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With roots planted in Northwest Arkansas, the award-winning songwriter and record producer is a versatile and passionate vocalist with a wide vocal range that has a smooth-as-silk timbre, can swell into a thunderous, gritty punch and back again with breathy falsetto.Branching out from humble beginnings on the trombone in school band, having reached all regions honors by the age of eleven, his father and close friends introduced Key to classic rock and alternative / grunge music.
Pat Ryan developed his sense of rhythm on the bass guitar by listening to Robert Deleo, Mike Dirnt and Tim Commerford. Once he discovered Led Zeppelin and John Bonham as well as Jimi Hendrix with Mitch Mitchell, his passion for arrangement and composition came alive. Which in turn, led to the discovery on how to use a guitar as a tool to write songs. He never looked back.
To date Pat Ryan Key has released four albums - "New Old Stock" (2021), his solo debut, "Guncle" (2016), "A Rebel's Chance" by i do declare (2011), and a collaborative project album with chief songwriter, Mike Townsend on "Fly Again" by The Casual Flyze (2017) - as well as a handful of singles.
Two of his latest releases feature his friend, collaborator, and mentor, guitarist, Al Halpin. "Big A" is a respected bottleneck blues guitarist from upstate New York. Halpin was taught by Moondance era Van Morrison guitarist John Platania, and played the union circuit in the New England states for over two decades before relocating to Northwest Arkansas.
‘Key & Al’ developed a unique “guitar weaving” style constructed purely by performing live over the course of 250+ shows. What followed are “Loves Her Rum" (2018) and "Dead Man Walkin" (2020); recorded as live studio performances that can be best described as soulful rhythm and blues and roots. They continue to move forward with a new release coming soon in 2022.
Throughout 2020 Pat Ryan turned around the effects of the COVID 19 pandemic and invested his time into writing and recording "New Old Stock", released on July 16, 2021. Leading in a new direction, the new project is a blended mix of soul, funk, roots, and rythm and blues which fit the need of any given song. The EP is a tribute to Ryan's love for classic soul music from Motown, Stax and Muscle Shoals with a contemporary twist. "The tracks are stunning. Exceptional!" per Betsie Brown, Blind Raccoon LLC of Memphis, TN. "This is the best Motown sh*t I've heard in years," said Bruce Bennett, a beloved, regional bass player and performing musician.
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
409 W Van Buren, Eureka Springs, AR 72632-8805, United States
