Richard Sears Trio at The Sound Room

Raised in the redwood splendor of the Santa Cruz Mountains, Brooklyn-based pianist Richard Sears is a rising force on the jazz scene who has distinguished himself as a fierce improviser and ambitious composer. His latest album Constant Stranger (2018) came out on the Barcelona based label Fresh Sound Records, and the critically hailed trio session affirmed his status as a player of prodigious promise.

Over the past decade Sears has performed with some of jazzs most important figures, including Chick Corea, Joshua Redman, Eric Revis and Billy Hart (subbing for Ethan Iverson in Harts celebrated quartet with Mark Turner and Ben Street). As a composer hes received commissions from the Aaron Copland Fund and the Los Angeles Jazz Society for a six-part suite in honor Albert Tootie Heath, which premiered with the drum legend at the 2013 Angel City Jazz Festival. A recording of the project featuring Heath and saxophonists Patrick Wolff and Steven Lugerner was released in Aug. 2016 on Ropeadope Records....

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Raised in the redwood splendor of the Santa Cruz Mountains, Brooklyn-based pianist Richard Sears is a rising force on the jazz scene who has distinguished himself as a fierce improviser and ambitious composer. His latest album Constant Stranger (2018) came out on the Barcelona based label Fresh Sound Records, and the critically hailed trio session affirmed his status as a player of prodigious promise.

Over the past decade Sears has performed with some of jazzs most important figures, including Chick Corea, Joshua Redman, Eric Revis and Billy Hart (subbing for Ethan Iverson in Harts celebrated quartet with Mark Turner and Ben Street). As a composer hes received commissions from the Aaron Copland Fund and the Los Angeles Jazz Society for a six-part suite in honor Albert Tootie Heath, which premiered with the drum legend at the 2013 Angel City Jazz Festival. A recording of the project featuring Heath and saxophonists Patrick Wolff and Steven Lugerner was released in Aug. 2016 on Ropeadope Records.
Growing up in Los Gatos, he soaked up inspiration from the Bay Areas bountiful jazz offerings, and found mentors in piano masters like Smith Dobson and Geoffrey Keezer. Relocating to Los Angeles in 2005 to study at USCs Thornton School of Music, he sought veteran improvisers, forging important relationships with Roy McCurdy, Azar Lawrence, Putter Smith, and most importantly Tootie Heath.

In 2012 while still in Los Angeles, Richard recorded a direct-to-disc LP for the indie label Stones Throw with drummer Louis Cole, of the band Knower, and multi-instrumentalist Sam Gendel, the guiding spirit behind psychedelic project INGA. Richard continues to maintain a deep musical engagement with his contemporaries, and in New York, performs regularly with peers such as saxophonists Roman Filiu and Ben van Gelder, bassist Martin Nevin, and drummer Craig Weinrib.

Presently, Richard keeps a busy schedule performing and teaching in the US and abroad. Richard serves on faculty at the New School for Contemporary Music in New York, and the Stanford Jazz Workshop in California.

Playing with Richard is Or Bareket bass | Mark Ferber drums.

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