Bobby Lyle©Andrea Canter

“…a veteran keyboardist who has always infused his funky rhythm and jazz with a touch of elegance and improvisational spirit.” Jonathan Widran, All Music Guide 

He’s back again! Keyboard prodigy-turned music director and bandleader Bobby Lyle comes home to the Dakota for one night, pairing his funky keyboards with the versatile voice of Patty Peterson and her band, the TC Jammers. It’s home town hero meets heroine. 

Bobby Lyle was born in Memphis, moving north to Minneapolis with his family. He started piano lessons under his mother’s tutelage at age six, noting that “growing up in a climate where you had six months of winter every year provided lots of practice time.” Influenced primarily by Oscar Peterson, Ahmad Jamal, Bill Evans, Erroll Garner, and Art Tatum, as a teen in the early 1960s, Lyle was the talk of the town. At thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, he was burning up pianos and Hammond B3s, soon gigging in clubs that couldn’t yet serve him. Eventually he quit college to go on the road with Red Holt and Eldee Young, soon coming to the attention of Jimi Hendrix, with whom he worked a short time before Hendrix’ death. His family moved to LA and Lyle toured for a while with Sly and the Family Stone, then Ronnie Laws. After making a few recordings for Capitol, Lyle joined forces with George Benson, later touring with and serving as Music Director for Al Jarreau, Bette Midler, and Anita Baker. From the late 80s to mid 90s, Lyle made six recordings for Atlantic, still touring with his own bands and with Bette Midler. 

Three decades into a prolific career as composer, arranger, band leader, and recording artist of fusion as well as straight-ahead, Lyle released Straight and Smooth (Three Keys) in 2004 as an overt declaration of his dual keyboard personality. And with this release, Bobby became the first artist to ever chart on both the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Chart and the Straight Ahead Jazz Chart. Staying on the smooth side for his next recording, Bobby’s Hands On (2006) was described by All About Jazz as “a mix of charming, laid-back, romantic and danceable grooves.”

Patty Peterson©Andrea Canter

Bobby Lyle will share the stage with one of the most popular voices in the Twin Cities, the second generation of Minnesota’s most popular musical dynasty. Patty Peterson has received the Minnesota Music Award 7 times for Best Female Vocalist and Best Group, and for "Best Jazz Recording" for her debut CD, The More I See You. In addition to her singing career and three solo recordings (including the most recent, Inspired), she has worked as an actress, print ad model, and national anthem singer, and, for seven straight years, was the number one female radio personality on WCCO radio. Name a local jazz venue or concert hall, and Patty has performed there, including frequent appearances at the Dakota, Rossi’s and the Times; she’s also performed at venues around the country including the Vine Street Bar in Hollywood and with the likes of Sergio Mendez, Donny Osmond, and Ben Sidran. Recently Patty joined The Girls—an entertaining quartet with Lori Dokken, Judi Donaghy and Erin Schwab. She continues to perform regularly with her TC Jammers as well as with various ensembles of the Peterson Family, singing with mom Jeanne, brother bassist Billy, and others across four generations of Petersons. In 2005, Patty made a guest appearance at the Dakota with the Bobby Lyle Trio.

Join Bobby and Patty for a very special, very smooth and funky Friday night on May 30th. 

The Dakota is located at 1010 Nicollet Mall, downtown Minneapolis; reservations at www.dakotacooks.com or (612) 332-1010.