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About Robert Pasenko
A popular drummer in the Chicago blues community, Robert has played thousands of shows at nightclubs, festivals and concert halls, and held long-term engagements at many of Chicago's premier nightspots. As a teenager, Robert traveled the country with his brother's r&b group and had the opportunity to gig with world-renowned jazz/pop vocalist Bobby McFerrin. He cut his blues teeth on Chicago's notorious west side, where he appeared often with his close friend, Harmonica Kahn, a harmonica-wielding, bone-clicking, tap-dancing, singer, who billed himself as the "The Greatest Show on Earth". He played the Thunderbird Club, The Garfield Park Social Club and Bossman's Blues Center, all west side clubs, with the likes of Johnny Dollar, Sammy Fender, Harmonica Kahn, Ice Mike and Zora Young. He played in the house band at Lee's Unleaded Blues, a bona-fide juke joint on Chicago's south side, where he appeared regularly behind just about every blues singer in town. He played the world-renowned Kingston Mines, 1-3 nights per week, with Les Getrex, a former Fats Domino guitarist who schooled him diligently in the ways of New Orleans' style drumming. For some 7 years, he's been the first-call drummer for blues/gospel vocalist, Tommy McCracken, a high-energy entertainer, well known for pushing drummers to their absolute physical limits. He's played hundreds of gigs with artists such as Aron Burton, Michael Dotson, Sammy Fender, Quintus McCormick and Joe Kelly (Shadows of Knight) all legends in the Chicago music scene.
"Robert Pasenko and the 35th Street Blues Band" currently hosts a jam session in Chicago's Bridgeport neighborhood, in a club called Catchers. He works regularly with his friends in the Blue Plate Special Band and subs for a wide-variety of drummers.
Robert has worked with many artists, including:
Aron Burton
Zora Young
Sammy Fender
Quintus McCormick
Eric Davis
Bobby "Top Hat" Davis
Tommy McCracken
Abb Locke
Killer Ray Allison
Harmonica Kahn
Johnny Dollar
Eddy "The Chief" Clearwater
Joe Kelly
Les Getrex
Bobby McFerrin
The Sons of Slum
Larry Taylor
Pee Wee Hayes
Eddie Taylor
Andre Taylor
Chainsaw Dupont
Johnny Drummer
Michael Dotson
Shorty Mack
Two for the Blues
Felix Reyes
The Arkansas Belly Roller
The Delta Blues Hog
Tre'
Lil' Scotty
Melvina Allen
Leon McNeil
Toronzo Cannon
Katherine Davis
Casey Jones
Brother John Katke
J.C. Smith
Blue Plate Special
Gregg Parker
Rose Reed
Tom Holland
Venicio Del Toledo
Chicago Bound
Greg Pasenko
Jauqo III X
Mr. H
B.K. Read
Scott Madden
Doctor Jake
Chicago Babe
He plays often for the following Special Guests:
Del Brown (Chi-Lites)
Billy Boy Arnold
Linsey Alexander
Junkyard Dog (Leroy Jones)
Tail Dragger
Kid Dynamite
Phil Guy
L.V. Banks
Joe Barr
Little Al Thomas
Artie "Blues Boy" White
Lil' Ed Williams
Chicago Beau
Sugar Blue
Billy Branch
Paris Delane
Manuel Herrington
"Harmonica" Hines
Carlos Johnson
Bobby Jonez
Shirley King
Mister Mean
Holly Maxwell
Larry McCray
Sidney Joe Quall
Delores Scott
Patricia Scott
Pat "Soul" Scaggs
Brown Sugar
Floyd Taylor
He remains forever grateful to his close friends and band-mates, some of the best musicians in the world, for passing on the experience they gained while working with artists such as Willie Dixon, Freddie King, Sonny Boy Williamson, Albert Collins, Buddy Guy, Hound Dog Taylor, Albert King, Johnny Winter, Robert Cray, John Lee Hooker, Junior Wells and Muddy Waters. Their teaching in the subjects of "pocket", "groove" and good drumming has been invaluable.
In addition to his music, Robert Pasenko has taught Computer Science at Pace University in New York City and has developed software for such companies as American Airlines, Coca-Cola, McDonalds, Mercedes-Benz, Gillette, Walgreen's, Wells Fargo, The Jane Addams Hull House, The Lutheran's Association, Minute Maid, The National Grid, and the State of Illinois. He has studied literature in the Spanish language for more than 15 years.
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