About
The Early Years
From the moment he could reach the piano keys, Rob was hooked on music. He picked up the sax at nine, and by 15, he was already gigging 2 to 5 nights a week in his dad’s Top 40 band, “Mirage,” playing everything from Kool & The Gang to K.C. and the Sunshine Band.
In high school, Rob fronted his own bands, including the punky-pop “Minority Brothers,” and later during college, “Royal Azel,” which kept summer dance floors packed with hits from the 80’s. After earning a degree in Computer Science/Engineering and dabbling in software work, Rob quickly realized that life behind a desk wasn’t for him — so he walked out of his high-paying job and onto the stage with “Tony Richards and the K-Man Band,” a regional favorite flirting with major label attention. At the same time, Rob was falling in love with the recording studio. He began making multi-track recordings on an 8-track reel-to-reel and interning at RBY Studios in Southbury, CT. His passion for both performance and production earned him a spot at Berklee College of Music in the Production and Engineering program.
1995 Boston Music Award Winner — Entrain
To Infinity ...
While at Berklee, Rob spent summers on Martha’s Vineyard — a hotspot for musicians from NYC and Boston — soaking up diverse influences from reggae to, New Orleans to southern rock and sitting in with the Island’s best musicians. That scene led to “Live Bait,” which released a self-titled CD and eventually to the breakthrough project: Entrain. As a founding member, Rob brought his sax, vocals, and arranging chops to the band, while adding Afro-cuban percussion to his skill sets. He helped craft their sound and engineered tracks for their second record, Can U Get It. During his five-year run, Entrain won a Boston Music Award for Best Live Show, sold over 60K CDs independently, and toured the summer festival circuit — all while catching the attention of industry bigwigs (including Aerosmith’s management team).
Eventually, Rob settled in the Boston area with his wife Amelie and daughter Alexandra. He continued performing, while building his first professional recording studio (Noise In The Attic), where he engineered and produced up-and-coming artists for nearly two decades. In 2011, when Entrain’s sax player fell ill, Rob stepped in to help — and ended up playing with the band nearly full-time again through 2020.
Boston Music Award Nomination Album of the Year — "Inverted Valentine”
... and Beyond
With over 40 years of professional experience, Rob’s career has been packed with highlights: appearances on national charts, regular spins on SiriusXM’s No Shoes Radio, recognition from the Boston and New England Music Awards, and features in books like Jambands: The Complete Guide and To Everything There is a Season by Peter Simon. He’s also featured in the Music Museum of New England.
These days, Rob continues doing what he loves most: performing with the Mike Benjamin Band, and channeling his inner Fagen with The Expanding Man, a tribute to Steely Dan. Rob continues to produce recordings with his studio partner David Deluca in Dave’s studio “Noise in the Basement