The Real Rob

Rob Moitoza has appeared on over a hundred record albums as bassist, vocalist or writer.

He has written over a thousand original songs, and he is an experienced recording engineer and producer of pop music, soundtracks, and radio and television advertising.

His recent CD releases include Speak Out! (eclectic, contemporary protest music), World on Fire – Songs for Peace (a collaboration with Craig Ingraham), Quiet Might (smooth R&B love songs), and Rob Moitoza’s Cavalcade of Stars (musical and political satire).

Rob has formerly performed in bands with The Sons of Champlin, Cold Blood, Holly Near, Spencer Davis, Jerry Miller, Sam Andrew, Kiki Dee, Tim Weisberg, and Annie Rose and the Thrillers. He has appeared on recordings with Holly Near, David Lanz, Harvey Mason, Brian Auger, The Sons of Champlin, Sugarloaf, Tower of Power (as writer), Tom Scott, Tim Noah, Victor Feldman, Orville Johnson, Curley Cooke, and many more.

Rob has also produced recordings for Duffy Bishop, The Sons of Champlin, Naomi Baltuck, Tonya Ferris, and Tim Noah, including soundtracks for the movie Daredreamer and the Emmy Award-winning video presentation “In Search of the Wow Wow Wibble Woggle Wazzie Woodle Woo!”

Three time BB Award winner for “Best Bass” from the Washington Blues Society.

Rob Moitoza has produced the following artists:

Producer

Naomi Baltuck
Duffy Bishop and the Rhythm Dogs
Martin/Shekiri Band
The Electric Reverend
Threshold
Tia’s Quackertunes
Tim Noah

Co-Production Credits

Sons of Champlin
Holly Near

A Musical History

I began playing bass at the age of nine as a member of my parents Hawaiian band “Echoes of the South Pacific”.

My father played electric steel guitar and my mom played electric rhythm guitar. Both of my parents sang. My two sisters also danced authentic Hawaiian hulas and occasionally joined in on ukelele and vocals. I played the bottom four strings of an electric guitar in my parents’ Hawaiian band, before my dad bought me one of the first electric basses, a Fender Precision.

As far as I know, there was only one other electric bass player in all of Marin County when I started playing rock and roll in the mid to late fifties. How times have changed! Now there seems to be a bass player on every block!

I began playing rock and roll with local rock guitarist, Ron Story, and drummer, Bob Burgan in a band called “The Invaders”. I was also studying string bass in the Tamalpais High School orchestra, where I had the good fortune of meeting up with keyboardist, George Duke.

Duke was already playing Miles Davis tunes while I was just learning how to play the Ventures’ “Walk Don’t Run”! Duke made me aware of jazz bassist Scott La Faro who played with the Bill Evans Trio. It is interesting that many years later, I had the pleasure of meeting Miles Davis, who commented that I played a lot like Scott La Faro… a compliment that I will never forget!

George Duke later went on to become a very successful L.A. record producer and also released many solo albums in the funk/jazz vein. It was an honor to have known him.

Not long after “The Invaders” split up, I met up with a local neighborhood kid, John Cipollina, and we formed the “Swingin’ Deacons” blues band. We played mostly cover songs by artists such as Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf, and other blues masters.

We performed at local teen dances at Mill Valley’s Outdoor Art Club, The American Legion, and Brown’s Hall. John later went on to form the well-known San Francisco rock band “Quicksilver Messenger Service” and graced the covers of “Guitar Player Magazine” and other music industry publications.

In 1962, after a short stint with the “Chord Lords”, a band covering Ventures and Mickey Baker type material, I joined my high school buddies, Bill Champlin and Don Irving, to form “The Opposite Six”.

This band was fortunate enough to back up various touring acts as they passed through Marin County. Among them were the Righteous Brothers, Jan and Dean, the Dovells, Dick and DeeDee, and the Coasters.

In 1965, when my draft number loomed. I opted to join the U.S. Navy and spent the next couple of years aboard a destroyer, the U.S.S. R.K. Huntington, based out of Mayport, Florida. I had a good friend aboard ship, a man named Larry Perry, who actually had a cheap bass which he let me play in exchange for a few lessons!

I also picked up harmonica and began singing blues and soul tunes in various black clubs that Larry had turned me on to in the Jacksonville, Florida area.

When I got out of the Navy, I joined up with a woman who I had seen perform before entering the service and had vowed to work with … Lydia Pense, a four foot ten blonde dynamo who sang the entire James Brown at the Apollo Theatre album note for note! Her band “The New Generation” had just broken up and out of it came the San Francisco soul band “Cold Blood”. Unfortunately, I left the band before they started recording, so I never appeared on any “Cold Blood” recordings. However, I am on an old live Fillmore recording at the Carousel Ballroom which is featured on “Wolfgang’s Vault”

In the early seventies I moved to L.A. to work with an old “Opposite Six” buddy, Rich Rogers, in their band “Pure Love and Pleasure”. That led to a trip to New York as backup band for “Earthlight Theatre”.

I had become good friends with female rockers “Fanny”, “Birtha”, and former “Cold Blood” drummer, Jacqueline Furman. Jacque was playing with feminist singer, Holly Near, and I soon joined in on bass. Jacque later left to play with Glen Yarborough and the Limelighters, but I stayed on with Holly and co-produced two of her albums “Live” and “You Can Know All I Am”.

I wanted to record an album for Holly called “Near Hits”, but that idea never quite caught on!

I must say, though, that this was one of the most rewarding periods of my life as I explored my connection to the women’s movement and later to my own inner search.

That led to the recording of my CD “Set the Wild Man Free” based on my experiences with “men’s work” here in the Seattle area.

This album never would have happened without the influence of Holly Near, Jacque Furman, June and Jeannie Millington, Cris Williamson, Margie Adam, Tret Fure, and all the other great women I met during that period of my life.

I send my heartfelt thanks and love to all of those women. They gave me more than they will ever know.

In the mid seventies, after sending my song “For Imagination’s Sake” to my old buddy, Dave Schallock, bassist for “Sons of Champlin”, Dave called to say he was leaving the “Sons” and asked if I would I like to take over his spot for a while. The Sons had recorded the song on their album “A Circle Filled with Love”, and I was enlisted at the end of that project to play on two cuts, “Slippery When Wet” and “Follow Your Heart”.

I spent the next three years touring with my old Marin County buddies. They also recorded my songs “Doin’ It For You” and “Love Can Take Me Now” for their album “Loving Is Why” which was recorded at Colorado’s Caribou Ranch.

The band finally disbanded around 1978, but they still play an occasional gig with some new members. Most of the old “Sons” albums have now been re-issued on CD and are available as downloads.

One day in 1977, while I was still residing in Los Angeles, I just happened to be sitting in the office of, booking agent, Glenn Ballard, later famous for producing Alanis Morisette, when a call came in from Davey Johnstone of the Elton John band.

He was looking for a bass player to do a tour with Kiki Dee. Glenn said “I just happen to have a great bass player sitting right here in front of me.” Davey said “Send him over”, and just like that I spent the next year touring the U.S. with the Kiki Dee Band.

It could have been any of a thousand bass players that got that gig. Funny how things happen when you least expect them, and what an honor to play with Kiki Dee (“Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” & “I Got the Music In Me”) and the great producer/guitarist Davey Johnstone!

In 1978 I had the good fortune of getting my song “Bittersweet Soul Music” recorded by fellow soul mates “Tower of Power” for their album entitled “We Came to Play”. (Many thanks to, road manager, Peter Sultzbach, and R.I.P!)

In the early ‘80’s I moved to Seattle, Washington where I joined up with a soul band called “Annie Rose and the Thrillers”. That band linked me to many great Seattle musicians and singers, and I began to concentrate more on my writing and recording skills. I learned recording engineering from my old friend Rich Rogers at Woodmont Beach Studios in Des Moines, Washington.

Later, with the advent of digital recording, I was finally able to put together my own home studio, and formed Holy Crow Records.

In the early 80’s I produced several albums for Northwest children’s artist, Tim Noah, including “Daredreamer”, and the album and sound track for his Emmy award winning video production “In Search of the Wow Wow Wibble Woggle Wazzie Woodle Woo!”.

I played for several years with blues guitarist and vocalist, Nick Vigarino, and I won “Best Bass” three times in the Washington Blues Society awards.

I produced albums for Duffy Bishop “On A Journey”, Sue Orfield’s “Nobody’s Lookin'”, and my wife, Kaaren’s jazz CD “Aged to Perfection”. I have played bass on many other CD projects.

Other musicians I have worked with in Seattle include:

The File Gumbo Zydeco Band, Rod Cook, Kathi McDonald, Patti Allen, Sam Andrew, Mark Riley Trio, Sue Orfield Band, Curley Cooke and Blues to Burn, Steve Raible and the Newscasters, Annieville Blues, Orville Johnson, David Brewer, Brian Butler, Cathouse Blues Band, Steve Curtis, Dave Conant, Kimball Conant, Annie Eastwood, Henry Cooper, Too Slim, Mary McPage, Paul Green, Ron and Caela Bailey, Leroy Bell and many more.