Richard Bliwas
The virtuoso pianist has been compared to Brian Wilson, Miles Davis, The Beatles, and Sun Ra-- but as All About Jazz said in it’s review of Rising Rose Records 2004 release Ghost “ His writing is unmistakably original ….
Rising Rose Bakery (2011) is a tripped out exploration of improvisational psychadelic composition. It organically incorporates popisms with a cubistic jazz essence never before so lucidly incarnated. Multi-instrumentalist Daniel Carter joins a select group of original musicians who have recorded on Rising Rose Records. His collaboration is instantly karmic and ignites the ensemble engine of this fluidly structured recording.
Astral Prints (2010) and Uncovered ( 2009 ) , reflect the dissolving boundaries between jazz and other forms of music, Richard's soulful improvisations, mystical tunes and transformative psychedelic production create a poetic spellbinding musical symposium, summoning synesthetic spirits in these mellifluous inventive recordings.
Astral Prints reached number 10 on WNYU's 5/10/10 chart,as well as # 1 on CJSW , #6 on CHRW and #6 on the 6/22/10 CFRU Jazz chart. Uncovered charted at #4 on CFRU , # 15 on WNYU , # 9 on CJLY , # 22 on CFRE, # 5 KEUL and # 3 on CJSW
Downtown Music Gallery says in it's reviews of Uncovered (Rising Rose 2009) and Astral Prints (Rising Rose 2010) "Richard is in a class of his own.../ would be world famous in a better balanced universe".
Richard made his national television debut in 2008 appearing as the pianist on Paula's Party (episode IPO406) featuring Susan Lucci, Suzie Orman and Ru-Paul This episode was first broadcast during a Lunar Eclipse !-- He also appeared on Paula's Party episode IPO407) featuring Cameron Mathison , Leanne Morgan , Daisy Fuentes and her lovely sister Rosanna, improvising another ready-made sound track for The Food Network
His lyrics have been described as profound, cryptic, silly, perceptive and poetic.
and In 1989 Richard provided creative, structural and line by line editing as principle editor of Cynthia Kadohata's acclaimed first novel --The Floating World (Viking 1989) - a New York Times notable book of the year
Link to Richard's Blog BliBlog
Shredding Paper said in it’s review of Walk the Bike “ Bliwas walks the line between jazz and folkrock with confidence…producing a dialectic sound that compliments rather than conflicts.
Was Is ---an album that Jazz Improv Magazine says has the feeling of stretching time and space in an infinite universe of floating musical galaxies reaching the far corner's of Richard's imagination , morphing textures and articulated with dynamic clarity was released in May 2008 and played at many great radio stations like WFMU , WNYU and CMAT reached number 1 ( hooray !!! ) at CFRU reviewed by Never Ending Wonder radio , DMG newsletter and Jazz Improv Magazine
An encouraging suggestion from the great jazz artist Paul Bley, led Richard to record his first CD's -- Compose Yourself -- solo, duo and trio improvisations --which recording engineer David Baker called great musicians, recording and performance." and Cadence Magazine called "engrossing and creative, seamless music..." and the painterly production of songs and improvisations from another single afternoon stream of consciousness session, Walk the Bike which Downtown Music Gallery called timeless and exquisite, an album which could have been made in the late 60's if they didn't know better.
Walk the Bike which reached # 1 at CFRC an enlightened college station (Canada's oldest ) in June 2003, was played --- on dozens of other public and college stations including Stanford's KZSU, and praised in reviews from Music Dish, Shredding Paper, All About Jazz (Italy),The Big Takeover etc..
Ghost , released in Sept. 2004, called Richard's most ambitious work by All About Jazz, reunites his early 80's trio with Brazilian great Valtinho Anastacio. Within a few weeks of it's release it climbed on to a dozen or so college and public radio top 10's including # 4 at KTUH in Hawaii ,# 3 at WAIH Potsdam, NY 90.3 FM #5 at KEUL 10/23/04, and # 3 at WMHB Waterville, ME 89.7 FM
Ghost appeared on many playlists like WBRS Brandeis and Stanford's KZSU Zookeeper . It was also praised in reviews from Cadence Magazine , All About Jazz , and All About Jazz (Italy).
"Richard has great sense of humor ...:an All About Jazz writer proclaimed after discovering a hidden track on Ghost. Rising Rose 2004).
Olivia , from Ghost (Rising Rose Records 2004) featured on the All About Jazz Site and reached # 1 on friday october 13th on the All About Jazz (Italy ) top recent downloads where it stayed for a couple weeks
Haunted Rag, also from Ghost(2004) was used in the PBS series Roadtrip Nation 2007.
Yarrow Stalk Bridge, an introspective solo session was recorded in a single afternoon at Walter Sear's Sear Sound in 2005 and followed in Ghosts' footsteps , with reviews from All About Jazz Italy , Downtown Music Gallery among others , and more college radio play like WNCW and top ten on a growing number of insightful stations like CKXU.
DMJ (who listed Walk the Bike in their top recommendations for 2005) states in it's July 1st 2005 newsletter which reviews Yarrow Stalk Bridge . "Richard is a truly gifted piano player and songwriter who should not go unnoticed for very long. "
Richard's early 80's groups like AMS with David Budway and Ned Goold were infusing the influences of Miles Davis , Brian Eno , Syd Barrett and The Beatles , into intimate innovative recordings-- and performances at the Kool Jazz festival , smokey old Pittsburgh jazz clubs where Benson and Eckstine played a few generations earlier or rock/punk clubs like The Electric Banana. The music however, freely crossed genre lines, foreshadowing alternative and contemporary styles.
1982-2000 New York City and surrounding…
During this time Richard played stylistically diverse music for a variety of venues and circumstances , providing organic entertainment for listening and dancing at clubs, special events, parties and concerts.
partial list of venues:
Birdland, The Knitting Factory, The Plaza , The UN, 21 Club, Angry Squire, The Cat Club, Burgundy, Chelsea Place, CBGB, NY Public Library, Kool Jazz Festival, The All Star Café for Jim Palmer’s children’s charity (performing alongside Bruce Hornsby), N.E.A. party for Kitty Carlisle Hart , Lincoln Center (NDI performance as a pianist for Jacques d'Amboise and Ann Reinking) , Gramercy Park Hotel, Metropolitan Museum, Metropolitan Club, Mondo Cane Blues Bar, Scrambles , Burgundy , Crystal Pavilion concert series, Chelsea Place, La Maganette , Roma de Note , Jimmy Weston’s , Waldorf Astoria, Grand Hyatt, Doral Court , The Water Club , Tavern on the Green, Brooklyn and Bronx Botanical Garden’s etc..
Cadence Magazine said in it’s review of Compose Yourself “ Bliwas transforms intricate phrases into seamless music
MySpace page link
Link to Flicker Photo page
Pandora
Some Links to playlists , charts and reviews :
9/04/2011 WTUL Playlist
8/2011 KZSC Playlist
WCBN Chicken Soup for the Vegetarian Soul 9/5/2011 playlist
CHRW 5/17/2011 Jazz Chart
WWUH Sept 4th Set 4 – When Monkeys Meet Typewriters Playlist
6/13/2011 android radio playlist
CIUT Music Library ( july 28th 2011)
5/4/2011 WCBN Playlist
Friday May 13th 2011 CFBX Do not touch this Amp Playlist (bottom show )
WTUL New Orleans 4/26/2011 Playlist
CJSW In Support of Record Day Playlist 4/12/2011
WNYU best of 2010 ( Astral Prints is 70)
4/14/2011 WTUL playlist
CHRW 4/19/2011 Jazz Chart
CHRW 4/12/2011 Jazz Chart
4/10/2011 WCBN Playlist
3/22/2011 CRFU Jazz Chart
CJSW 3/15/2011 Jazz Chart
2/28/2011 Breaking the Tethers Playlist
7/21/2010 WMFO playlist
WTUL Miscellaneous Ramblings 9/02/2010 playlist
cfbx, don't touch that amp oct. 1st 2010 playlist
KXCI 4/10 tempest broog playlist
WCBN Oct 2010 That Witch is Groovy playlist
Deep Three's 7/21/2010 Truth , Justice and Freeform Radio playlist # 13
all about jazz italia review
8/18/10 penn state avante-garde playlist
Astral Prints reviews by Downtown Music Gallery
Astral Prints number 10 on 5/10/10 WNYU Chart
6/22/10 CFRU Jazz Chart/ Astral Prints is 6
6/18/10 WTUL Playlist
7/14/10 Deep Three's Radio Playlist
That Witch is Groovy Playlist
WMFO 7/21/10 playlist
6/29/10 KUNM playlist
6/22/2010 wcbn playlist
6/23/2010 wcbn playlist
CIUT Library
Astral Prints is #6 on the CHRW June 1st chart
Astral Prints # 1 on CJSW Experimental Chart
New Classic Playlist
Breaking the Teathers 5/24/10 playlist
Astral Prints is # 24 on the 5/17/10 WNYU Chart.
Astral Prints is # 3 on this 6/15/10 Experimental Chart
WNYU 5/5/10 playlist
WNYU 5/4/10 playlist
WXYC 4/28/10 playlist
KUNM 5/5/10 playlist
5/10/10 Breaking the Tethers playlist
CIYL Top 30 ( 7/7/09) #9
CJSW 7/14/09 experimental chart# 3
KZSC (2/10/10 playlist)
radio canada musiques diffusees playlist
11/09 KCBX (audioscapes) chart
food network performance credit
WNYU playlist 2008
KBGA playlist
another KBGA playlist
KSJD playlist
92.5 The X "do not touch this amp"playlist
another WNYU playlist 2008
CFBX jazz Notes Playlist (9/02/09)
stanford zookeeper playlist
CFBX playlist (scroll to bottom )
wvof 7/22/09 playlist
wxyc playlist (9/22/09)
WUNH playlist
WUNH 2009 playlist # 2
yarrow stalk bridge (italia review)
wfmu playlist
another wfmu playlist
cfbx the swing of things playlist (8.24.09)
wobc playlist
9/22/09 wxyc playlist
9/29/09 wcbn listing
wbrs playlist
hit session review
wunh (08) playlist
walk the bike review
death valley playlist
CMAT Playlist
ghost review
wbrs fresh tracks playlist
different wbrs playlist
yarrow stalk bridge review
kzsu playlist
another kzsu playlist
more kzsu playlist
1 more kzsu playlist
CFRU chart ( #1)
WNYU June 8th chart
!earshot : charts : CFRU 93.3 MHz - Guelph ON : 2/06/2009 ( # 4 )
DMG Newsletter May 8th, 2009
wusr playlist
rolling stone listing
jazz times listing
NeverEndingWonder: Richard Bliwas - Uncovered
WNYU New Afternoon Show 6/1/2009 Playlist
7/21/09 Breaking the Tethers Playlist
Accordion Noir Radio
KEUL playlist
WNYU New Afternoon Show 6/5/2009 Playlist
Jazz Improv Review ( page 50)
CKUT may 23rd playlist
unechance.com
cjsw chart # (7) experimental
WBRS American Pop Songbook Playlist
allaboutjazz italy /reviews
allaboutjazz review of ghost
KZSU playlist
WFMU playlist
WXYC playlist
WXYC breakpoint playlist
KBGA playlist (2)
another WFMU playlist
was is review
wbrs jazz cafeteria playlist
ckku chart sept 2005 ( yarrow stalk bridge @ 3 )
Jazz Excursion playlist
1 of many ghost charts at CFRC and elswhere( the internet is so fickle )
cfrc chart ( Compose Yourself ten improvisations on a chart )
music dish review's wtb
08 death valley playlist
another cool death valley playlist
WCLV playlist
Oberlin_College_alumni
italy.allaboutjazz.com/reviews
ktuh hawaii !!!
cfou playlist
WWSP spinlist (6/28/09) (multiple formats)
june 28th dv playlist
outside edge playlist
WWSP Jazzweek playlist
wruw playlist
wcbn play
kunm playlist 6/17/09
Paula's Song on KUNM!
kalx.radioactivity.fm/playlist
DMG review of Was Is (may 23rd 2008)
downtown music gallery review (walk the bike,compose yourself,and ghost)
DMG best of 2005 (scroll down to rock/roots/psych/vocal recommendations for 2005
wruw playlist
MySpace page link
Link to Flickr Photos
rising rose bakery page
The virtuoso pianist has been compared to Brian Wilson, Miles Davis, The Beatles, and Sun Ra-- but as All About Jazz said in it’s review of Rising Rose Records 2004 release Ghost “ His writing is unmistakably original ….
Rising Rose Bakery (2011) is a tripped out exploration of improvisational psychadelic composition. It organically incorporates popisms with a cubistic jazz essence never before so lucidly incarnated. Multi-instrumentalist Daniel Carter joins a select group of original musicians who have recorded on Rising Rose Records. His collaboration is instantly karmic and ignites the ensemble engine of this fluidly structured recording.
Astral Prints (2010) and Uncovered ( 2009 ) , reflect the dissolving boundaries between jazz and other forms of music, Richard's soulful improvisations, mystical tunes and transformative psychedelic production create a poetic spellbinding musical symposium, summoning synesthetic spirits in these mellifluous inventive recordings.
Astral Prints reached number 10 on WNYU's 5/10/10 chart,as well as # 1 on CJSW , #6 on CHRW and #6 on the 6/22/10 CFRU Jazz chart. Uncovered charted at #4 on CFRU , # 15 on WNYU , # 9 on CJLY , # 22 on CFRE, # 5 KEUL and # 3 on CJSW
Downtown Music Gallery says in it's reviews of Uncovered (Rising Rose 2009) and Astral Prints (Rising Rose 2010) "Richard is in a class of his own.../ would be world famous in a better balanced universe".
Richard made his national television debut in 2008 appearing as the pianist on Paula's Party (episode IPO406) featuring Susan Lucci, Suzie Orman and Ru-Paul This episode was first broadcast during a Lunar Eclipse !-- He also appeared on Paula's Party episode IPO407) featuring Cameron Mathison , Leanne Morgan , Daisy Fuentes and her lovely sister Rosanna, improvising another ready-made sound track for The Food Network
His lyrics have been described as profound, cryptic, silly, perceptive and poetic.
and In 1989 Richard provided creative, structural and line by line editing as principle editor of Cynthia Kadohata's acclaimed first novel --The Floating World (Viking 1989) - a New York Times notable book of the year
Link to Richard's Blog BliBlog
Shredding Paper said in it’s review of Walk the Bike “ Bliwas walks the line between jazz and folkrock with confidence…producing a dialectic sound that compliments rather than conflicts.
Was Is ---an album that Jazz Improv Magazine says has the feeling of stretching time and space in an infinite universe of floating musical galaxies reaching the far corner's of Richard's imagination , morphing textures and articulated with dynamic clarity was released in May 2008 and played at many great radio stations like WFMU , WNYU and CMAT reached number 1 ( hooray !!! ) at CFRU reviewed by Never Ending Wonder radio , DMG newsletter and Jazz Improv Magazine
An encouraging suggestion from the great jazz artist Paul Bley, led Richard to record his first CD's -- Compose Yourself -- solo, duo and trio improvisations --which recording engineer David Baker called great musicians, recording and performance." and Cadence Magazine called "engrossing and creative, seamless music..." and the painterly production of songs and improvisations from another single afternoon stream of consciousness session, Walk the Bike which Downtown Music Gallery called timeless and exquisite, an album which could have been made in the late 60's if they didn't know better.
Walk the Bike which reached # 1 at CFRC an enlightened college station (Canada's oldest ) in June 2003, was played --- on dozens of other public and college stations including Stanford's KZSU, and praised in reviews from Music Dish, Shredding Paper, All About Jazz (Italy),The Big Takeover etc..
Ghost , released in Sept. 2004, called Richard's most ambitious work by All About Jazz, reunites his early 80's trio with Brazilian great Valtinho Anastacio. Within a few weeks of it's release it climbed on to a dozen or so college and public radio top 10's including # 4 at KTUH in Hawaii ,# 3 at WAIH Potsdam, NY 90.3 FM #5 at KEUL 10/23/04, and # 3 at WMHB Waterville, ME 89.7 FM
Ghost appeared on many playlists like WBRS Brandeis and Stanford's KZSU Zookeeper . It was also praised in reviews from Cadence Magazine , All About Jazz , and All About Jazz (Italy).
"Richard has great sense of humor ...:an All About Jazz writer proclaimed after discovering a hidden track on Ghost. Rising Rose 2004).
Olivia , from Ghost (Rising Rose Records 2004) featured on the All About Jazz Site and reached # 1 on friday october 13th on the All About Jazz (Italy ) top recent downloads where it stayed for a couple weeks
Haunted Rag, also from Ghost(2004) was used in the PBS series Roadtrip Nation 2007.
Yarrow Stalk Bridge, an introspective solo session was recorded in a single afternoon at Walter Sear's Sear Sound in 2005 and followed in Ghosts' footsteps , with reviews from All About Jazz Italy , Downtown Music Gallery among others , and more college radio play like WNCW and top ten on a growing number of insightful stations like CKXU.
DMJ (who listed Walk the Bike in their top recommendations for 2005) states in it's July 1st 2005 newsletter which reviews Yarrow Stalk Bridge . "Richard is a truly gifted piano player and songwriter who should not go unnoticed for very long. "
Richard's early 80's groups like AMS with David Budway and Ned Goold were infusing the influences of Miles Davis , Brian Eno , Syd Barrett and The Beatles , into intimate innovative recordings-- and performances at the Kool Jazz festival , smokey old Pittsburgh jazz clubs where Benson and Eckstine played a few generations earlier or rock/punk clubs like The Electric Banana. The music however, freely crossed genre lines, foreshadowing alternative and contemporary styles.
1982-2000 New York City and surrounding…
During this time Richard played stylistically diverse music for a variety of venues and circumstances , providing organic entertainment for listening and dancing at clubs, special events, parties and concerts.
partial list of venues:
Birdland, The Knitting Factory, The Plaza , The UN, 21 Club, Angry Squire, The Cat Club, Burgundy, Chelsea Place, CBGB, NY Public Library, Kool Jazz Festival, The All Star Café for Jim Palmer’s children’s charity (performing alongside Bruce Hornsby), N.E.A. party for Kitty Carlisle Hart , Lincoln Center (NDI performance as a pianist for Jacques d'Amboise and Ann Reinking) , Gramercy Park Hotel, Metropolitan Museum, Metropolitan Club, Mondo Cane Blues Bar, Scrambles , Burgundy , Crystal Pavilion concert series, Chelsea Place, La Maganette , Roma de Note , Jimmy Weston’s , Waldorf Astoria, Grand Hyatt, Doral Court , The Water Club , Tavern on the Green, Brooklyn and Bronx Botanical Garden’s etc..
Cadence Magazine said in it’s review of Compose Yourself “ Bliwas transforms intricate phrases into seamless music
MySpace page link
Link to Flicker Photo page
Pandora
Some Links to playlists , charts and reviews :
9/04/2011 WTUL Playlist
8/2011 KZSC Playlist
WCBN Chicken Soup for the Vegetarian Soul 9/5/2011 playlist
CHRW 5/17/2011 Jazz Chart
WWUH Sept 4th Set 4 – When Monkeys Meet Typewriters Playlist
6/13/2011 android radio playlist
CIUT Music Library ( july 28th 2011)
5/4/2011 WCBN Playlist
Friday May 13th 2011 CFBX Do not touch this Amp Playlist (bottom show )
WTUL New Orleans 4/26/2011 Playlist
CJSW In Support of Record Day Playlist 4/12/2011
WNYU best of 2010 ( Astral Prints is 70)
4/14/2011 WTUL playlist
CHRW 4/19/2011 Jazz Chart
CHRW 4/12/2011 Jazz Chart
4/10/2011 WCBN Playlist
3/22/2011 CRFU Jazz Chart
CJSW 3/15/2011 Jazz Chart
2/28/2011 Breaking the Tethers Playlist
7/21/2010 WMFO playlist
WTUL Miscellaneous Ramblings 9/02/2010 playlist
cfbx, don't touch that amp oct. 1st 2010 playlist
KXCI 4/10 tempest broog playlist
WCBN Oct 2010 That Witch is Groovy playlist
Deep Three's 7/21/2010 Truth , Justice and Freeform Radio playlist # 13
all about jazz italia review
8/18/10 penn state avante-garde playlist
Astral Prints reviews by Downtown Music Gallery
Astral Prints number 10 on 5/10/10 WNYU Chart
6/22/10 CFRU Jazz Chart/ Astral Prints is 6
6/18/10 WTUL Playlist
7/14/10 Deep Three's Radio Playlist
That Witch is Groovy Playlist
WMFO 7/21/10 playlist
6/29/10 KUNM playlist
6/22/2010 wcbn playlist
6/23/2010 wcbn playlist
CIUT Library
Astral Prints is #6 on the CHRW June 1st chart
Astral Prints # 1 on CJSW Experimental Chart
New Classic Playlist
Breaking the Teathers 5/24/10 playlist
Astral Prints is # 24 on the 5/17/10 WNYU Chart.
Astral Prints is # 3 on this 6/15/10 Experimental Chart
WNYU 5/5/10 playlist
WNYU 5/4/10 playlist
WXYC 4/28/10 playlist
KUNM 5/5/10 playlist
5/10/10 Breaking the Tethers playlist
CIYL Top 30 ( 7/7/09) #9
CJSW 7/14/09 experimental chart# 3
KZSC (2/10/10 playlist)
radio canada musiques diffusees playlist
11/09 KCBX (audioscapes) chart
food network performance credit
WNYU playlist 2008
KBGA playlist
another KBGA playlist
KSJD playlist
92.5 The X "do not touch this amp"playlist
another WNYU playlist 2008
CFBX jazz Notes Playlist (9/02/09)
stanford zookeeper playlist
CFBX playlist (scroll to bottom )
wvof 7/22/09 playlist
wxyc playlist (9/22/09)
WUNH playlist
WUNH 2009 playlist # 2
yarrow stalk bridge (italia review)
wfmu playlist
another wfmu playlist
cfbx the swing of things playlist (8.24.09)
wobc playlist
9/22/09 wxyc playlist
9/29/09 wcbn listing
wbrs playlist
hit session review
wunh (08) playlist
walk the bike review
death valley playlist
CMAT Playlist
ghost review
wbrs fresh tracks playlist
different wbrs playlist
yarrow stalk bridge review
kzsu playlist
another kzsu playlist
more kzsu playlist
1 more kzsu playlist
CFRU chart ( #1)
WNYU June 8th chart
!earshot : charts : CFRU 93.3 MHz - Guelph ON : 2/06/2009 ( # 4 )
DMG Newsletter May 8th, 2009
wusr playlist
rolling stone listing
jazz times listing
NeverEndingWonder: Richard Bliwas - Uncovered
WNYU New Afternoon Show 6/1/2009 Playlist
7/21/09 Breaking the Tethers Playlist
Accordion Noir Radio
KEUL playlist
WNYU New Afternoon Show 6/5/2009 Playlist
Jazz Improv Review ( page 50)
CKUT may 23rd playlist
unechance.com
cjsw chart # (7) experimental
WBRS American Pop Songbook Playlist
allaboutjazz italy /reviews
allaboutjazz review of ghost
KZSU playlist
WFMU playlist
WXYC playlist
WXYC breakpoint playlist
KBGA playlist (2)
another WFMU playlist
was is review
wbrs jazz cafeteria playlist
ckku chart sept 2005 ( yarrow stalk bridge @ 3 )
Jazz Excursion playlist
1 of many ghost charts at CFRC and elswhere( the internet is so fickle )
cfrc chart ( Compose Yourself ten improvisations on a chart )
music dish review's wtb
08 death valley playlist
another cool death valley playlist
WCLV playlist
Oberlin_College_alumni
italy.allaboutjazz.com/reviews
ktuh hawaii !!!
cfou playlist
WWSP spinlist (6/28/09) (multiple formats)
june 28th dv playlist
outside edge playlist
WWSP Jazzweek playlist
wruw playlist
wcbn play
kunm playlist 6/17/09
Paula's Song on KUNM!
kalx.radioactivity.fm/playlist
DMG review of Was Is (may 23rd 2008)
downtown music gallery review (walk the bike,compose yourself,and ghost)
DMG best of 2005 (scroll down to rock/roots/psych/vocal recommendations for 2005
wruw playlist
MySpace page link
Link to Flickr Photos
rising rose bakery page
Walk the Bike Bio's
Ben Allison
The Bassist was named "One of the 25 rising jazz stars" by Downbeat Magazine, "Ben has one of the most original voices in modern jazz." (CD now) He is the founding member of the Jazz Composers Collective, a musician run organization based in New York. His album Third Eye was included in the top ten jazz CD's of 1999 by The New York Times, Boston Globe as well as several other publications. He has extensive credits performing in film, radio, and television. He has recorded extensively with top jazz musicians, and has worked with Richard since their 1997 gig with David Budway and Scott Cutchall at the Knitting Factory.
Ben Allison
The Bassist was named "One of the 25 rising jazz stars" by Downbeat Magazine, "Ben has one of the most original voices in modern jazz." (CD now) He is the founding member of the Jazz Composers Collective, a musician run organization based in New York. His album Third Eye was included in the top ten jazz CD's of 1999 by The New York Times, Boston Globe as well as several other publications. He has extensive credits performing in film, radio, and television. He has recorded extensively with top jazz musicians, and has worked with Richard since their 1997 gig with David Budway and Scott Cutchall at the Knitting Factory.
David Tronzo
A modernist, David is a devotee of the bottleneck slide guitar. He has worked on projects ranging from Spanish Fly for the San Francisco ballet to Robert Altman's film Short Cuts. Jazziz magazine has hailed him as, "The new hero of the slide guitar," and The New York Press named him "Best Guitar Player of the Year." New Yorker Magazine said of Tronzo "On a bad night, he sounds like Charlie Parker mixed with Jimi Hendrix. On a good night, he has to be seen to be believed," and Music Magazine named him "one of the 100 greatest guitar players of the 20th century."
A modernist, David is a devotee of the bottleneck slide guitar. He has worked on projects ranging from Spanish Fly for the San Francisco ballet to Robert Altman's film Short Cuts. Jazziz magazine has hailed him as, "The new hero of the slide guitar," and The New York Press named him "Best Guitar Player of the Year." New Yorker Magazine said of Tronzo "On a bad night, he sounds like Charlie Parker mixed with Jimi Hendrix. On a good night, he has to be seen to be believed," and Music Magazine named him "one of the 100 greatest guitar players of the 20th century."
Michael Blake
The gifted Saxophonist and composer is celebrating the release of his second CD Drift. His ensemble Free Association was awarded the Doris Duke Jazz Ensemble's Project Grant from Chamber Music America. Michael's lyrical work with John Lurie and the Lounge Lizards includes numerous recording dates, live concerts and soundtracks. His first gig in New York, back in 1987, was with Richard.
The gifted Saxophonist and composer is celebrating the release of his second CD Drift. His ensemble Free Association was awarded the Doris Duke Jazz Ensemble's Project Grant from Chamber Music America. Michael's lyrical work with John Lurie and the Lounge Lizards includes numerous recording dates, live concerts and soundtracks. His first gig in New York, back in 1987, was with Richard.
Rika Nakaya
A visual artist, Rika moved to New York in 1989 from Japan, where she received her Masters Degree from NYU, in 1991. Most of her recent works are 3 dimensional. Her work has been shown at ABC No Rio, PS122 Gallery, Art in General, Delta Axis, and others. She also has worked as art director in film and theater productions. Walk the Bike, her second CD design, includes a rich 32-page booklet, designed from a collection of Richard's photographs and letters. This lyrical booklet is interwoven with the tracks on the album and is included with the CD. Since Rika's known Richard from the beginning of her life in New York, she is very happy to be part of the production.
A visual artist, Rika moved to New York in 1989 from Japan, where she received her Masters Degree from NYU, in 1991. Most of her recent works are 3 dimensional. Her work has been shown at ABC No Rio, PS122 Gallery, Art in General, Delta Axis, and others. She also has worked as art director in film and theater productions. Walk the Bike, her second CD design, includes a rich 32-page booklet, designed from a collection of Richard's photographs and letters. This lyrical booklet is interwoven with the tracks on the album and is included with the CD. Since Rika's known Richard from the beginning of her life in New York, she is very happy to be part of the production.
Also appearing on Walk the Bike are percussionists Jamey Haddad and Renato Brasa, Joey"Sonny" Barbato on accordion,Ben Sher playing acoustic guitar on Yoga and cellist Tish Edens.
