Roddy Barnes
Roddy Barnes currently performs solo and as a member of other groups such as a duo with Gaye Adegbalola ("Neo-Classic Blues"), a duo with C. C. Stevens ("The C. C. Show"), and a band ("Miz A and the Freedom Band"). He has recorded seven albums of original songs: "Roll with the Punches" and "Unseen"(Monkfish); "Betrayed" (CandyJack Records); and "Ballad & Barrooms," "Blues, Boogie, and Soul," "Unseen," and "Under the Sun" (Hey Boo Productions, BMI).
Although he is now known as a blues and jazz pianist, Roddy Barnes was trained as a classical pianist. He made the transition to blues and jazz during study in France and subsequent graduate work at the Berklee School of Music in Boston. He then moved to New Orleans where he absorbed the roots of American music before relocating to Austin, Texas. There he became a member of one of the most exciting music scenes in the USA. Now living in Virginia, Barnes has released six of his own albums and has been featured on a variety of national radio programs. He has been invited to perform in several countries. Roddy is also a composer whose compositions have been recorded by many notable performers including Gaye Adegbalola and Ann Rabson, individually as well as by their group Saffire, The Uppity Blues Women.
Blues Blast Magazine gave one of the best summary of Barnes talents. It said, “Barnes demonstrates that he is a multi-layered talent indeed, someone from whom one desires to hear more: an able songwriter whose songs are often laced with ironic wit; an expressive vocalist with a strong, clear tenor; and a masterful piano player who can romp with the boogie and play the blues. -- Augusta Free Press
Roddy has performed across the United States, as well as in France, Jamaica, Ghana, Togo, and Germany. Festival performances include Blues Sur Seine in Paris; Johnie Johnson Blues Festival in Fairmont, WV; Leaf Arts Festival in Black Mountain, NC; River Fest in Chattanooga, TN; Blues on the Green in Jamaica; Hampton Blues Festival in Hampton, VA; Monroe County Blues Festival in Monroe MI; and Barrelhouse Jazz Festival in Germany. He has performed and taught courses for other festivals, including Swananoa in Swananoa NC; Augusta in Elkins, WV; and Centrum in Port Townsend, WA. Clubs where he has performed include Le Coton Club, Le Crocodile, Pub Satori, and Val Claret in France; B.B.'s Lawnside B.B.Q. and Bourbon Street Pub in Kansas City, MO; Tipitina's, Maxwell's Toulouse Cabaret, Snug Harbor, and Neutral Ground in New Orleans, LA; Elephant Room, Top of the Mark, Headliner's Club, and Esther's Follies in Austin, TX; Ashland Coffee & Tea, Shady Grove Coffee House, Babe's, Triangle Players, and Cabo's in Richmond, VA; Sycamore Rouge in Petersburg, VA; Tireney's Tavern in Montclair, NJ; Wonderland Ballroom in Washington, DC; and Seven Stages in Atlanta, GA. He has also performed for the New York Times in New York, and for The Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise.p>
Roddy wrote and performed music and lyrics for the American Public Television series "Cultivating Life." His original scores for theater include "Death of a Salesman" (Missouri Repertory Theater), "Velveteen Rabbit" (Sycamore Rouge) and "Road Kill Diner" (Cite des Arts). The Charlottesville Ballet performed an original dance to his "Nocturne for Harmonica;" Sycamore Rouge incorporated his "Better World" into their performance of "Ready for Right;" C.C. Stevens has incorporated many of his songs and original skits into "The C.C.Show." Songs recorded by other artists include "Because of You" and "Let the Gin Do the Talkin'" (Saffire - The Uppity Blues Women, C. C. Stevens); "Go Where the Bad People Go" (Ann Rabson, Gina DeLuca); "Better World" (Ann Rabson); "Dreaming [A Stalker's Love Song]" (Gina DeLuca; C. C. Stevens); "Don't worry," "More Than I Can Say," and "Broken Wing" (C. C. Stevens); and "Summer Sky" (Gaye Adegbalola). Roddy also teaches songwriting for Davis & Elkins College's Augusta Heritage center.