Christopher Robin Band
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Christopher Robin Band

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"Play Mag"

Christopher Robin Band: From good old boy to ramblin' man
By: Nick R. Scalia

From Fairfield, Conn. to a little apartment in San Francisco to Music City, USA - Nashville, Tenn. to the mapmakers - singer/songwriter Christopher Robin has seen and done it all, a traveled troubadour cut from the same cloth as the music legends he so reveres.

"All of my songs are true stories - there's only four states that I haven't been to or played in, I've had residency in about seven different states - and there's been a lot of stories," says Robin. "They're about all the things I've done, from sailing on tall ships to being a cowboy in Colorado, to traveling on the road with groups like the Gregg Allman Band and Jefferson Starship, to your typical love-on-the-rocks kind of thing."

Robin grew up in Fairfield listening to singer/songwriters like James Taylor and the great Southern guitar rock bands from the Allmans to Creedence, and while those influences are evident in his own songs, there's also a definite country storytelling sensibility that he picked up from one of the true masters - Waylon Jennings, whose dusty, down-home croon Robin first heard over the opening titles of The Dukes of Hazzard.

"I play a kind of country combined with southern rock and bluegrass - I'd hear it on The Dukes and I knew I wanted to play that someday," he says, and his admiration of Waylon has paid off in the form of a friendship with - and a gig playing guitar for - the late country legend's wife, Jessi Colter. Performing with the musicians he grew up listening to is actually a big part of Robin's life these days, from Gregg Allman to guitarist Garth Webber to Peter, Paul, and Mary's Peter Yarrow.

But although Nashville would seem an obvious fit for a guy like Robin - and his lonesome balladry, rollicking guitar workouts, and reverence for classic American rock and country - he often returns to play in his home state. "Coming back has been really wonderful," he says, "My following has grown exponentially, the appreciation has grown, and audience-wise this has become my favorite place to play. There's such an appreciation for music, and especially soulful music, around here now.

"In Nashville it's a lot harder. It's kind of like LA, where everybody's an actor - in Nashville, everybody's a musician," he says, only half-jokingly. "You'll have shows where the people are watching you with their arms folded, thinking, 'well I can do that, too', not really listening to the music but thinking of it like a competition." Not that the music-friendly community hasn't supported him, he says - in terms of writing, playing, and honing his craft with artists who've performed with Willie Nelson, John Lee Hooker, and Charlie Daniels, it's changed his life. And they're also there for encouragement - "Three weeks ago I was talking to Jessi Colter on the phone, and I said 'I feel like I can't do it in Nashville'. And she said, 'aw, son that's so great to hear, we knew you were the real deal - Waylon and Willie couldn't make it for their lives in Nashville, they had to go away and make it first and then come back.'"

After more than a decade of paying his dues and soaking up the wisdom of seasoned, storied performers, however, Robin is now poised to become one himself. He's in the process of putting together a major-label debut with the Christopher Robin Band, an effort that he says is "really neat, there's some really catchy songs on there and some great, more melodic guitar solos."

For now, he can be heard on one of his many national tour dates, or on the band's 2003 album 949 Steiner, named for the San Francisco address where a chance meeting with Gregg Allman kick-started the then 19-year-old musician's career. The record is a terrific showcase of Robin's abilities, giving equal favor to his lyrical, almost conversational guitar playing and his warm but road-tempered vocals on songs like the reggae-tinged I Can Still Remember, the uptempo blues-rocker Up At The River, and the emotional acoustic ballad I Want to Wake (which makes the lineup for the upcoming record).

Robin's songs draw from distinctly American musical traditions, but he's even managed to play some once-in-a-lifetime gigs overseas. "My friend who I met here at Greens Farms Academy, she was the Archduchess of Austria and Princess of Belgium - when she got married she had me come to the wedding and play for all of the guests," he says. "I was the only American out of a thousand people at this wedding - definitely the only guy with long hair, only guy with earrings ...But after I got done playing, she introduced me to the king of Belgium and the queen of Luxembourg and all these people I'd only read about in tabloids."

"It was a trip," he says, but overseas he discovered an audience extremely receptive to American music, and says he can't wait to go back.

Still, for Robin - who lives and travels with his dogs, Lakota and Tahee - the most incredible experience has - Play Magazine New Haven


Discography

1995 'Sinking Ship'
2003 '949 Steiner'
2006 'Truth'

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Bio

"Someday you will be one of the great musicians...so don't ever stop playing." - Gregg Allman

"He's got a good attitude and a lot of talent..." -Willie Nelson

"Christopher Robin, probably one of the finest guitar players I ever heard..." -Raul Malo (The Mavericks)

"It's rare when you see the kind of response to new talent that we've seen from our audience since Christopher Robin came in to do our morning show. Not only a great and versatile talent, but a great interview with cool stories and the kind of media savvy that usually only comes from the grizzled veterans. Can't wait to have him back, and neither can our listeners!"-Neil Hedley- i95 morning show DJ

"Christopher is what an artist should be...You will hear from him in the marketplace and I know no equal." -Jessi Colter

"From Fairfield, Conn. to a little apartment in San Francisco to Music City, USA - Nashville, Tenn. to the mapmakers - singer/songwriter Christopher Robin has seen and done it all, a traveled troubadour cut from the same cloth as the music legends he so reveres" (Play Magazine.)

Christopher Robin's musical roots have included personal lessons from artists like Michael Hedges, Gregg Allman, Wayne Henderson and Garth Webber, yet his tone, feel, and sense of melody remain truly his own.

At the age of 16, Christopher Robin started writing all of his own music and now draws from his own catalog of 200 plus songs.

"All of my songs are true stories - I've had residency in seven different states - and there's been a lot of stories. They're about all the things I've done, from sailing on tall ships to being a cowboy in Colorado, to playing for Kings, Queens, Princes and Princesses in Europe, or the Hells Angels in California, to your typical love-on-the-rocks kind of thing." At the age of 18, he studied with independent luthier Brad Nickerson, building his own acoustic guitar to perform upon.
Christopher has sat in, played, written or recorded with many of this countries great musicians, and living legends. From these experiences Christopher has learned a variety of styles from rock, acoustic, folk, blues, country, bluegrass, even reggae from the legends and unsung heroes who have mastered their craft. Christopher's dedication to music and learning from others has made him the versatile player he is today. This dedication has also proved to be the corner stone in the foundation of his Rockgrass sound.

"After more than a decade of paying his dues and soaking up the wisdom of seasoned, storied performers, however, Christopher Robin is now poised to become one himself" (Play Magazine)

Christopher has opened for and shared the stage with artists including Joe Higgs, Clarence Clemmons, Gregg Allman, The Marshall Tucker Band, Shooter Jennings, Jackie Pearson, Reggie Young, Del McCoury, Jimmi Hall, Peter Yarrow, Eddy "The Chief" Clearwater, Paul Thorn, Berry Oakley Jr., Loren Rowan, Bee Spears, Richie Albright, Mark Matejka, Big and Rich, Don Was, Tony Joe White, and Steve Cropper among others.

Additionally, Christopher Robin is often called upon to sing and play guitar for the original "Lady Outlaw", Jessi Colter.

With three CD's under his belt, Christopher and his band of all-star players, including his "Little Brother" Trevor Taylor, continue to maintain an extensive national touring schedule.