“Patterson…a perfectionist with a big, round and dominating sound that turns every tune into a stimulating experience.” – The Toronto Star

“Every note that he plays seems to have a purpose and a place, and both purpose and
place usually have something to do with melody.”-The Globe and Mail

Canadian guitarist evokes big sky vistas with sturdy riffs that traverse the fretboard with purpose and ease. His roots as a country player, and the steel guitar in his current band, Jacob’s Cattle, add to the rural mystique and beauty. (FD) Frank De Blase –City Newspaper

Catching the tail end of the 1960s provided Nova Scotia guitarist Roy Patterson a broad
palette of musical styles to draw from. He performed with local groups touring Atlantic
Canada and in 1978 the 24 year old made the move to Toronto bringing along an intense
practice routine and a burning desire to play. Since then Roy has performed with many of
Canada’s elite, including Don Thompson, Terry Clarke, Doug Riley, The Bob Mover
Quartet, Pat Labarbera and many other highly accomplished artists. His style has drawn
comparisons with some of the most respected guitarists in North America, and his
playing has taken him to Finland, Istanbul, Italy, Taiwan and the U.S.A.

Since the release of his first recording in 1989, Roy has built a body of original work that
demonstrates a personal, evocative style with melody at its core. In 1996 the Roy
Patterson Quartet won the coveted Prix de Jazz at Montreal’s Festival International de
Jazz, the first Toronto based band ever to win this competition. The award brought
exposure through national radio, television, and a tour that concluded at the Canadian
Embassy in Washington, D.C. To date, seven CDs have been released under his own name and one as co-leader with Brazilian singer/composer Maria Farinha.

Other credits include the Jazz Report magazine award for Guitarist of the Year for 2000 and a biographical profile in a book called, “The Great Jazz Guitarists: the Ultimate Guide” by Scott Yanow. (Backbeat Books, 2013)

Along the way, Roy earned a Master of Music degree and has taught at McGill University, the University of Toronto, workshops in Poland and Italy and is currently an adjunct faculty member at York University. For decades he was a regular contributor to the US quarterly, “Just Jazz Guitar.”

Roy’s interest in music extends beyond jazz to include an exploration of americana music with a jazz sensibility; part of an evolving trend that includes artists Bill Frisell, Victor Krauss, Julian Lange, Jim Campolongo, et al. Songs From My Father’s House (2014) displays a hybrid form of instrumental americana drawn from impressions of the music he heard on a daily basis on the radio growing up in rural Nova Scotia during the late 1950s, 60s and early 70s.

In the works is a new string band project with Roy on guitar, Aline Homzy- violin, Andrew Downing-bass, and Mike Eckert-pedal steel & dobro. Roy Patterson’s String Band is a, ‘modern interpretation of early and mid-century rural with noir undertones.’ Recording dates TBA.

Discography
The Release, 1989, Unity Records
The Acadiana Suite, 1993, Unity Records
The Coming of Angels, 1995, Unity Records
Inland Passages, 1997, Justin Time Records
On a Cloud, 2000, Unity Records
Live at Zooma Zooma, 2008, Toronto Jazz Composers Collective
Uwattibi (with Maria Farinha Band) 2012
Songs From My Father’s House, 2014