With Will Goble-bass & Dom Moio-drums
Born in Pittsburgh, home to jazz greats Art Blakey, Ray Brown, Jeff "Tain" Watts, and Ahmad Jamal, Richard has strong territorial jazz roots. He was first introduced to the piano at the age of five, by his father, a gospel pianist in the church. Since then, he has cultivated a rich and pedigreed musical background, being schooled by some of the most legendary jazz musicians, studying at the most esteemed institutions of music, and embracing life to the fullest.
After graduating from the Berklee School of Music in just two years, Richard entered the Boston Conservatory, where he earned a Masters degree in Jazz Pedagogy. He then went on to receive an Artist Performance Diploma at the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance at New England Conservatory, under the direction of influential Ron Carter....
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With Will Goble-bass & Dom Moio-drums
Born in Pittsburgh, home to jazz greats Art Blakey, Ray Brown, Jeff "Tain" Watts, and Ahmad Jamal, Richard has strong territorial jazz roots. He was first introduced to the piano at the age of five, by his father, a gospel pianist in the church. Since then, he has cultivated a rich and pedigreed musical background, being schooled by some of the most legendary jazz musicians, studying at the most esteemed institutions of music, and embracing life to the fullest.
After graduating from the Berklee School of Music in just two years, Richard entered the Boston Conservatory, where he earned a Masters degree in Jazz Pedagogy. He then went on to receive an Artist Performance Diploma at the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance at New England Conservatory, under the direction of influential Ron Carter.
That same year, Richard was invited to become a member of Wynton Marsalis' Septet and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, which he did from 2000-2003. He also played as part of the Russell Malone Quartet and Irvin Mayfield's Quintet. After completing his tenure with those groups Richard started the “Reach Afar” program for young people between the ages of 7-17, educating them about elements of jazz in hip-hop.
Richard has traveled extensively, sharing the gift of jazz to audiences around the world—both as a representative of the United States through the U.S. State Department, and accompanying jazz icons such as Bobby Watson, Curtis Lundy, Herbie Hancock, and Arturo Sandoval.
Richard’s latest CD project, entitled Battle Grounds, was released in June 2010. While his main influences are Ahmad Jamal, James P. Johnson, Oscar Peterson, Herbie Hancock and McCoy Tyner, Richard has most recently been taking inspiration from popular music (80’s TV theme songs, Frank Sinatra, Broadway musicals…) and infusing it with his own unique twist, to perform for his “Jazz Alive” series in the Twin Cities of Minnesota.
Keep your eyes (and ears) peeled for more of this young lion’s powerful, swinging sound! http://www.rjjazz.com
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