Rob Burger is the accordionist in the chamber jazz group
Tin Hat Trio and has toured with
Bill Frisell,
Don Byron, and
Joey Baron, and appeared on
Frisell's Tales From the Far Side soundtrack.
Burger studied classical piano at Juilliard and explored different improvisational styles at the University of Massachusetts with
Max Roach, Archie Stepp, 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. Since moving to the Bay Area,
Burger worked with artists as diverse as
Tipsy 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 the
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. The
Tin Hat Trio's recording debut, Memory Is an Elephant, came out in early 1992 on Angel Records, and Helium followed in spring 2000. ~ Heather Phares, All Music Guide