Rich Armstrong - ProfilesArchive

About Me

Rich Armstrong's Myspace!
I'm a touring multi-instrumentalist, mostly known for my work with the ever challenging Michelle Shocked . I play effected and looped trumpet/ flugel, congas, bongos, percussion, rhythm guitar, bass, and sing lead and background vox.
On occasion, I whip out the harmonica, mandolin, keyboards, DJ turntables, electric percussion pads, ukelele, and even washboard. Whatever the song needs.
I have a new album, produced by Michelle Shocked, called "Rich's Life Pageant" that I sell at shows- it's a voyeuristic journey through my life utilizing trumpet tone poems. That's right folks, only the trumpet and occasional background noise, including the birth of my beautiful daughter, Anika. (ain't I the proud father!)
I am currently working on a full length vocal album of which I'll post some demo tracks. (you're listening to it right now!) It features me on the trumpet as well, doing some singer/songwriter tunes and even some very commercial Latin stuff. You're listening to a song composed last week from lyrics found on Myspace!
Some artists I tour/ record with-
Thomas Dolby (New Live EP and East Coast Tour Coming this Summer!) Lydia Pense & ColdBlood (Transfusion) Boz Scaggs (Boz Scaggs: Live DVD/ album) Michelle Shocked (Deep/ Dub Natural, Don't Ask/ Don't Tell, Mexican Standoff)Hot House Flowers Hot House Flowers (Into Your Heart) Joyce Cooling , Lyrics Born Later That DayJosh Grobin see photos of the arena shows!Friends/ sit in with:

Tower of Power

Ozomatli

Spearhead

Los Mocosos

Clair Dee

Terry Disley (of Acoustic Alchemy fame)
Local groups I tour/play regularly with:
Milagro
Wall Street
Shawn Ryan
Sonic Strut
The Fred Ross Project
Starlight Orchestra
Terese Genecco

Jazz Mafia

Jesse Hiatt

J Boogie & the Dubtronic Science
I've also been teaching beginning guitar and have my own 7th/ 8th grade "school of Rock at my daughter's Waldorf School! It's a blast!
3 new CD's out this Summer ('07) with me writing/ performing horns-
Leah Tysse, Jesse Hiatt, and Thomas Dolby Live at SxSW with the Jazz Mafia Horns! Check 'em out by clicking the names!
also just recorded horns with Kenny Wayne Shepard on a track called "Don't Lose Your Cool" for an upcoming documentary called Guitar Man"
Rich's Life Pageant
Playing with Boz Scaggs!

Live with Thomas Dolby!

My Interests

Surfing, then see next field

I'd like to meet:

Other like minded voyeuristic musicians/

music appreciators..

..
Rich Armstrong on SellaBand

Music:

Yep, that's what I do. 'TIl it hurts Click here to hear me playing a solo!

Movies:

Here's a vid of Hot House Flower's big hit of last year- "Love Goes On" HHF's website

It's me on trumpet solo and horn section, but that's my good friend, Fiachna's monkey ass apeing the solo

Television:

go here to hear me sing... Atomicsongs.com

my new website: www.THEricharmstrong.net

go here to buy my CD: http://cdbaby.com/cd/richarmstrong

Books:

Quincy Jones' Autobiography, Memoirs of a Geisha, anything about Salvador Dali, and anything by Margaret Atwood

Heroes:

Miles, Kenny Garrett, Donny Hathaway, Victor Wooten, & of course Louis Armstrong

My Blog

OZ tour recap

Wow, I’ve just returned from an amazing 2 week trip to Australia with Michelle Shocked Lots to mention, including playing with Ozomatli, hanging with Sinead and her band, seeing just about every...
Posted by Rich Armstrong on Fri, 04 Apr 2008 05:10:00 PST

Off to OZ again

I’m back to playing with Michelle Shocked after a long hiatus. I’m actually covering the bass chair and using a tiny little D’armond Ashbory rubber band string bass. The thing sou...
Posted by Rich Armstrong on Wed, 12 Mar 2008 10:29:00 PST

Ozomatli at the Fillmore last night...

Ozomatli Wow- I love this band. Such energy and great song writing. I was a fan when I ran into them in Australia for the Byron Bay festival- Shef, the trombone player, caught my set with Miche...
Posted by Rich Armstrong on Fri, 30 Nov 2007 11:39:00 PST

My Surreal life!

Played last night with the Amazing Josh Ritter at a sold out show at Bruno's. I'd never heard of him and was called last minute to come read for the show- sort of a friend of a friend that knew the ...
Posted by Rich Armstrong on Sat, 03 Nov 2007 11:36:00 PST

Fire!

The house next door to mine caught fire yesterday... I'm still sort of in shock from the whole thing. My story is that I was getting ready for my gig at the Starlight Room and I hear frantic knockin...
Posted by Rich Armstrong on Wed, 15 Aug 2007 11:07:00 PST

Thomas Dolby article and tour dates

Thomas Dolby's Fall Tour Enlists Jazz Mafia Horns; Also Announces 'Live @ SXSW' EPPosted: 2007-08-06 Fourteen September U.S. dates introduce new material and put new spin on the hitsNORTHERN CA...
Posted by Rich Armstrong on Tue, 07 Aug 2007 12:29:00 PST

Trip after trip

I'm exhausted after coming back on a family trip to the birthplace of the Armstrongs- Castleblaney, (near Dublin) Ireland and Edinburgh, Scotland. Amazingly beautiful towns and a nice break from al...
Posted by Rich Armstrong on Sat, 05 May 2007 05:27:00 PST

Cold Blood Japan tour

The Cotton Club has proven to be an amazing venue for Cold Blood. Our well attended shows have mostly been Japanese audiences made up of funk lovers, horn band followers, and some real hardcore fans. ...
Posted by Rich Armstrong on Sat, 14 Apr 2007 03:36:00 PST

On a Roll...

OK, so a bus tour with Thomas Dolby, one of my all-time favorite artists, is an amazing gift. But I'm pinching myself with this one. I get a call mid-tour from my sax playing buddy Doug Rowan and ...
Posted by Rich Armstrong on Tue, 27 Mar 2007 09:55:00 PST

Amazing TED conference and the start of an amazing tour

WOW! I'm recovering from maybe the most amazing 3 days of my life- the annual TED (Technology Entertainment & Design) www.TED.comIt's a $6000 invitation only 3 day conference that brings together th...
Posted by Rich Armstrong on Sun, 11 Mar 2007 03:47:00 PST