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.

Visit Roy’s Website: https://roypatterson.com/