Welcome!
To the home page of Roger Quesnell, the intersection of fusion, funk, r&b, soul, blues, and jazz. I love it all, love to play it all, and sometimes fuse them all together. I currently reside in the city of Kennewick, Washington, part of what is known as the Tri-Cities.
I am not a jazz "snob" who looks down upon other forms of music or musicians. But I do love jazz, although not necessarily the culture that surrounds it. Music is an art form , and as such it is not a sporting event , where musicians compete in an arena. Some jazz players I have played with are like that , I am not. Music should be fun , period. But neither do I want to be pigeon-holed into some other genre of music . I am just a guy that likes lots of different music and try to perform it "good". As Louis Armstrong said, "There are only two types of music: good music and bad music .''
And so here comes the necessary and shameless self promotion. I have several decades of experience playing in large and small venues throughout the United States and other parts of the world. I have shared the stage with people like Hoyt Axton, the Guess Who, Joe Williams, Kenny Rogers, Crow, Gene Harris, and many others. I have played in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Montreal, Seattle, Boise, Boston, and Lake Tahoe, and many other cities.
My love of music is as diverse as film scores by Hans Zimmer and Bernard Hermann, gospel blue grass by the Isaacs, fusion by Jeff Lorber, great writing and vocals by the Beatles, and the soulful, funky sounds of Tower of Power. Some others I admire are Jimmy Webb (one of the best writers ever ), Dave Grusin, Van Morrison, Oscar Peterson, George Duke, Bill Evans, The Yellowjackets, Koinonia, and Joe Sample.
I love to play in the "groove" , like Tower of Power , Wilson Pickett , and many Motown artists. I try to create that "groove" when I go out and play live, so it will make you want to get up and move to the "groove". I create my own grooves with the keyboard I love: the Yamaha Motif XS. At home I also have a Yamaha G2 acoustic baby grand. I play my own drum and bass parts and then record them in my keyboard sequencer. I play along with these parts I have created with my piano or organ sounds when I play live. A lot of work goes into this, but it is worth the effort when people get up and dance to the groove.
I had first seen this done by the Blue Note recording artist, jazz great Gene Harris. He was working at a club I had worked at in Boise. This was before the digital revolution, so he was using a reel to reel tape recorder to play back the drum and bass parts while he played along. I thought if a great pianist like Gene Harris can do it, I shouldn't be ashamed to do it. It was a great learning experience. A lot of time and effort has gone into it, but I think you will agree it is a sound that grooves.
I would be pleased to give you a free estimate for your next event. I also have additional musicians that play with me from time to time, if your event desires. In short, I would love to give you the soul and groove that you desire.
Please stop back and visit often to see the latest news, photos, and more.
I am not a jazz "snob" who looks down upon other forms of music or musicians. But I do love jazz, although not necessarily the culture that surrounds it. Music is an art form , and as such it is not a sporting event , where musicians compete in an arena. Some jazz players I have played with are like that , I am not. Music should be fun , period. But neither do I want to be pigeon-holed into some other genre of music . I am just a guy that likes lots of different music and try to perform it "good". As Louis Armstrong said, "There are only two types of music: good music and bad music .''
And so here comes the necessary and shameless self promotion. I have several decades of experience playing in large and small venues throughout the United States and other parts of the world. I have shared the stage with people like Hoyt Axton, the Guess Who, Joe Williams, Kenny Rogers, Crow, Gene Harris, and many others. I have played in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Montreal, Seattle, Boise, Boston, and Lake Tahoe, and many other cities.
My love of music is as diverse as film scores by Hans Zimmer and Bernard Hermann, gospel blue grass by the Isaacs, fusion by Jeff Lorber, great writing and vocals by the Beatles, and the soulful, funky sounds of Tower of Power. Some others I admire are Jimmy Webb (one of the best writers ever ), Dave Grusin, Van Morrison, Oscar Peterson, George Duke, Bill Evans, The Yellowjackets, Koinonia, and Joe Sample.
I love to play in the "groove" , like Tower of Power , Wilson Pickett , and many Motown artists. I try to create that "groove" when I go out and play live, so it will make you want to get up and move to the "groove". I create my own grooves with the keyboard I love: the Yamaha Motif XS. At home I also have a Yamaha G2 acoustic baby grand. I play my own drum and bass parts and then record them in my keyboard sequencer. I play along with these parts I have created with my piano or organ sounds when I play live. A lot of work goes into this, but it is worth the effort when people get up and dance to the groove.
I had first seen this done by the Blue Note recording artist, jazz great Gene Harris. He was working at a club I had worked at in Boise. This was before the digital revolution, so he was using a reel to reel tape recorder to play back the drum and bass parts while he played along. I thought if a great pianist like Gene Harris can do it, I shouldn't be ashamed to do it. It was a great learning experience. A lot of time and effort has gone into it, but I think you will agree it is a sound that grooves.
I would be pleased to give you a free estimate for your next event. I also have additional musicians that play with me from time to time, if your event desires. In short, I would love to give you the soul and groove that you desire.
Please stop back and visit often to see the latest news, photos, and more.
I am a member of gig salad , click on the picture to take you there.
Past and present players..........
Dave Gitlen
Dave plays with me currently, and brings a lot of jazz experience to the table. Having studied under Joe Pass, he played for years up and down the East Coast, from NY to North Carolina, along with spending several years in LA. He teaches theory and guitar independently.
Lee Ford
Lee and I have played together for many years off and on, and in many different bands. Lee is the "go to guy" for pop, country, and R&B. Lee currently plays with "Baja Dunes" and sits in with me from time to time.
Contact me at rjquesnell@yahoo.com , or phone 509-627-6580
Below is a map of some of the cities I have played.
View Here is a map of locations I have played in a larger map