Bob Sharkey

Inspired by the music of CSNY, Bob Dylan, James Taylor, The Beatles and so many other artists of the 60's and 70's, Bob Sharkey started playing guitar as a teenager in New Jersey. Following 4 years of studio/jazz guitar studies at the University of Southern California, Bob moved back east where he began playing in various jazz and rock groups around New Jersey and New York. He spent time performing with The James Trio (and eventually The James Quintet), playing jazz standards and originals during a 3 year residency at the Court Tavern in New Brunswick, NJ and played at various NYC spots such as the 55 Bar where Bob would go to see guitarist Mike Stern play as a teenager and imagined what it might be like to play there someday.  

     During the 90’s Bob joined several indie rock bands including an early incarnation of Amandla, the solo project of Ween drummer Claude Coleman Jr; it was Claude who played drums with the James Trio at the Court Tavern along with another childhood friend, multi-instrumentalist/songwriter Peter Fand (Cirque du Soleil, Tin Toy Cars) on bass. He soon joined NYC’s Industrial Tepee led by songwriter Tom Shaner and recorded two albums with them, toured the US several times, and played regularly at many of the classic NYC clubs of the time including Mercury Lounge, CBGB's, Brownies and Fez. Soon enough Bob was being called on to play guitar with other notable NYC songwriters such as Sam Bisbee and Suzanne Wyllie.

     In 2001, Bob self-released his debut album as a singer-songwriter under the Bob Sharkey Quartet with keyboardist Philip Krohnengold (Sara Bareilles, Ben Harper, Joshua Radin), bassist Dan Green (The Three Gentleman) and drummer Jeff Lipstein (Martha Wainwright, David Johansen, David Garret). Following steady gigs at The Living Room in the East Village, NYC, the Bob Sharkey Quartet recorded and released their second album titled "Foolish Nightmare" in 2005 for the Mother West label. 

     Over the past decade Sharkey has continued to write and perform while being immersed in work and family life. Through this time his collection of songs grew from his life experience, leading to his new album "Green" out on May 3rd 2019. Recorded with producer Charles Newman (The Magnetic Fields, The Bones of J.R. Jones) at his Brooklyn Cottage Sounds studio, Sharkey recruited upright bassist Rob Jost (Josh Ritter, Elizabeth & the Catapult) and old pal Jeff Lipstein on the drums. The songs delve into just some of the emotions found in the arc of a romantic relationship from happy beginning to heartbroken end. Mellow, jazzy-folk, introspective and intimate are some of the words used to describe this new set of songs.