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An award-winning fingerstyle virtuoso whose signature style has redefined acoustic guitar and made him a legend among blues musicians.

EPK Contents ● About : Bio & Reviews ● Discography & Sessionography ● Recommended If You Like ● Photos ● Videos ● Contact

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ABOUT TERRY ROBB SHORT BIO TERRY ROBB is hailed by music critics as one of the top acoustic blues guitarists of our time, garnering the praise of worldwide audiences in his prolific music career spanning four decades. A legend among blues musicians, the award-winning virtuoso incorporates music from blues, , country, swing and , lending an unmistakable one- man-band sound to his signature fingerpicking style and dynamic live performances.

BIOGRAPHY TERRY ROBB has been praised by , Vintage Guitar, Down Beat, Acoustic Guitar, Living Blues, Guitar Player, Blues Blast, Guitar World, Blues Matters, Blues Revue, Oprah's O Magazine and countless more esteemed journals, placing him among the top acoustic blues guitarists of our time. Incorporating elements from the Mississippi Delta, ragtime, country, swing and jazz, Robb is a dynamic live performer with an unmistakable one- man-band sound. His signature fingerpicking style has earned him international acclaim from distinguished music critics, esteemed peers and fans of all ages. “Unquestionably, Robb ranks right up there with the heavy hitters, a player of dazzling skill and technique,” said Frank Matheis of Living Blues Magazine. “It’s the rare guitarist who can whip off a killer 12-bar blues solo, then turn around and fingerpick Travis-style with speed and subtlety…Portland, Oregon guitarist and singer Terry Robb does just that,” mused Ian Zack of Acoustic Guitar Magazine. And Dan Forte of Vintage Guitar Magazine hailed Robb as “one of the best players, on acoustic and electric, embracing a range of blues styles and then some.”

In his prolific music career spanning four decades, Terry Robb has toured nationally with Steve Miller, and , and appeared as a guest of “Late Night with Conan O’Brien,” The Oregon Symphony and the NBA Trail Blazers. Regarded as a “bonafide blues guitar star,” he has shared the stage with B.B. King, Robin Trower, Albert Lee, Joe Cocker, Bo Diddley, David Crosby, , Johnny Winter, George Thorogood and many more all-stars. With more than 15 releases under his name, Robb’s award-winning discography features collaborations with John Fahey, , , Ike Willis and .

Since his blues chart-topping release Stop This World in 1996, Terry Robb has toured the and Canada as a solo artist, from the Yukon Territory to Texas and New England to the Carolinas. Tours of Western Europe have brought him to Italy, Switzerland, , and Norway. He has headlined festivals, performing arts centers and concert halls, regularly drawing audiences of 100 or more, selling out many smaller venues.

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“Finger gawkers flood to his shows,” wrote Frank Matheis of Living Blues. “Never seen in our latitudes is a stratospheric guitarist like Robb, a true six-stringed sorcerer, with absolutely stunning fingerpicking,” remarked Riccardo Bragga, artistic director of the Vallamaggia Blues Festival in Switzerland. And on learning of Terry’s addition as faculty member of the 2017 Britt Music & Arts Festival Guitar Weekend, fellow blues musician and educator Michael “Hawkeye” Herman noted “Terry is an A-1 teacher, player/performer, a great guy, and an all- around superb addition to the event.”

Terry Robb has also gained the praise and following of fans from all parts of the globe. Robb’s guitar virtuosity has garnered him more than 1.3 million views on YouTube, and over 42,000 followers across his social and subscriber platforms.

The multitude of awards Terry Robb has received speaks to his seminal talent as a blues guitarist. Robb has been inducted into both the Oregon Music Hall of Fame and Cascade Blues Association (CBA) Hall of Fame. He single-handedly defined the CBA Muddy Award for Best Acoustic Guitar, winning the prize for 19 consecutive years since its inception in 1992. In 2011, the CBA renamed the award in his honor: the “Terry Robb” Muddy Award for Acoustic Guitar. This eponymous award recognizes Robb’s landmark contributions to acoustic blues guitar, and is bestowed annually on a guitarist. In 2017, by a vote of his peers, the CBA presented him with the Muddy Award for Lifetime Achievement.

Terry Robb achieved greatness at an early age, performing with Ramblin’ Rex of / fame, ’s Henry Vestine, and John Fahey. At age 24, Robb produced and played accompaniment on Fahey’s album Let Go, which garnered a four-star review by Rolling Stone. The album’s success spawned numerous collaborations in which Robb served as Fahey’s producer, arranger and guitar accompanist, including a song selected for the soundtrack of “The Horse Whisperer.” As an acclaimed producer and session guitarist, Robb has contributed to countless award-winning projects. He produced and played accompaniment on ’s album Can’t Find No Heaven, nominated for Grammy and Blues Music Awards.

Steeped in Americana ethnomusicology, Robb has been featured in numerous films, books, and articles profiling his music and the luminaries with whom he has worked. These include “Game of Thrones,” the Hollywood biopic “Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot” about cartoonist John Callahan, the documentary film “Portland Mojo: How Stumptown Got the Blues,” and the biography Dance of Death: The Life of John Fahey, American Guitarist.

Terry Robb was born in British Columbia, raised in the United States and resides in Portland, Oregon.

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SELECTED REVIEWS “From the first listen, Robb's guitar playing can blow you away...he's a favorite player in the Northwest, and a former buddy of John Fahey. Then it all makes sense.” - John Heidt, Vintage Guitar Magazine

“Finger gawkers flood to his shows…unquestionably, Robb ranks right up there with the heavy hitters, a player of dazzling skill and technique. He could go to any guitar festival and show them a few chords.” - Frank Matheis, Living Blues

“Eight Acoustic Blues Masters…from classic masters to current wizards…Buddy Guy, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimi Hendrix, Tommy Emmanuel...and Terry Robb. – Acoustic Nation, Guitar World

"Much of the blues press places Robb at the top of the heap of acoustic and electric pickers globally....a force to be reckoned with." - Tee Watts, Blues Blast

“One of the best players, on acoustic and electric, embracing a range of blues styles and then some.” - Dan Forte, Vintage Guitar Magazine

"It's the rare guitarist who can whip off a killer 12-bar blues solo, then turn around and fingerpick Travis-style with speed and subtlety. Yet Portland, Oregon, guitarist and singer Terry Robb does just that." - Ian Zack, Acoustic Guitar

“What distinguishes this LP is Robb’s superb production…Robb is an extraordinarily sympathetic accompanist to John Fahey.” - Kurt Loder, Rolling Stone, review of Let Go

“Whether sliding or fingerpicking, his technique is clean and articulate; no matter how busy the material gets...it never sounds crowded or overblown." - Genevieve Williams, Blues Revue

“This man’s articulate playing is perfect, and I really do mean perfect, this music is addictive." - Pete Innes, Blues Matters

"Terry Robb without question is one of the finest guitarists playing the blues…he is the master of both fingerpicking and bottleneck styles with expert original and innovative readings of Delta blues, rags, spirituals, and whatever else he puts his mind to musically." - Greg Johnson, President, Cascade Blues Association

“A bonafide blues guitar star.” – Mark Bialczak, The Post-Standard

"A virtuoso on the acoustic blues guitar." - Don Hamilton, The Oregonian

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TOUR HIGHLIGHTS  Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, Portland, Oregon  Biscuits & Blues, San Francisco, California  Boise City Blues Festival, Boise, Idaho  Boonville Folk-Blues Festival, Mendocino, California  Britt Music & Arts Festival, Jacksonville, Oregon  Bronze, Blues & Brews Festival, Joseph, Oregon  Bumpershoot, Seattle, Washington  Butchart Gardens, Brentwood Bay, British Columbia, Canada  Carolina Downhome Blues Festival, Camden, South Carolina  Centrum Steel and Festival, Port Angeles, Washington  Concordia University Blues Festival, Portland, Oregon  Freight & Salvage, Berkeley, California  Hult Center, Eugene, Oregon  Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, California  Juan de Fuca Festival of the Arts, Port Angeles, Washington  Jones Beach Amphitheater, Long Island, New York  “Late Night with Conan O’Brien,” New York, New York  Lillehammer Blues Festival, Lillehammer, Norway  Music Gorilla SXSW Showcase, Austin, Texas  New Haven Folk Society, New Haven, Connecticut  New York State Blues Festival, Syracuse, New York  North By Northwest, Portland, Oregon  , Corvallis, Oregon  Pickathon, Portland, Oregon  Portland Jazz Festival, Portland, Oregon  Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey  Railhead Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada  Rockwood Music Hall, New York, New York  Sarah McLachlan School of Music, , British Columbia, Canada  The Blue Café, Long Beach, California  The Mint, Sun Valley, Idaho  The Rhythm Room, Phoenix, Arizona  The Triple Door, Seattle, Washington  The Zephyr Club, Salt Lake City, Utah  Trumansburg Conservatory of Fine Arts, Trumansburg, New York  Vancouver International Guitar Festival, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada  Vallemaggia Blues Festival, Ticino, Switzerland  Walla Walla Guitar Festival, Walla Walla, Washington  Waterfront Blues Festival, Portland, Oregon  “West Coast Live with Sedge Thompson,” San Francisco, California  Winthrop Rhythm & Blues Festival, Twisp, Washington  Yukon Arts Centre, Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada

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RECOMMENDED IF YOU LIKE ● John Fahey ● ● Ry Cooder ● Eric Clapton ● Lightnin’ Hopkins ● Davey Graham ● Jimi Hendrix ● Robert Johnson

VIDEOS

“How A Free Man Feels” “Cool On The Bloom” https://youtu.be/-Y9WrgnbZ7o https://youtu.be/AEF2pIK0_wo

“Judge Boushay Blues” “Slide Up The Lite Rail” https://youtu.be/EMlnrOiXIhA https://youtu.be/8SX09Sg1m6w

“Grama Jean” “Soc Hop” https://youtu.be/rNLehxFBO7A https://youtu.be/L69d5ewwNyc

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SELECTED DISCOGRAPHY (4 of 15 solo albums) Streaming → Confessin’ My Dues, NiaSounds, 5.31.2019 “Every release that Terry Robb puts out is a cause to celebrate. There are not many guitarists in the blues or any genre that you can come by that are as detailed and clever with their creativity. Confessin’ My Dues is yet another example of Terry Robb doing what he does best – leaving us with a sense of awe and joy with every note he plays. It’s a winning formula that continues to lead the pack.” – Cascade Blues Association

Cool On The Bloom, NiaSounds, 2016 Featured in Vintage Guitar Magazine “Hit List Reviews”

Blues Blast Music Award nominee: Best Acoustic Album

“Unbridled transcendent fretboard mastery…From the opening tune "Soc Hop" on, it becomes clear that a guitarist's guitarist is taking you for a fancy ride.” – Living Blues Magazine

“Right out of the gate Robb is a force to be reckoned with.” – Blues Blast Magazine

Resting Place, Yellow Dog Records, 2006 Best New Album Muddy Award by Cascade Blues Assn, Rose to #9 on the Living Blues chart A tour-de-force of acoustic blues guitar recorded at Sam Phillips Studio with engineer Roland Janes and some of Memphis’ finest: drummer Willie Hall (Isaac Hayes, The Bo- Keys), bassist Paul Taylor (North Mississippi Allstars), and keyboardist Charlie Wood (B.B. King). “A strong player who ignores clichés." – Blues Revue Stop This World, Burnside Records, 1996 An all-star line-up of Curtis Salgado ( Band) with guest tracks by Maria Muldaur and Eddy Clearwater and Robb's fingerstyle guitar originals, Delta blues traditionals and the title-track cover of Mose Allison's "Stop This World" launched the album to #1 on the Living Blues charts.

“From the opening notes of the CD, Terry Robb’s mastery of acoustic blues guitar genres is in evidence. This release will hold up to repeated listenings.” – Colorado Blues Society

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SELECTED SESSIONOGRAPY  Curtis Salgado, The Beautiful Lowdown (2016, )  Revenge Of : The John Fahey Tribute Album (2012, Takoma)  The Portland Guitar Society Presents: Silver Jubilee (2012, Portland Guitar)  Acoustic Guitar Summit, O, Christmas Three (2012, Accent on Music)  John Callahan, Purple Winos In The Rain (2006, Bone Clone Records)  John Fahey & Friends: Friends of Fahey Tribute (2006, Slakertone Records)  Duffy Bishop, Ooh Wee! (2003, Trillium Records)  Portland's Genuine Blues (2003, Allegro Blues Records)  Lay Down My Old Guitar: A Tribute to John Jackson (2003, Centrum Recordings)  American Roots Songbook (2002, St. Clair)  Pickathon 2002 (2003, Mountain Lab Productions)  Alice Stuart, Can’t Find No Heaven (2002, Burnside Records)  Portland's Best Blues (2002, Raw Records)  The Cascade Blues Association Presents: The Acoustic Roots and Blues Heritage Festival (2001,Cascade)  Acoustic Guitar Summit, Summit Meeting (2000, Bay View Music)  Cascade Blues Association's Anniversary Hall of Fame Tribute (2000, Cascade)  Acoustic Guitar Summit (1998, Accent on Music)  The Rounder Christmas Album: Must Be Santa! (1995, )  Return Of The Repressed: The John Fahey Anthology (1994, Rhino Records)  John Fahey, Let Go (1984, Varrick Records)  Rose City Blues Festival (1987, Po-Town Records)  John Fahey with Terry Robb, Popular Songs of Christmas & New Year’s (1983, Varrick Records)

SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY  John Callahan biopic, “Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot” (2018, Iconoclast Productions / Amazon Studios)  “In Search of Blind Joe Death: The Saga of John Fahey” (2012, Tamarack Productions)  “Game of Thrones” (2011, HBO / Warner Brothers Television)  John Callahan biopic, “Touch Me Someplace I Can Feel” (2007, Selfmade Films)  “Portland Mojo: How Stumptown Got the Blues” (2010, Loblolly Boy Productions / Second Sleep Specialties)  “The Horse Whisperer” (1998, Touchstone Pictures / Buena Vista Pictures)

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PHOTOS

High-res images are available here. Each image must include the following credit: "Photo courtesy of NiaSounds” (www.niasounds.com)

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CONTACT WEBSITE & WIKIPEDIA Website: www.terryrobb.com Wikipedia: www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terry_Robb

STREAMING & SOCIAL MEDIA: 42K+ followers Pandora Station: http://bit.ly/TerryRobbPandora Spotify: http://bit.ly/TerryRobbSpotify Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/TerryRobbGuitar Instagram: www.instagram.com/terryrobbguitar Twitter: www.twitter.com/terryrobbguitar YouTube: www.youtube.com/terryrobbguitar Bands In Town: www.bandsintown.com/TerryRobb

MANAGEMENT & BOOKING Katie Robb, MSM PO BOX 82946, Portland, Oregon, 97282-0946 Email: [email protected] | Phone: (503) 956-6988

PUBLICITY Frank Roszak / Frank Roszak Promotions Email: [email protected] | Phone: (818) 679-7636

SOCIAL MEDIA Danielle Rose Saunders / NiaSounds Email: [email protected] | Phone: (503) 245-9886

RECORD LABEL NiaSounds | 918 SW Yamhill Street, Portland, Oregon, 97205 Email: [email protected] | Phone: (503) 245-9886