Richard Fairhurst

Press quotes:‘Award winning pianist, Richard Fairhurst is a powerful keyboard virtuoso capable of both meditation and funkiness, but he is as sophisticated a composer as he is a player ‘‘One of the UK’s most innovative pianists’ John Fordham, The Guardian‘Fairhurst plays with great understanding, and has a hint of Bill Evans in his ability to play with intensity in a free, loose form’ Adam Green, Mojo Magazine‘Fairhurst’s piano playing is always luminous and lyrical’ Chris Parker, The TimesBiography:Richard was born in Clatterbridge during April 1975; fourteen years later, he was searching his radio channels for some decent music and came across an Oscar Peterson recording. So moved by what he heard – powerful, driving, grooving, emotive music – he took up the piano immediately. Whilst in school the next day he approached the head of music asking ‘I have to learn to play the piano, is there anyone here who can help me?’ As fate would have it, one of the piano teachers had some knowledge of jazz and improvisation – and so began Richard’s musical journey of discovery – he has never looked back.He was given a scholarship to study improvisation at the New School University based in the heart of Manhattan, New York. His first record ‘The Hungry Ants’ was released on the Babel label when he was just 19 and featured the remarkable saxophonist/composer Iain Ballamy, an early and hugely influential mentor – the album reached number 4 in the Virgin national jazz chart and Richard was given the Pat Smythe Award for young musicians of Outstanding Talent. In fact, it was Iain Ballamy who, upon hearing Richard took him under his musical wing and formed a band with him (this soon became the first ‘Hungry Ants’ incarnation). Richard started playing on the London scene and played his first gigs in the capital at the 606 Club and the Vortex, followed by a week at Ronnie Scott’s.Since this early success, he has gone on to perform all over the UK and at Jazz festivals worldwide including Jerusalem, Copenhagen, Cologne, Vienna, Glasgow, Cheltenham, Bath and Senegal where he supported the Zawinul Syndicate at the St. Louis Jazz Festival.He has made various appearances on Radio programmes such as Jazz On 3, In Tune, Jazz Line-Up and Loose Ends and he was selected as one of two artists representing the future of British jazz for a documentary by John Fordham. The Times have also featured him in their arts column “Great British Hopes”.He has been a Steinway Artist since 1998 and in 2000, he was a finalist at the Montreux Jazz Festival’s solo piano competition. In 2004 Richard was commissioned as part of the Jerwood rising stars programme at the Cheltenham Jazz Festival. He formed a new sextet and the music was released on the album ‘Standing Tall’ (Babel). This music won a BBC Jazz Award in the Best New Work category for 2004.Richard has recently released his fifth album for the Babel Label ‘Mesmer’, a series of original duets with flugelhorn player Tom Arthurs. Now 32, he continues to write and perform in his own innovative style when and wherever he can.
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