Jazz writers and musicians have described his tenor saxophone sound as "big and round", "full bodied", and his style as "fluid, solid, individual, quite varied", and he "plays with harmonic intelligence." John Richmond's live engagements and recording sessions have included work with many of the top jazz musicians of our time.
During the past year he led groups returning to Sweet Rhythm in NYC, where he had previously played a highly successful gig, this time along with George Cables, Bill Moring and Steve Johns and Cecil's Jazz Club in NJ with Michael Cochrane, Chip Jackson and Steve Johns. He plays regularly at the Turning Point Cafe in Piermont, NY where there is an ongoing Monday Jazz series.
His groups at "Monday Jazz at the Turning Point Cafe" have included the regular quartet with John Hart, Bill Moring, Tim Horner and many other fine musicians such as Mike McGuirk, Eliot Zigmund, Steve Johns, Ted Rosenthal, Ron Vincent, Bob Meyer, Steve Ash, Marcello Pelliteri, and many others.
John Richmond's live engagements and recording sessions have included work with musicians such as pianists Mulgrew Miller, Benny Green, Kenny Kirkland, Niels Lan Doky, Michael Weiss, Bross Townsend, Michael Cochrane, guitarists Ron Affif and Tony Purrone, bassists Charnett Moffett, Ray Drummond, Curtis Lundy, Essiet Essiet, Dennis Irwin, Phil Bowler, Bob Cunningham, drummers Jeff Watts, Billy Hart, Leon Parker, Lewis Nash, Clifford Jarvis, Bob Previte and Alvin Queen and percussionist Ray Mantilla, wind players Joe Lovano, Eddie Henderson, Chris Potter, Gary Bartz, Harvey Estrin, and countless others including Elliot Sharp as well as many fine European musicians such as Danilo Rea and Roberto Gatto.
His early recording as leader, "Round Once," on Consolidated Artists, featured pianist Mike Longo, bassist Buster Williams, and drummer Al Harewood, received favorable critical reviews and radio air play and was a "feature pick" of Cash Box magazine. Among his varied recording credits, he has appeared on two CDs by bassist Ray Drummond, "Maya's Dance" and "Vignettes."
During the '80's, he was immersed in the New York City jazz scene where he worked in many NYC venues as diverse as the Blue Note, Seventh Avenue South, Roulette and Carnegie Recital Hall. He spent time living in Italy and performing all over Europe including the Umbria Jazz and San Remo Jazz Festivals. He became involved with Umbria Jazz just as it was being reborn, after several years of inactivity, where he also worked with the jazz clinics.
Born and raised in the New York City area, having lived on E. 15th St. for years, his musical studies began at age nine with clarinet. After studies at the Eastman School of Music in both saxophone and clarinet, he graduated from the Manhattan School of Music with a Bachelor of Music degree. His musical training has included studies with Joe Allard, his principal teacher, as well as Dave Tofani, Charles Russo, Harvey Estrin, Mike Longo, David A. Gross, Ramon Ricker, Tim Price.
He is a multi woodwind player including flute, clarinet, soprano, alto and baritone saxophones in addition to his main voice, the tenor saxophone.
He grew up in a culturally diverse environment and was exposed to classical music and soul music and rhythm and blues in his youth. His major influences include Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, Joe Henderson, Wayne Shorter, Dexter Gordon, Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, Bela Bartok, Jimi Hendrix, Frank Zappa, BB King, and R & B artists such as James Brown.
"I was so blown away and inspired when I first heard Charlie Parker that I felt I had to become an alto player. Later, I began to really hear Trane, Sonny Rollins, Wayne Shorter and Joe Henderson and I eventually switched over because I kept hearing the tenor in my mind."
"During my time studying with Joe Allard, for about 6 years during the 70's, I did my best to absorb his principals of playing, and I spent considerable time with him on clarinet and soprano too. He was a great inspiration both as a person and as a teacher and I'm so grateful to have had the chance to spend so much time with him. I realize what a privilege that was."
John Richmond Quartet-"Blues for Mr. Snipes". from John Richmond on Vimeo.
"I also have to make mention of how influential my friend and classmate Kenny Kirkland was to me. I spent a lot of time with him, played with him almost daily while we were at Manhattan School of Music, and I learned a tremendous amount from him about everything. We all watched him develop exponentially day by day, it was astonishing, while most of us tried our best to improve in a somewhat linear fashion. I used to bug him to write things down for me or show me what he was doing on a particular thing. His loss was such a blow to me and to so many people."
For a period in his life John was involved in boxing, and he derived many experiences from this. He made reference to this in his early recording called "Round Once" and has written tunes inspired by boxers Renaldo Snipes and Herschel Jacobs, his teacher.
He spent endless nights in NYC in places such as the Star Cafe, where Junior Cook ran nightly sessions and many great players would show up, the Blue Note after hours sessions with Ted Curson, and the Barry Harris Jazz Cultural Theater. "I learned a lot in that period, especially from Junior. If I wasn't working, which was a lot of the time, I sat in anywhere possible with just about everybody just about everywhere, in all the clubs.
I was out every night and always carried the horn with me." He also learned from playing regularly with experienced musicians such as drummer David Jones and percussionist/multi instrumentalist Gil Chimes.
During the '90's he did various sessions and gigs, including the Internet Cafe on 3rd St., and was back on the scene for a period but he was largely off the public NYC jazz scene. However, he continued playing, composing, and developing. "I felt I've grown and expanded musically over the years and it was time to get back out there."
John is presently preparing a studio CD recording session of originals and standards.
Itinerary
Sunday, November 14
John Abercrombie, Adam Nussbaum, Jared Gold
Shows are at 7:30pm to approx 10pm-2 sets-one charge-no minimum
Turning Point Cafe, 468 Piermont Avenue, Piermont, N.Y. 10968
Monday, November 15
Monday Jazz Session
8-11:30 pm
Hosted by Saxophonist John Richmond w/ Bob Meyer, drums
Open session. All instrumentalists, vocalists, Patrons welcome!
Turning Point Cafe, 468 Piermont Avenue, Piermont, N.Y. 10968
Sunday, November 21
CD event-A Song of Love's Color
Vocalist Gabriele Tranchina, Joe Vincent Tranchina, Renato Thoms, Andy Eulau, Bobby Sanabria
Shows are at 7:30pm to approx 10pm-2 sets-one charge-no minimum
Turning Point Cafe, 468 Piermont Avenue, Piermont, N.Y. 10968
John Richmond Qt-"House of Truth"-Live at Cecil's Jazz Club, NJ from John Richmond on Vimeo.
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