In The Jazzy Limelight: Stephen Richard by Wright Touch Designs

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Inside MEE – Volume 3 - September 2012

Stephen Richard in the Jazzy Limelight

photo by John Lega In The Jazzy Limelight September 2012

The Jazz in M.E.E. had been hearing the buzz around town about this new, up and coming, artist that we needed to meet. After a chat with Mark Copeland, keyboard extraordinaire, his feedback compelled me and I could not resist….So I popped in one night unannounced at Café 4212 to take a listen to Stephen Richard, the artist known for his unique interpretation of jazz. Formal and eloquent in demeanor, but deadly on sax was my experience that night. He killed the performance!!!! We stole a few moments to talk and he was gracious and welcoming. I enjoyed being entertained by the saxophonist that I would now refer to as the ‘perfect gentleman’. He was not just cultured, courteous and well educated but his intensity, passion and professionalism was impeccable.

few weeks later I was able to catch another Richard performance at the 10th Annual San Antonio Art & Jazz Festival where his soulful styling punctuated with dazzling solo flourishes, brought the crowd to their feet. Richard does this gesture where he closes his eyes and plays so intensely that he ends up on his tiptoes, this always gets the crowd excited. He was stellar in this performance and everyone who was witness knew that he was in his comfort zone with his music and the band. As I prepared for my time with Stephen Richard I saw posts and events where he was involved in giving back to the jazz community, mentoring others and driving the legacy of those that have helped him along the way or have been influential in his life. He has also been there for M.E.E.!

Impossible to do it on your own!

You think that you are strong and maybe you are but take this advice so you can go far.

I reached out to Stephen to ask if would be interested in being a part of a new initiative that we were working on, and without any hesitation whatsoever he said yes! He expressed the importance in helping save an art form and was adamant about supporting M.E.E. in our efforts to be a platform in doing so. He was very instrumental in helping us roll out Jazz Steps with M.E.E.; a program where Houston Jazz artists step up for the national jazz community by endorsing our efforts to build musical bridges and relationships with our jazz counterparts across the USA. Shortly after the Jazz Steps show I was able to catch up with Stephen to inquire a little more about him, his music and the future and this is what he revealed to M.E.E.

What is your fondest childhood memory? I’ll give you a few. I had to be at least 4 years of age; I remember my father playing tapes on his reel to reel in the living room and playing his vinyl’s on the record player. I distinctly remember EVERYTHING he played sounding good. My parents enrolled me in piano lessons at the age of 5, I remember the music van picking me up after school and taking me to my lessons. My first piano recital was in Hamman Hall on the campus of Rice University. I vividly remember my mother staying on me everyday, the entire summer, to complete my letter to Grover Washington Jr. The letter stated how I enjoyed his music, appreciated what he did and how many records my parents had of his, plus other miscellaneous things. At the end of summer I finally completed my letter and mailed it. Three days later I received a phone call from Mr. Washington, in short, that letter allowed me to meet Mr. Washington and later

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Who is Stephen Richard? I’m first a servant of Jehovah God, I’m also a husband and musician. On the music side of things I truly enjoy playing and making music. It’s a wonderful gift and at this point I no longer play for myself, I play for those who made and continue to make sacrifices to further my musical progress. I play for those who tell me how much they enjoy listening to my music. I also enjoy traveling with

my wife; she’s my road trip buddy. I spend as much time as I can with my family: mom, dad, wife, sister, niece, brother-in-love, sister-in-love and mother-in-love.

play with him in concert. I also have fond memories of my first private lesson with Conrad O. Johnson. I could go on and on, because my childhood was filled with so many great memories.

What is your opinion today on the jazz genre and how do we keep it alive for generations to come? I’m very pleased on where the Jazz genre is today. There are so many styles and artists that fall under the umbrella of Jazz that anyone can find what suits them. I believe Jazz is bigger than it’s ever been but commercially probably less visible than ever. There’s definitely not a shortage of musicians or music, just outlets. How do I keep it alive? —I like personalizing because I can only speak on what I’m doing. I believe the way to keep jazz alive is by exposing our young people to this great art-form through cd’s, videos, concerts etc. It has to be tangible, they must have access to instruments and they need teachers, instructors and mentors. I volunteer as a mentor in the music department at my former high school Willow Ridge and for the past three years I have put on a Jazz Festival there in memory of my former Band Director Ronald Thornton. I contact former Jazz band members and integrate the current students with them forming a big band, this interaction allows the students to see and hear the person right next to them playing and soloing and it allows their questions to be answered in a small unobtrusive setting. This past year we invited the Kashmere “Thunder Soul” Stage Band to the festival. The students had a chance to see the band they witnessed on the big screen at the movie theater in person, what a wonderful experience that was for them. By making Jazz tangible and

photo by Sonny Saenz

In The Jazzy Limelight September 2012

What are your musical goals? I simply want to be the best musician I can be! I want to play what I know and what I’ve experienced. My goals are to be a great communicator on my instrument and in my original compositions, transfer the emotions that I feel to the listener, and to continue to make and play music. Music brings people so much joy and that’s a gift I don’t take lightly.

I no longer play for myself, I play for those who made and continue to make sacrifices to further my musical progress. I play for those who tell me how much they enjoy listening to my music.

making myself available I feel a tremendous energy and excitement from the students regarding Jazz. What have you found most difficult in the industry being a new artist? When you’re a new artist, the difficult part is getting a chance. However, I love the challenge and being told no, makes me work even harder and that makes me a better person and musician. That’s why my last two releases have been double releases. I set my own standards; I don’t know anyone who has achieved double releases twice in a row. I don’t want my work ethic and follow through to ever be questioned.

In the studio is there a certain zone you have to cue into to generate creativity for recording your project? When I go to the studio I know exactly what I’m going to record and it’s been rehearsed or I go into the studio with sketches or ideas and give those to my hand-picked musicians that I know can make those ideas come to life. There is no certain mode or zone I need in the studio. I get excited every time I get the opportunity to get in the studio. The only prerequisite I have is the vibe must be right among the musicians. If it’s not it will show up in the music, so when I record I only use musicians who have a good vibe and who get along with the other musicians on the recording date. What is your sax style? My sax style is simple, soulful and bluesy. My style is honest; I can’t play it if I don’t believe it.

any type of music and because of that we simply played what felt good. I’ve titled this collection of works Bread ‘n Water because this music will fill you up without all the extra sides and additives. It can be very difficult to transfer what you do in a live performance to the recording studio; fortunately for us, I think we were able to pull it off. If you never had an opportunity to hear my group perform at Cova simply press play, however if you are familiar with my trio/quartet you’ll feel right at home. I always try to enjoy the simple things in life and the simpler we live the better it is for us. In my humble opinion there are times when less is definitely more in music, this is one of those times. Circa 79 was inspired by my life. Circa means beginning or born; I was born in 79 on the 9th day of July hence 7979, thus you have the name Circa 79, which encompasses my life from 1979 to 2010. I covered Everybody Loves the Sunshine, it’s one of those songs I’ve known forever and have always enjoyed. I wrote a song for my father called Father’s Love, I wrote a song for my wife called Something Special, I wrote a song for my former band director Ronald Thornton called Impossible who passed after I had finished recording Circa 79. After finding out about his death I instantly had a melody come into my mind. I pulled the project from the manufacturer and told them I had to add one more song. I took my band in the studio the next day and Impossible was recorded. That song is very special to me. I don’t believe anything is impossible as the title might cause some to believe. I know and believe anything

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What was your inspiration for creating Bread ‘n Water Vol. 1 and Circa 79? In 2010, I released Bread ‘n Water Vol. 1 and Circa 79. Bread ‘n Water Vol. 1 was inspired by countless Sunday evening performances with my trio (sax, keyboard and percussion) and sometimes quartet (trumpet) at our “steady” a small wine restaurant called Cova. The music we created was very organic and the atmosphere was warm, very welcoming. There was no pressure to play

My sax style is simple, soulful and bluesy. My style is honest; I can’t play it if I don’t believe it.

photo by John Lega

Who are your musical influences? I have influential categories “the ones you don’t know and “the ones you know.” The ones you don’t know” are students just learning how to play and the musicians you’ll never hear about who play for the love of the music not the accolades. “The ones you know” are my parents, they are huge influences; they introduced me to music and those influences help make me the musician I am today. Grover Washington Jr., I admire him so much for his approach to the music. He shared with me some great points on how to view and approach any kind of music. It helped me tremendously and allowed me to see why he made the impact he did in Jazz. Sonny Rollins, I love his creativeness. Stanley Turrentine, I love his bluesy vocabulary. Joe Henderson, I love his tone. Roy Hargrove, I love his fire. Thanks to The Crusaders for giving us so much timeless music. Mark Copeland, I love his soulfulness. George Benson, I love his mastery of the guitar. There are so many more.

you’ll notice a difference in Vol.2. For starters we’re no longer playing at the “small wine restaurant” so the music reflects a different vibe, a change. While the number of instruments used on Vol.2 is similar to Vol.1 I’ve used them in a way that feels fresh and new. As I mentioned in

In The Jazzy Limelight September 2012

photo by Heidi Powell

the past I’ve titled this collection of works Bread ‘n Water because this music will fill you up without all the extra sides and additives. Upon completing the first Volume of Bread ‘n Water in the back of my mind I knew a volume two would have to come sooner or later. The idea to put the word volume after a title was a challenge and motivator and one I gladly accept. Keeping that in mind, an idea is nothing without execution, I present Vol. 2.

is possible but you can’t do it 100% on your own. You’re going to need some favors and some assistance along the way. That’s what I learned from Mr. Thornton, “Impossible to do it on your own. You think that you are strong and maybe you are but take this advice so you can go far.” Those are the words that I used to compose the melody to Impossible. I wrote lyrics for the song first because I wanted it to be a vocal tune, however due to time restraints I performed it as an instrumental piece. Maybe one day I can do it as I intended. I dedicated my entire Circa 79 project to his memory. Finally, I was fortunate enough to record with Mr. Hubert Laws on my original composition The Real World, which was inspired by the ups and downs I experienced after graduating college. In August 25, 2012, I released Bread ‘n Water Vol. 2 and An Evening of Happenstance Live in New Orleans—my inspiration for Vol.2. If you have Bread ‘n Water Vol. 1

My inspiration for An Evening of Happenstance Live in New Orleans - There are some nights you play, the music is perfect and either no one is there to hear it, or it wasn’t recorded, that happens often. Then there are nights when the music flows effortlessly and you’re told by the establishment at the end of the final set “we recorded your show tonight.” That’s how this recording came to see the light of day. My mind was far from thinking about having the show recorded. It was a couple of days before the show and I was still trying to secure musicians. After some last minute cancellations, tons of unanswered phone calls and a few of the proverbial “I’m already booked” with the help of Trombonist David Harris I was finally able to secure a pianist and bassist. Since I didn’t meet the Pianist Fred Sanders or the Bassist Jasen Weaver until right before the show, I decided we would play standards. Both sets were filled with an uncanny chemistry for musicians who had collectively never played together. This project captures our mistakes, spontaneity and the core of Jazz, improvisation and a wonderful energetic audience.

What should your fans expect from Stephen Richard in 2013? I’m really using 2013 as a year to spread my wings and put myself in front of the eyes and ears of those who are not familiar with my music or me. In 2013, my plan is to travel and play in various cities, states and possibly other countries. In 2013, I will continue to perform at various Jazz festivals, local venues in Houston and get back in the studio to do more recording. The interview with Stephen covered tons of emotional ground for me because he is extremely, relatable, passionate and genuine. After experiencing his music and actions from a up close and personal standpoint, I was truly moved. I met with Everette Harp last weekend and ironically he also strongly believes that if you strive to become the best musician possible and you reach back to learn about the greats of jazz the rest will come. Stephen brings soul, integrity and sensitivity to music, something that’s sorelymissed. It is apparent that this young artist has an abundance of talent, character and music inside him and is destined for the stars. August 25, 2012 Stephen Richard hosted a CD release party @ Avani Lounge and it exceeded expectations! Houston supported him whole-heartedly, his performance was sizzling and the band contributed musical perfection. Jerre Jackson on drums, Corey James on keys, Eric Elder on bass, Professor Robert Smalls on percussion instruments later joined by Runyararo Fana. Richard’s most memorable account of that evening was him rushing back to the venue to do some last minute setups before the audience arrived, but when he walked in at 6pm the audience was already there, it was packed and it was an hour before the show started! Surprising but amazing to say the least. Stephen Richard has released five albums to his credit, “Introducing Stephen Richard Because of You, Circa 79, Bread ‘n Water. Vol 1 & Vol 2 and An Evening of Happenstance Live in New Orleans.

Stephen Richard has had the privilege to play with the likes of Grover Washington Jr, Ernie Watts, Ellis Marsalis, Jimmy Heath, Norman Brown, Boney James, Frank Lacey and Wes Anderson and he has opened for Joe Sample, Chuck Mangione and Stanley Turpentine. He also holds the prestigious title of Jazz Ambassador at the University of Paris under the invitation of Mr. Alvin Batiste and has had the honor of playing for Mr. Nelson Mandela. Currently Stephen Richard leads his own band in the city of Houston. To learn more about this Zachary, Louisiana born artist, his performance dates or to purchase his CD visit: http://www.stephenrichard.com. Interviewed and written by —Melody Warren, Founder and CEO of The Jazz in M.E.E.

“Bread ‘n Water” by Stephen Richard

“Circa 79”

THE JAZZ IN M.E.E. is an (affiliate) of Multifaceted Exquisite Events Inc. News/Media & Marketing division. Created to be a platform to showcase, support, advocate, market, and promote the love of jazz, the artists, musicians, enthusiasts and supporters of this magnificent genre of music and the events that are a spring board for its success. M.E.E. is on a mission to keep the Jazz genre and its Artists present. For more information visit our website http://thejazzinmee.com or email us at info@thejazzinmee.com 2012 Copyright All Rights Reserved Multifaceted Exquisite Events Inc Affiliate The Jazz In M.E.E. | Melody Warren CEO

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cover photo by John Lega