Music of Willard Robison at The Royal Room

The greatest songwriter of the early 20th century you've never heard of, Willard Robison can be seen as the bridge between Stephen Foster and Randy Newman. Though jazz musicians created vehicles out of "Old Folks" and "Cottage For Sale" the vast majority of his work is unknown. With endearing characters and nostalgic portraits of "what once was," Robison's songs express the dark and truthful side of Americana.

The selections for the evening's program are drawn from a substantial collection of Robison's sheet music which Casey MacGill originally acquired from Michael Feinstein's American Songbook Archive. Many of these songs existed only as professional sheet music and were never commercially published or even recorded. Come enjoy a rare opportunity to hear this beautiful forgotten music come to life. ...

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The greatest songwriter of the early 20th century you've never heard of, Willard Robison can be seen as the bridge between Stephen Foster and Randy Newman. Though jazz musicians created vehicles out of "Old Folks" and "Cottage For Sale" the vast majority of his work is unknown. With endearing characters and nostalgic portraits of "what once was," Robison's songs express the dark and truthful side of Americana.

The selections for the evening's program are drawn from a substantial collection of Robison's sheet music which Casey MacGill originally acquired from Michael Feinstein's American Songbook Archive. Many of these songs existed only as professional sheet music and were never commercially published or even recorded. Come enjoy a rare opportunity to hear this beautiful forgotten music come to life.

Jacob Zimmerman & His Pals
Casey MacGill - voice
Charlie Feig - trumpet
Jacob Zimmerman - alto sax/clarinet
Steve Treseler - tenor sax
Christian Pincock - trombone
Jake Svendsen - piano
Matt Weiner - bass
Eric Eagle - drums

No cover – the musicians are compensated by your donations. Reservations are available for patrons who are planning to have dinner before and during the show.

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