In his prolific production and session guitar history, Terry Robb has produced and guested on more than 60 albums. A favorite of music publishers and advertising agencies, the recorded tracks featuring his guitar solos and accompiment are innumerable.
Robb began his record production career at the age of 24 through a collaboration with the late John Fahey, regarded as the father of steel string solo guitar playing. Fahey, who had recently moved to Salem, Oregon, was in need of a producer for his new venture with Varrick Records. Fahey invited Robb to co-produce the re-release of his 1968 bestseller, The New Possibility, repackaged under the title Christmas Guitar in 1982. The partnership proved mutually beneficial. Between 1983 to 1994, they went on to collaborate on seven of Fahey's albums and one of Robb's released on Varrick, Shanachie, Burnside and Tarula, respectively. They often performed in concert throughout the West coast, appearing on TV and radio programs, and remained lifelong friends until Fahey's death in 2001.
With the critically-acclaimed reception of Fahey's albums, Robb received national recognition at an early age and became a sought-after record producer and session guitarist. From 1984 through 1998, he was a resident session guitarist for the Portland, Oregon-based liturgical music publisher, Oregon Catholic Press. This collaboration led to the 1993 release of Robb's first solo Christmas album, Bethlehem Star. The same year Robb signed with Burnside Records, also based in Portland, and became the label's house producer until its acquisition by Allegro Music in 2005. In total, he oversaw the production of nine Burnside releases, including those of his fellow label mates Alice Stuart, Sheila Wilcoxson and Bill Rhoades, often serving as a guest guitarist.
In 2008, Robb launched the independent label Psychedelta Records as a means to promote the music of his students and other local musicians. In the label's debut release of Sista, Robb brought together two legendary Pacific Northwest musicians, Linda Hornbuckle and Janice Scroggins, in a long-awaited duet recording which inspired Grammy award-winning musician Esperanza Spalding to invite the duo onstage at a Portland fundraiser. Pyschedelta was also Robb's label of choice for the 2011 release of his much-anticipated electric album, Muddyvishnu.
When approached by cartoonist John Callahan to produce an album of original songs, Robb recognized the opportunity to collaborate with another inimitable artist. Longtime friends, Callahan had designed the cover art for Robb's debut solo album, Next Window, released in 1986. Purple Winos in the Rain, released in 2006 on Bone Clone Records, captures Callahan's distinctive wit and melancholic humor in lyrical composition and features his iconic illustration among guest appearances by Tom Waits, Peter Boe and Robb. Deemed a favorite of the band My Morning Jacket, the album was met with critical acclaim helped in part by the 2007 documentary film about Callahan, Touch Me Someplace I Can Feel, which included footage of the album's recording sessions. And in 2018, Amazon Studios released the Hollywood biopic Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot, directed by Gus Van Sant and starring Joaquin Phoenix. The film's soundtrack includes an original song by Callahan from Purple Winos in the Rain, "Texas When You Go," a duet performance by Callahan and Robb.
Terry Robb continues to collaborate with musicians across the US and Canada. Below are selected projects from his sessionography.
