Robert Kennedy

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 Hip Pocket Jazz Quintet and Double Funk Crunch, performed as pianist with the SFJAZZ Monday Night Band, and held the accordion chair in Mission Hot Club. He has had the pleasure of playing venues such as Yoshi’s, the Broadway at Music Circus pit orchestra, the Boom Boom Room, Mr. Tipple’s, San Francisco International Arts Festival, Doc’s Lab, Keys Jazz Bistro, the Blue Note Napa, Sweetwater Music Hall, the Agenda Lounge (back in the day), and the SFJAZZ Miner Auditorium. He has shared stages and recorded with renowned players such as Nancy Wright, Calvin Keys, Howard Alden, Jules Broussard, Stella Heath, Howard Wiley, Will Weston, Terrence Brewer, Connie Champagne, Jinx Jones, Bing Nathan, and many more, playing jazz, blues, pop, R&B, country, western swing, and rock and roll.

In 2025 The No-Mads, Robert’s close collaboration with guitarist Ned Boynton, yielded the duo’s debut album Cocktails for the Brokenhearted, featuring a collection of organ / guitar / drums tunes and a collection of accordion / guitar / drums tunes.

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.

In addition to his freelance work on piano, Hammond organ, and accordion, Robert plays accordion as a member of Bistro Moustache, of The Vivants, and of The No-Mads. He is a proud member of the Recording Academy (NARAS) and the Independent Musicians Alliance.

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