Richard has been a musician since a young age. He began playing jazz saxophone over 30 years ago, and in his teens and 20s developed a love of free jazz and bebop. As he traveled the world as part of the U.S. Diplomatic Corps, Richard purchased indigenous instruments and found a teachers in the many places in Eastern Europe, Central Asia and Siberia he traveled. He found that this not only increased his intrerest in and understanding of world music, but enabled him to connect with the people. Richard also developed a large collection of recorded music from around the world at this time.
Upon returning, Richard had a great desire to incorporate these world sounds he heard and instruments he had learned into the jazz he played. But his found combining these disciplines difficult. Richard formed ' Before the Rain ,' a jazz trio/quartet as a way to express this vision. After years of experimentation, they are developing the sound he desired.
Before the Rain focuses on louder and faster world rhythms combined with electronics and amplification. The quieter, more meditative sounds Richard had learned, especially in his later studies of the Native American Flute, the Shakuhachi (Zen Flute of Japan) and the Bansuri (Classical flute of India) still had difficulty finding a place in the Before the Rain format, so Richard began playing solo flute. In 2006, he recorded his solo CD 'Crow: A New Beginning, a CD of solo Native American flute. The 'New Beginning' label refers to the forum for quieter world flutes.
In 2006, Richard also met Paul Mimlitsch, a jazz guitarist who uses 'looping' technology to create multi-layered tracks. They created a duo called ' Concept ' which fed Richard's early interest in free improvisation jazz. They create 'soundscapes' which can move between being mellow and contemplative using quiet flutes, to 'angular' and dissonant using distortion effects and saxophone. They recently put out a CD called "Conversations" which accurately documents the music they played in 2006 and early 2007. They are now adding more of a world flavor to their music as well.
Paul and Richard, "Concept"
Recently Richard has branched out into multi-instrumental improvisations. Using looping technology he learned from Paul, Richard is creating real-time overdubs of many world instruments; percussion, bass, guitar, kalimba, berimbau and world flutes. He creates these improvisations during solo performances and during breaks when playing with other bands. These multi-layer, multi-track improvisations allow Richard to literally become a one-man band and he created the music live before his audience.
You can visit Richard's website Ballflutes.com for many free downloads and his schedule.
Don't forget to visit Before the Rain's Website for information about their new CD, 'Tramps and Mystic Revolutionaries.
Richard released a new solo CD called "Spirit/Nature" in November 2008. 'Spirits Awaken' is the first track from that CD. It was printed in a limited edition. A few CDs are still available at CDbaby.com. They are hand numbered, and contain a piece of sacred sage in the spine. (The track that should have played when you opened this page.)
Richard's newest project is "Crocodile Dreaming," with a planned release date of December 2009. It is a collection of didgeridoo-based pieces inspire by the Dreamtime.
To purchase Richard's CD of solo Native American Flute (with a little percussion, didgeridoo and percussion...), 'Crow: A New Beginning,' please use these links to visit iTunes, CD Baby , or Amazon.com . You can also browse items with art images by Richard at Cafe Press .
Items available at Cafepress.com.
Look for Paul and Richard, collectively known as "Concept," playing every Thursday Afternoon at the Blue Sky Collective , 9635 W. Colfax in Lakewood, Colorado, from 4-6 pm. Improvisational World Jazz.
visit Richard's website for schedule of events, free downloads, art, detailed information about albums and more at Ballflutes.com
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