do tonght, drop by. Another band featured will be the Blackburn Brothers. Gonna be a swiginin' AND funky time.

As the terrible death and destruction in Ukraine continues, it's hard not to notice its slow fading from mainstream coverage. Every day I think about the amazing Ukrainian students that I met while teaching at the International Chodziez Jazz-Workshop in Poland in 2008; many of them would have their own families by now. My friend Linda Manzer is once again showing us how one idea can become a force for good and create positive change. Here's a link to one of her beautiful creations called, "The Sunflower Guitar for Ukraine." https://www.facebook.com/manzersunflowerguitar You can follow the guitar's journey around the world and be part of the project's evolution. Also listen to Linda discuss the project with Jason Verlinde of the Fretboard Journal here: https://www.fretboardjournal.com/podcasts/podcast-375-linda-manzers-sunflower-guitar-for-ukraine/

All aboard!

Podcast 375: Linda Manzer's Sunflower Guitar for Ukraine - Fretboard Journal  Acclaimed luthier Linda Manzer joins us this week to talk about her latest creation, Sunflower Guitar for Ukraine. This instrument, sporting a gorgeous sunflower inlay headstock and a Ukraine flag-themed Hoffee case, will be on tour for several months raising awareness for the war relief effo...

It's Magic Sam Sunday. Samuel Gene Maghett (February 14, 1937 – December 1, 1969)

Magic Sam - Live At The Avant Garde Recorded June 22, 1968 by Jim Charne at the Avant Garde, Milwaukee.Tracks0:00 San-Ho-Zay4:30 Don´t Want No Woman8:31 I Need You So Bad13:02 Feelin´ Good17:43...

Heading off to St Catharines today to play with Organomix at the Cats Caboose. Randy Stirtzinger-organ, Adam Fielding-drums, and me on guitar. Music by Wes Montgomery, Lee Morgan, Stanley Turrentins, et al. Fun band. We'll play from 4-7PM.

Sidewinder Arrangement of the classic Sidewinder. Performed by Organomix: Randy Stirtzinger-organ, Graham Lear-Drums, and Roy Patterson-guitar. Arrangement by Randy Stirtzinger.

The trio will be at the TD Niagara Jazz Festival Sunday, June 24th. We'll be playing for the Henry of Pelham 'Chardonnay Event' from 12 noon to 3PM. 1469 Pelham Road, St. Catharines.

Tomorrow's gig at the Hirut Cafe here on the Danforth starts at 8PM. Andrew Downing-bass. Burke Carroll-lap steel, and moi-guitar.

Here are a couple of upcoming gigs with a newer project; Roy Patterson's String Band. We'll be at the Hirut Cafe on Danforth this coming Saturday. (Poster attached for details) The folowing day we'll be in Niagara on the Lake at the Niagara Jazz Festival in the Henry of Pelham tent for their afternoon Chardonnay Event. (performance times TBA)

Jacob's Cattle will herd back into the Rex this Sunday and Monday (June 19 & 20) for gigs starting at 8:30 PM. We'll have the full 5 pc band so it'll be lots of fun.

A big shoutout to the staff and management at the Rex Jazz and Blues Bar for being fantastic hosts for the last two nights, and a special thanks to bartender Ryan who saved the day when I realized 15 minutes before the gig that I forgot to put a guitar strap in the case. Also, a special thanks to Anne Page and the Ken Page Memorial Trust for contributing as a sponsor to last night's performance. The audiences on both nights were great and as a band, we're very grateful for the opportunity to play two nights in a row after a two year hiatus. I hope the momentum and appreciation for live music continues to grow.

After two years of absence, Jacob's Cattle will be back at the Rex down on Queen St West next Sunday and Monday, Feb. 20-21. The room is configured for listening and health safety; a big thanks to Tom and the staff. We hit at 8:30 PM and will play two sets. There'll be some new tunes and the full 5pc band will be on. A chance to play two nights in a row; what a blessing!

I'm in need of a tech person who can do a simple livestream of a trio gig coming up on October 16 at Hirut Cafe on the Danforth here in Toronto; 8-10 PM. I don't need a crew, just a simple one camera setup and the ability to get a good sound. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

The Roy Patterson String Trio with Andrew Downing - string bass, Burke Carroll - lap steel and dobro, and me on guitar. Hirut Cafe, Oct. 16: 8-10 PM.

Fellow Bluenoser, and wonderful guitarist/musician, Nathan Hiltz, invited me to one of his, The Body Electric podcast episodes. Here's a link to the show.
https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-body-electric-podcast-episode-34-roy-patterson/id1014976049?i=1000522745869

We discuss everything from Sonny Greenwich and spirituality in music, to the merits of fiberglass fly rods over graphite. We even attempt to play together remotely. ......a welcome break in the daily Covid sequestration. Thanks Nathan!

‎The Body Electric Podcast - Interviews with Jazz Musicians: The Body Electric Podcast - Episode 34 - Roy Patterson on Apple Podcasts ‎Show The Body Electric Podcast - Interviews with Jazz Musicians, Ep The Body Electric Podcast - Episode 34 - Roy Patterson - May 22, 2021

I want to give a shoutout to Dave Robinson (Dave's Tube Amp Repair) for building me this incredible amp, converted from an old Bell & Howell Filmosound model 285 projector amp. What he has come up with in terms of designing the tone and response of these old doggies is pure genius. Also, a special thanks and compliments to Derrick Bell at Veteran Guitar Cabinets for designing and building the cabinet; a real work of art, and the amp and speaker fit like a glove. Now the hard part; waiting for post pandemic gigs so I can run 'er up the flagpole and hear what she can do at stage volume.

It's hard to believe that Burke Carroll and I did this video four years ago. Where did the time go? This Blind Willie Johnson composition, "Dark Was the Night; Cold Was the Ground," was first recorded by him in 1927, and subsequently recorded by other artists, notably, Ry Cooder. The song is a blues infused spiritual, having roots in hymnody, so we attempted to play it in the old 'lining out' style; hence our loose phrasing of the melody. In 1977, Blind Willie's original recording was sent into outer space in a time capsule abord the Voyager spaceship as a representation of some aspect of humanity, intended as a communication with extraterrestial life.

The first time that Burke and I performed it was back in 2013, as part of a record date for Jacob's Cattle. Time was suspended in the studio and we wound up playing it for a much longer period of time than was needed for the recording. The producer elected to go with a shorter version, but the experience of that first performance remains with me, suspended in time and space.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5CqjbEER8U

Dark Was the Night; Cold Was the Ground Roy Patterson-guitar and Burke Carroll-weissenborn playing the Blind Willie Johnson composition, "Dark Was the Night; Cold Was the Ground."

Telecaster from 200 Year Old Red Spruce into a Revox A77 Open Reel
https://roypatterson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/A-Rainy-Night-in-Georgia.mp3

I recently had my old open reel Revox A77 serviced with the intention of selling it, but after hearing how good the fidelity was, I’ve decided to keep it and start using it. It’s a 1/4 inch 2 track machine, meaning that it uses 1/4 inch tape and has two tracks. It’s also referred to as a half track stereo recorder, meaning that it uses an eighth inch of tape for each track. By comparison, my old Teac A-3440 is a 4 track machine, and is a quarter track, meaning that each track uses a sixteenth of an inch of tape. This is one of the reasons that the Revox has superior fidelity. The other reason is that it was designed by the Swiss engineer, Willi Studer, who also designed those great recorders in Abby Road studios back when the Beatles and other groups of the era were recording on a regular basis.

The Guitar

The land under the old homestead in Nova Scotia were I grew up was on record as having sold in 1828. The house would have been build shortly after that, and I recall the old boards in the walls and floors were in some cases about two feet wide. The native species in the area is red spruce. Dad was always tearing the house apart and renovating and whenever I urged him to save the old boards he ignored my request. Eventually after I moved away, he finished off the remnants of the original house, and on a trip home, I put aside a small stack of boards and stored them in the barn. Eventually the barn roof leaked and most of the boards rotted, but I was able to salvage enough wood for one Telecaster body, and this is the guitar; the last of the original house.

Here’s my attempt at an old Tony Joe White tune called A Rainy Night in Georgia. Brook Benton had a hit with it in 1970. Its a very well-constructed melody that stands on its own and lends itself so some slight reharmonization, which I took the liberty of doing.

http://roypatterson.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/A-Rainy-Night-in-Georgia.mp3

A Rainy Night In Geogia by Tony Joe White, arranged by Roy Patterson
Guitar-Telecaster guitar made of old growth red spruce from the floor boards of my old homestead in Nova Scotia
Amp-1961 Ampeg M12 Mercury
Effects-El Pescadoro plate reverb simulator by the Nocturne Brain
Microphone-Apex ribbon mic with internal filter removed

Our Artist-in-Residence at York U. this year is the great guitarist, Lionel Loueke, and a couple of sessions (on-line) are open to the public, and free of charge. The link for registration is below.

This year's OSCAR PETERSON JAZZ ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE, Lionel Loueke has appeared on numerous standout recordings such as Terence Blanchard’s Grammy-nominated Flow (2005) and Hancock’s Grammy-winning River: He has also appeared on recordings by Esperanza Spalding, Joe Lovano, Gretchen Parlato, Avishai Cohen, Kendrick Scott and other leading peers.
To hear more from Lionel Loueke
, register for our two free sessions at https://ampd.yorku.ca/news-events/events/ =40487123

AMPD Events – AMPD

Anyone like 'soul jazz'? Organomix just did a little demo: Randy Stirtzinger-organ, Graham Lear-drums, and moi-guitar. This is Randy's arrangement of the Lee Morgan tune, 'Sidewinder.'
https://roypatterson.com/current-projects/

(just the 1st mp3)

Current Projects | Roy Patterson Current Projects My focus these days is on a small number of projects; an organ/drums/guitar trio called Organomix, led by Randy Stirtzinger on organ with Graham Lear on drums. http://roypatterson.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Sidewinder.mp3 Jacob’s Cattle, a guitar/bass/drums/pedal steel group t...

Upcoming gig on September 12 with Organomics, featuring Randy Stirtzinger on organ, Graham Lear on drums and yours truly on guitar. We'll be playing some tunes from the trad organ trio bands (Wes Montgomery, Carl Massey, Brian Auger, et al), also some funky blues type tunes from Lee Morgan & Horace Silver, and a couple of originals. It will be presented by the Niagara Jazz festival, live with a small audience, and livestreamed. I'll be posting the links to the show as soon as I receive them. This will be my first gig in front of an audience since March; can't wait.

I took some time yesterday to goof off and drive north of the city to a store that I knew had some pro-line Gretsches in stock. I was interested in the 6118LTD Anniversary and the 6118T-60 Vintage Select. I must say, in my opinion Gretsch really hit it out of the ballpark with both of these models.

Both guitars have trestle bracing and very comfortable C necks. The Gretsch website says U necks, but no way, they are C and felt great; not too skinny and not too fat. Both guitars are very responsive and light feeling. I say 'light feeling' because I don't know the weight and the Gretsch site is often off on such details. The 6118-60 VS feels a tiny bit lighter, but if so, it can't be much; maybe just the difference in weight between the single coils and Filter'trons and the tuners.

The 6118T-60 is 'inspired by' the 1960 vintage model 6118, so it's not intended to be an exact replica. It does however, have a decidedly vintage feel; an openness and lightness that is very similar to my old 1960 Anniversary conversion, as if the wood had been drying for many years. It has TV Jones Hilo'tron pickups, and I confirmed with the good folks at TV Jones that they are in fact, TV HTs with the Hilo'tron name; the same pickup. I've used these for years and they are just about my favourite pickups. My one complaint is that, like the 1960 models, the neck pickup is set back towards the bridge about an inch from the standard position. I'm pretty sure though, that if the neck pickup was reversed so the pole screws faced the neck instead of the bridge, it would sound like the standard placement does. I confirmed this with my Annie conversion. I couldn't hear a difference between the pickup screws positioned towards the neck before and after moving the whole pickup closer to the neck. Still, the mind can be a terrible thing, and it was never a great idea.

It has the mud switch, which I simply don't use or convert to a tone pot. Some people like that kind of thing, so it's there for those folks. It has pins on the Bigsby; some prefer the string through style. I would have preferred an ebony fingerboard, but that's a minor detail; rosewood is just fine. It has the Space Control bridge saddle; not my preference, but I always change to a Tru Arc Serpentune anyway.

The 6118LTD (Limited Edition) is equally as responsive, but with perhaps a more modern feel. The Filter'trons provide a beefier sound; you could say it is a more versatile instrument, and the features put it in a more 'modern' camp, as adverse to 'vintage'. The Gotoh locking tuners are a welcome choice over the bulkier Sperzels and I prefer them to the Schallers too. I have Gotoh vintage style open back tuners on my two old Annies and the tolerances are very tight. I'm assuming these locking tuners meet the same standards. Other features that fit into my wish list are ebony fingerboard and the tone pot circuitry. It has the string-through Bigsby that some people prefer to the standard pins; one more feature putting it in the 'modern' camp. I'm good with both. The rocking bar bridge is fine with me, and really sounds great on this guitar.

My first reaction to the gold top with deep wine back and sides (Gretsch calls it Dark Cherry Metallic) was negative, but the more I played the guitar the more the colour scheme grew on me; now I'm a fan. It's a break from the Gretsch Annie tradition, but it's a modern guitar, so why the heck not. The body design (16" X 2 1/2") with trestle bracing and Filter'trons keep one foot in tradition.

My complaints? Artificial (Tusk?) nut and strap locks instead of the Gretsch knurled strap buttons, at least that's what was on the one in the store. Then again, some folks like strap locks, so it could be a plus. I might be inclined to see what capacitor value they used on the tone pot as I wasn't real fond of the taper and it sounded a bit h***y at the lower range. I think I felt a slight indent at the top of the range, so it might have a no-load tone pot, which is a plus.

Both models are really outstanding and among the best that Gretsch has released to date. One could argue that some of the post Fender era guitars were constructed a bit on the heavy side, or at least some models felt like that. Both of these models have a wonderful openness and respond to the player's dynamics and subtle articulations. Neither guitar feels heavy or tight.

For anyone thinking of one of these, the choice is between a modern guitar with all the versatility and features offered by the 6118LTD, or a more vintage inspired instrument. The 6118T-60 really does feel like a vintage guitar, but without the rattles and quirks of a 60 year old instrument. They are different enough to warrant owning both. Being newer models, they are priced accordingly, but compared to competitor's prices, they're a great deal considering the quality and features. I'll be keeping an eye out for after market deals down the road, unless of course, everything suddenly goes back to normal and the work returns. What better way to celebrate than with a couple of new Gretsches?

jacobscattle.com Original Roots/Americana music

The Niagara Jazz festival folks invited me to do a solo, live stream performance on May 29 at 7 PM. The repertoire will be a mixture of jazz and some original Americana tunes. I'll post a link when I have the details.

Well, I've made the decision to cancel the Jacob's Cattle gig at the Rex next Sunday, March 22nd. Given the uncertainty of the situation, it is the most prudent and right thing to do.

It looks like it will be a lean summer, but maybe I will finally complete my book, " Harmony For Jazz Guitar." And......finally learn how to read bass clef.

Everyone stay safe and be well.

It's 3 weeks away, but I'm posting early; new poster for Jacob's Cattle at the Rex; March 22. Wrote a new tune and I gotta remember to play Aline Homzy's tune this time.😊

Just posting this again as a reminder of the Niagara Jazz Guitar Festival being held tomorrow in St. Catharines in honour of the late great Warren Stirtzinger.

Roy Patterson Music updated their business hours.