Rob Burger

Rob Burger is a composer, multi-instrumentalist, and arranger based in Portland, Oregon. The productive, versatile musician co-founded the acclaimed chamber jazz group Tin Hat Trio, in which he mainly played accordion and keyboards, during the mid-'90s. During the 2000s, he began composing scores for documentaries and feature films, and he released two albums on John Zorn's Tzadik label. He has also played on albums by Norah Jones, Lucinda Williams, Tracy Chapman, Iron & Wine, and countless others. His third solo full-length, 2019's The Grid, took inspiration from Krautrock and ambient music. Marching with Feathers, an album of dreamy, minimal compositions, appeared in 2022.

Originally from New York, Burger began playing piano as a child, and was formally trained by pianist Jeffrey Marcus. He studied classical piano at Juilliard and explored different improvisational styles at the University of Massachusetts with Max Roach, Archie Shepp, and Yusef Lateef. He broadened his range to include Hammond organ, vintage keyboards like the Optigan and Chamberlin, toy pianos, modern keyboards, and the accordion. After moving to the Bay Area, Burger worked with artists as diverse as Tipsy, Susana Baca, and Mix Master Mike; he became a member of the Oranj Symphonette and the Mark Orton project Old Joe Clarks. In the late '90s, he co-founded Tin Hat Trio with Orton, who plays guitar, and violinist Carla Kihlstedt. The group's music is a unique blend of structure, improvisation, and contemporary classical, with folk, world, and jazz elements. Tin Hat Trio's recording debut, Memory Is an Elephant, came out in early 1999 on Angel Records, and Helium (featuring a guest appearance from Tom Waits) followed in spring 2000.

In 2001, Burger moved back to New York and became a close associate of John Zorn, performing on many of his releases. Burger's first solo album, 2002's Lost Photograph, was released as part of Tzadik's Radical Jewish Culture series. Burger also appeared on the next two Tin Hat Trio albums, 2002's Rodeo Eroded (including a song sung by Willie Nelson) and 2004's Book of Silk. He subsequently left the group, which expanded its lineup to a quintet and henceforth became known as simply Tin Hat.

By this point, Burger had become an arranger and music director for live performances produced by Hal Willner, and he had begun composing soundtracks. An album of Burger's film music, City of Strangers, was released in 2009, with Marc Ribot and Eyvind Kang among its contributors. Throughout the 2010s, Burger continued to compose music for films and commercials, in addition to playing on albums by Beth Orton, Bob Weir, Rosanne Cash, and many others. In 2019, Burger's third solo album, The Grid, was issued by Western Vinyl. A reflective blend of modern classical and electronic music, the release included a guest appearance by longtime collaborator Laurie Anderson. Burger scored the short film Prophecy No. 15 in 2021. His fourth album, Marching with Feathers, appeared in 2022, including piano-driven ruminations as well as beat-driven pieces. ~ Heather Phares & Paul Simpson, Rovi