Robert Kennedy is a Hammond organist, pianist, and accordionist born and raised in the American South who has lived and worked in the San Francisco bay area since 1988. He played piano in the Stanford University Jazz Band and studied jazz piano with the great jazz pianist, band director, and educator Bill Bell.

Robert was a founding member of the groups Hip Pocket Jazz Quintet and Double Funk Crunch, and has performed as a member of the SFJAZZ Monday Night Band. He has had the pleasure of playing venues such as Yoshi’s, the Boom Boom Room, San Francisco International Arts Festival, Doc’s Lab, the Agenda Lounge (back in the day), and the SFJAZZ Miner Auditorium, and has shared stages and recorded with renowned players such as Nancy Wright, Calvin Keys, Howard Alden, Jules Broussard, Howard Wiley, Will Weston, Terrence Brewer, Connie Champagne, Jinx Jones, Bing Nathan, and many more, playing jazz, blues, pop, R&B, and rock and roll.

His 2015 debut Hammond organ combo release Big Shoes spent nine weeks on the CMJ charts, peaking at #11, and his 2018 album Closer to Home peaked at #5 on NACC’s jazz chart, #1 on RMR’s jazz chart, and #32 on JazzWeek’s Top 50.

Among his many inspirations Robert counts the playing of Jack McDuff, Billy Childs, Larry Goldings, Herbie Hancock, and Tony Monaco.