Music

ABOUT
As I look back, I feel fortunate to have been involved in the arts for most of my life. In my early career, I was a professional musician and booking agent in the music business, and I have spent the last 25 years as an art dealer and Chicago gallery owner. It certainly has not been an easy path to follow, but it often has been very rewarding, and certainly beats doing actual work!

I have always enjoyed presenting Fine art and Music together and over the years have organized many concerts in the gallery featuring some of Chicago’s best singer/songwriters. Lately, I have been given some great opportunities to once again get out there and play some music myself. I have really enjoyed it, and look forward to more opportunities to perform and share music with others. -Byron Roche

MYSPACE MUSIC
Listen to Byron's recent and vintage recordings at his My Space Music Page.

"I went down to my hometown, St Louis in December, 2010 to make a recording of one of my favorite Mike Jordan songs, “Long Time.” * I sang and played the guitar parts and my old friend Jeremy Vajda engineered. Jeremy and I have known each other since high school and we played music together for years. We came up to Chicago together in 1974 to play the clubs and join the folk scene and he eventually went back to St Louis and I stayed in Chicago. Jeremy is also a great painter and was one of my artists in the gallery. We have had a long history of collaboration.

Jeremy and I recorded the last two songs, “Roses” and “The Years Could Never Tell” in 1967 at the old Technisonic Studios in St Louis. (Ike Turner recorded “A Fool in Love” there in 1960)! The place that we were playing at the time paid for it and we cut a 45 and got some local airplay. I wrote “Roses” and Jeremy wrote “The Years Could Never Tell”.

*Mike Jordan, 1955-1992 (another old friend), was also from St Louis and he moved to Chicago in 1974 shortly after we did to play the clubs and join the music scene. Mike was a great singer, songwriter and single act and later fronted several rock bands including “the Famous Potatoes” and “Mike Jordan and The Rockamatics.”

The Lost Video - Byron Roche and Paul Breidenbach at No Exit, Christmas party 1981.
(Youtube video)

From Planet Weekly - "Music Matters", by Jerry W. Henry

"I met Byron Roche, a well known musician who has
been on the Chicago music (folk and acoustic) scene since the mid-'70's starting with the likes of John Prine, Steve Goodman and Roger McGuinn. At one time he
was a booking agent but has been in the art world most
of those in between years and now a gallery owner."

Byron Roche is featured in the new book "The Chicago Music Scene 1960s & 70s" by Dean Milano.

Check out a digital copy at Google Books.