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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 …. Nine ( Dec. 2012) is an utterly unique collection of euphonic recipes, conjuring past and future stories with a mercurial texture and a melodic narrative. It's a masterful trio recording featuring the prolific musician, producer and film composer Bruce Ditmas on Drums plus Daniel Carter and Ned Goold each sitting in for their second Rising Rose session on Tenor. Nine EMusic Jazz Pick ! Music and More review Downtown Music Gallery Review of Nine 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 : WERW playlist closing with Cat in the Baguette from Nine! WRIR Sunday Morning Jazz Show Playlist featuring Cat In The Baguette from Nine May 5th WRUV Playlist featuring The Unseen from Nine!! Strange Dream from Yarrow Stalk Bridge(2005) was featured on May this 5th TaintTown Radio Playlist! May 8th KUCI playlist featuring a tune from Nine! (Scroll Down ) Nine is Seven on May 14th CFMH Jazz Chart! Nine is 9 on CFMH's April 30th 2013 Jazz Chart! Lost Track from Uncovered (Rising Rose 2009) was featured on this April 27th WTUL New Orleans Playlist! The Stirring AND Starch from Nine were featured on this very cool WUSB Purple Starlight Playlist from April 22nd 2013 April, 6th WUSB No Apologies playlist featuring Cat in the Baguette from Nine! April 19th 2013 WSCS playlist featuring my version of Carol King's Up On The Roof from Uncovered (Rising Rose Record 2009) April 13th 2013 Taintradio playlist featuring Correctly Spelt from Nine The Unseen from Nine was featured on TaintRadio's 3/30/13 playlist Nine is 5 on the Late March 2013 CFBX Jazz Chart ! Nine is 7 on the 3.19.13 CFBX Jazz Chart Heather's Green and Cat in the Baguette from Nine were featured on WUSB's 3.24.14 Purple Starlight playlist! Wheat Genie from Nine was featured on this KUGS playlist from March 3/4/13 WUSB playlist from 3.14.13 featuring Cat In The Baguette from Nine Correctly Spelt from Nine featured on WNHU's Straight Out playlist from Feb. 7th Nine is 3 on this WXYC Jazz chart ( and 35 overall!) Feb.5th CKUT Jazz Chart Feb.5th CHRW Jazz Chart WRIR playlist featuring Cat In The Baguette Wheat Genie from Nine ends the second set of this wxyc playlist from Feb 5th 2013 Heather's Green from Nine on this 2/3/13 wxyc playlist (all the way at the end between Yes and Johnny cash) Cat in the Baguette from Nine was featured on CJSW"S 1/30/13 Morning After playlist Nine is number 5 on the 1/29/2013 CHRW Jazz Chart! 1/28/2013 WUSB purple starlight playlist featuring two tracks from Nine! 1/26/2013 Taint Town Live playlist featuring The Unseen from Nine 1/20 WXYC playlist featuring The Stirring from Nine! Thyme from Nine ends the 3rd set of WXYC's 1/26 playlist! 1/11/13 playlist from WRUW featuring The Unseen from Nine! Nine is number 8 on CJSW's Jan. 22nd Jazz chart! Nine is number 9 on this WXYC Jazz chart and number 80 overall! The Stirring from Nine was featured in WXYC's 1.19.13 playlist! Starch from Nine was featured on WKCR"S Jazz alternatives playlist Cat in the Baguette was featured wusb's purple starlight playlist featuring 3 tunes from Nine Wheat Genie from Nine featured in the first set The Stirring spinning on WXYC 1/15/2013 playlist The Stirring from Nine was featured on KBCS's Straight No Chaser Playlist The Stirring from Nine was featured in the second set of this 1.8.13 playlist from WXYC Heather's Green from Nine was featured in the 3rd set of this 1.9.13 WXYC playlist Cool review of Walk the Bike ( In Russian ! ) Correctly Spelt from Nine featured on wusb's 1/12/13 No Apologies playlist ! Heather's Green from Nine featured at the start of the last set on this 1/11/13 playlist from wxyc Cool WUSB Stony Brook playlist from Jan 4th 2013, featuring Nine 1/27/2013 Taint Town Radio show featuring Cat in the Baguette from Nine! Wheat Genie from Nine featured in the 5th set ( starts with peggy lee ) of this taintradio (JazzWeek Internet Station of the Year 2011!!) playlist ! Taintradio playlist from Jan 6th 2013 featuring Cat in the Baguette from Nine Cat in the Baguette from Nine featured at 1 08pm earlier today on WERU's A Voice of Many Voices Playlist ! Cat in the Baguette from Nine featured at 12:47 Dec. 19th WERU Playlist ! CKUT 12/12/12 Deep Three's playlist featuring Unseen from Nine at the start of the 2nd hour! December 9th,2012 CKUT FreeKick Playlist featuring Little Boxes from Uncovered Nine EMusic Jazz Pick ! Music and More review Downtown Music Gallery Review of Nine Deep Three's Oct.31st,2012 Playlist featuring Strange Dream Soundtrack from Rising Rose Bakery Cool July 31st 2012 playlist featuring I Used To Wonder from Rising Rose Bakery April 12,2012 WTUL New Orleans Playlist featuring Instant Karma from Rising Rose Bakery 2/13/2012 WTUL playlist July 1st 2012 WXYC Breakpoint Playlist 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 |
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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. |
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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." |
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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. |
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| 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. |
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| 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. |
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