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Rob Burger

New York native, Rob Burger, has developed his talents as an arranger, composer, and multi-instrumentalist from over two decades of acclaimed collaborations. These include a diverse roster comprising of John Zorn, Laurie Anderson, Marianne Faithfull, Lucinda Williams, Elvis Costello, Rosanne Cash, k.d. Lang, Neko Case, Calexico and Iron & Wine.

A lifelong musician, Rob began his musical journey at the piano, starting to learn at the age of four. He would go on to study under jazz luminaries Max Roach, Archie Shepp, and Yusef Lateef at the University of Massachusetts. Alongside an impressive formal education, Rob’s informal education consisted of frequent visits to New York City’s creative hubs, The Knitting Factory and The Kitchen in the 80s and early 90s. It was in these cultural establishments that Rob became acquainted with the likes of Arthur Russell, David Byrne, and Laurie Anderson.

With the avant-garde door having long been kicked open, Burger relocated to San Francisco, and made a lasting impression upon the area’s music scene with his chamber-music collective, Tin Hat Trio. It was during this time, that Rob furthered both his session collaborations and film-score work. When the Tin Hat Trio disbanded in the early ‘00s, Burger found himself back in NYC, working closely with the composer John Zorn, contributing to many of his recordings.

Rob has composed and contributed to numerous films including Ocean’s 8, Nebraska, The Holdovers, Everything Is Illumuninated, Bully, and has scored for clients such as Apple, BritBox, The Guggenheim, Wall Street Journal, PBS, Toyota, and Mercedes-Benz. Rob’s work is permanently featured at the Museum of the City of New York

Rob released his first two solo albums Lost Photograph and City Of Strangers on the label Tzadik during his time in New York. In 2011, a move to Portland, Oregon, inspired a new studio set-up with an enviable collection of vintage keyboards, and a new album project, The Grid.

The Grid “recombines neo-classical soundscapes, 70’s kosmische, and jaunts of 20th century exotica into a completely unique genre-quilt that synopsizes his long musical trek through multiple cities, scenes and sounds.” The album, featuring Laurie Anderson, was released in 2019 by the label Western Vinyl.

Rob’s newest solo venture, Marching with Feathers, departs from the controlled exotica and kosmiche of 2019’s The Grid towards a genreless seesaw of electrified apprehension and capacious piano rumination.  The album was released in early 2022.

Rob now lives and works from his studio in Nashville, Tennessee.


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370
Album Review

Rob Burger: City of Strangers

Read "City of Strangers" reviewed by Warren Allen


Whether in his playing as a founding member of the chamber jazz Tin Hat Trio, or in his sideman appearances with everyone from Iron & Wine to Laurie Anderson, Rob Burger brings an exotic and evocative touch to his music. John Zorn has featured Burger's accordion and/or piano on many soundtrack albums, and Burger's City of Strangers reflects that influence. These are simple melodies which blend blues, folk, exotica, world, electronica, jazz and ambient influences into 31 lush film cues. ...

142
Album Review

Dmitri Matheny: Penumbra (The Moon Sessions)

Read "Penumbra (The Moon Sessions)" reviewed by Jim Santella


Dmitri Matheny and Dave Ellis are tight. Their flugelhorn and tenor saxophone complement each other well, providing harmony, added color, and tonal variety. With a theme album that refers to the majestic beauty of the moon's presence in the sky that we all experience -- a common bond around the world -- the leader offers a set of beautiful and interesting pieces. The title track is a slow ballad and a feature for John ...

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“An astonishing musician with a profound compositional sense of how to do just the right thing at the right time.”– John Zorn

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Lost Photograph

Not On Label
2002

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Santa's Got A Brand...

Papillon Recordings
2000

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Penumbra

Monarch Records
1996

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