Larry Bitensky has spent decades honing his craft as a songwriter, composer, keyboardist, guitarist, singer and educator. An award-winning composer and master of songwriting, improvisation, and storytelling, Larry’s performances burst with humor and heart. His music effortlessly blends rock, jazz, pop, folk, blues and New Orleans piano stylings.

A newcomer to Asheville, Larry was frontman for the band Fourth Street Station in Central Kentucky where he has been electrifying audiences for over a decade. He has also been the keyboardist for the Next Stop Jazz Band, the experimental jazz group Trace Trio, the Grateful Sunday Band, and the Larry Garcia band.

In Larry’s albums, Live from the Norton Center for the Arts, Happy as Larry, In From the Cold, and his soon-to-be-released Whitefish and Mustard, his eclectic blend of musical genres is paired with lyrics that flow with honesty, poetry, and playfulness, capturing mood and color with rich details. His songs have been praised for their emotional intensity, melodic beauty and stylistic range and are infused with the spirit of Paul Simon, Bob Dylan, and Randy Newman. His work with the Trace trio on the album The Nature of Three displays Larry’s inventiveness and expressivity as an improviser on the piano. And his classical pieces have been performed and recorded by numerous ensembles around the world.

Born in Long Island, NY, Larry has music degrees from the New England Conservatory of Music, Ithaca College, and Cornell University, and he is Professor Emeritus of Music from Centre College in Danville, KY.

What others are saying:

Larry Bitensky is a masterful musician, passionate performer, and a brilliant songwriter! If you love, groovy fun and enjoy old school “feel good” music, then you will love Larry’s original songs! Loaded with blues, gospel, jazz, and once every now and then, some Broadway and classical chops, he is a rare talent. A very expressive voice, full of colors! I bet Jon Cleary, Billy Joel, Elton John, and the Beatles would love Larry’s music. I would love to see Larry write a one-man musical, and head to Broadway in New York!

-Ron Browning, Vocal Coach to the Stars

With uplifting music, clever lyrics and skillful playing, Larry weaves stories that equally represent himself as much as they do the everyman. His “genre” is boundless and like water in a stream, easily fusing folk, jam, rock, jazz, Americana, and whatever is on his mind, into songs that remain with you. Live, Larry takes you on a soaring flight to somewhere, anywhere, everywhere.

-Steve Hoffman, Executive Director of the Norton Center for the Arts, Danville, KY

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