Rob has performed with and/or recorded with Barry White, Billy Eckstein, David Darling, Vic Damone, 10,000 Maniacs, Joe Curiale, the big bands of Gordon Goodwin, Bill Watrous, Bill Holman, and Ed Palermo, Dave Anderson, Kermit Driscoll, John Benthal, and Marc Minchello. Rob has played along side Dan Higgins, Sal Marquez, Alan Kaplan, Dave Stryker, John Beasley, Tom Fowler, Bob Sheppard, Ralph Bowen, Leon Bisquera, Will Lyle, Ron Stout, Clay Jenkins, Mikan Zlatkovich, Dominic Genova, Jim Lacefield, Joel Frahm, Bernard Purdie, & Ernie Watts. He has worked on numerous broadway shows across the New York and Philadelphia corridor, and in San Diego.
In his high school years, he was fortunate to have been influenced by music instructor Bill Paney at Venice High School in Venice, CA. There were several great musicians who were similarly influenced by playing in the school's jazz band, The Crescendos; Marty Krystal, Pete Christleib, Alan Kaplan, John Clayton, and his brother, the late Jeff Clayton, among others.
Rob studied privately with Bill Green, Don Menza, Warne Marsh, and Ralph Bowen.