Tim Richards (musician)

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Tim Richards

Tim Richards (b. 1952) is a British jazz pianist, composer, bandleader, author and educator. He began classical piano lessons at the age of 8 with Carola Grindea. He started to study jazz piano at the age of 14 after hearing Dudley Moore and Otis Spann on TV and becoming interested in the music of Thelonious Monk and Duke Ellington. His style contains elements of blues, bebop and hard bop.

SPIRIT LEVEL

Tim was leader of the jazz group Spirit Level (1979-1999), playing at the Bracknell Jazz Festival in 1980 and 1981 and releasing three vinyl LPs on the Spotlite label, featuring a quintet with sax player Paul Dunmall, Dave Holdsworth (trumpet), Paul Anstey (double bass) and drummer Tony Orrell.

The group won first prize at the Dunkirk Jazz Festival in 1981 and were nominated ‘Best Small Group’ in the 1995 British Jazz Awards.

In 1986 they recorded the album ‘Killer Bunnies’ with USA trumpeter Jack Walrath.

In 1990 Paul Dunmall was replaced by tenor player Jerry Underwood and the group released their first CD ‘New Year’, with South African bassist Ernest Mothle and drummer Mark Sanders. This was followed in 1992 by ‘On the Level’ with Pete ‘Kubryk ‘Townsend (bass) and Kenrick Rowe (drums).

GREAT SPIRIT

In 1999 Spirit Level was reformed as a nine-piece and Tim was commissioned by Yorkshire venue The Shed to write a suite commemorating the event. The resulting ‘Suite for the Shed’ was played on a 14-date UK tour in Autumn 1999 and broadcast live on BBC Radio 3 from Warwick Arts Centre.

The line-up of the nine-piece included Dick Pearce (trumpet), Gilad Atzmon (alto sax), Denys Baptiste (tenor sax), Tony Kofi (baritone sax), Roger Beaujolais (vibes), Dave Colton (guitar), Davide Mantovani (bass) and Dave Ohm (drums).

In February 2001 Great Spirit toured the UK, featuring Pete King on alto sax, Tom Herbert (double bass) and Seb Rochford (drums), ending with an appearance at London’s Purcell Room.

In 2005 Great Spirit released their second album ‘Epistrophy’. The line-up included founder members Dick Pearce, Tony Kofi and Roger Beaujolais together with new additions Jason Yarde (alto/sop sax), Ed Jones (tenor sax) and Leon Stenning (guitar).

THE HEXTET

In 2012, Tim formed a new band, the six-piece HEXTET with the line-up of Dick Pearce, Ed Jones, Ralph Wyld (vibes), Dominic Howles (double bass) and Peter Ibbetson (drums).

The band went on to record the CD ‘Telegraph Hill’, featuring a range of compositions from five out of the six band members.

TIM RICHARDS TRIO

The first trio album ‘The Other Side’ was released as a CD in 1998 on the 33Jazz label.

The trio’s second album ‘Twelve by Three’ was recorded in 2003 with drummer Matt Home and Dominic Howles (bass) .

Bassist  Dominic Howles was to remain with the trio for their third CD ‘Shapeshifting’, recorded in 2010 with drummer Jeff Lardner.

SIGI FINKEL and SOUNDSCAPE

Tim and Sigi Finkel recorded the CD ‘Dervish Dances’ for the Austrian ORF RADIO label in 1997.

Tim and Sigi Finkel also formed the electric ‘fusion’ quartet SOUNDSCAPE, with bassist Phil Scragg and drummer Marc Parnell in 1997and released a CD on the Future Music label, ‘Shibop’.

BLUES

Throughout the 1990s, Tim led the five-piece GROOVEYARD with guitarist Jon ‘T-Bone’ Taylor, featuring vocalist Kathy Wilson and appearing mainly in the South of England. In 2002 Tim also appeared at the Eccaussinnes Blues Festival in Belgium with T-Bone Taylor and 73-year old harmonica legend Mojo Buford (ex-Muddy Waters band), and in 2004 toured the UK with Chicago vocalist Deitra Farr.

T-Bone Taylor and Tim Richards have continued their collaboration into the 21^st Century with the JT4TET, featuring Andy Lafone (electric bass) and Pete Miles (drums). They have appeared frequently at the Bulls Head in Barnes, West London, and in 2017 recorded an instrumental EP ‘The Message’, featuring mainly original material. In 2022 R‘n’B vocalist Nazarene Mighty joined the team and they continue to play with her in venues such as the Pheasantry (Kings Road) and Ronnie Scott’s in London.

EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES

Tim began teaching evening classes in jazz and blues piano in 1988 at WESTMINSTER ADULT EDUCATION SERVICE in London. From 1991 to 2011 he taught at GOLDSMITHS COLLEGE, London SE14, including an annual weekend workshop for all instruments alongside Brian Priestley and Howard Riley. In 1997 he began teaching at Morley College where he still runs four evening classes, including the only weekly Blues Piano classes in the UK.

In 1997 Tim became musical director of the Premises Studios Jazz Piano Week, the annual summer school still held in Hackney, London E1, attracting piano students from the world over. Other tutors present since the beginning include pianists Nikki Yeoh and John Crawford (with whom Tim collaborated on the books ‘Exploring Latin Piano’ and ‘Brazilian Piano Collection’).

From 1999 to 2019 Tim was a Jazz Examiner for the ABRSM . He also runs an annual short course for piano teachers wanting to teach the ABRSM Jazz Piano Syllabus, currently hosted online by Benslow Music . He has given lectures and workshops for the European Piano Teachers Association and the LEEDS INTERNATIONAL JAZZ CONFERENCE, and at various other venues in the UK, France and Turkey.

In 2008, 2010, 2012 and 2014 Tim was invited to be on the judging panel for the NOTTINGHAM INTERNATIONAL JAZZ PIANO COMPETITION, alongside other pianists such as Jonathan Gee, Dave Newton, Zoe Rahman, Andrea Vicari and Robert Mitchell.

In 2010-14 he was external examiner for the Postgraduate Jazz programme at LEEDS COLLEGE OF MUSIC, and also taught classes there; as well as at the UNIVERSITY OF SURREY (2012-14). He is currently teaching jazz piano to Masters students at ROYAL HOLLOWAY COLLEGE.

EDUCATIONAL PUBLICATIONS

Tim’s first book ‘Improvising Blues Piano’ was published by Schott Music in 1997 and has now been translated into French, German, Italian and Spanish. Two pieces from the book were selected for the ABRSM Jazz Piano Syllabus at Grades 2 and 3. It went on to win the ‘Best Publication’ prize at the 2004 Frankfurt Music fair.

The follow up ‘Exploring Jazz Piano’ was published in 2005 in two volumes. It won the MIA award for ‘Best Pop Publication’ at the 2006 MUSIC INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION Awards and has now been translated into German and Italian.

Two collaborations with John Crawford were published next, in 2010 ‘Exploring Latin Piano’, a comprehensive survey of the piano music of South America, Cuba and Spain, and in 2014 ‘Brazilian Piano Collection’, featuring a selection of pieces by Ernesto Nazareth and Francisca Gonzaga together with originals by the authors.

Two more volumes of repertoire followed, in 2016 ‘Blues, Boogie & Gospel Collection’ and in 2018 ‘Jazz, Latin & Modern Collection’. Both feature mainly original pieces alongside a few arrangements of tunes by pianists such as Jelly Roll Morton, Thelonious Monk or Duke Ellington.

Tim’s most recent book is ‘Beginning Jazz Piano’, published by Schott in 2021 in two parts. In a departure from the other books, this is the first to include bass lines for each piece ‘for friend or teacher’, backing tracks to play along with, and free access to scrollable online sheet music that can be slowed down or looped if desired. Part 2 includes tips for accompanying others and for reading lead sheets.

The online sheet music is hosted by MusicGurus who are also collaborating with Schott to provide online video courses for many of Tim’s book. So far, they are available for ‘Improvising Blues Piano’, ‘Beginning Jazz Piano’ and ‘Exploring Jazz Piano’ (Pt 1).

FULL LIST OF PUBLICATIONS

All published by Schott Music, except *

• 1997 Improvising Blues Piano

• 2005 Exploring Jazz Piano (Vols 1 and 2)

• 2010 Exploring Latin Piano (with John Crawford)

• 2014 Brazilian Piano Collection - 19 Pieces (with John Crawford)

• 2016 Blues, Boogie & Gospel Collection - 15 pieces for solo piano

• 2017  *Tim Richards’ Jazz Piano Notebook (Vol 3 of Scot Ranney’s Jazz Piano Notebook series)

• 2018 Jazz, Latin & Modern Collection - 15 pieces for solo piano

• 2021 Beginning Jazz Piano - an Introduction to Swing, Blues, Latin & Funk (Pts 1 and 2)

PODCASTS and RADIO

In 2009 and 2010 Tim was a guest on Alyn Shipton’s BBC RADIO 3 programme JAZZ LIBRARY , discussing and playing the music of pianists Wynton Kelly and Hampton Hawes . These programmes are archived on the BBC Radio website.

More recently he has recorded a series of podcasts in a similar format for Morley Radio, entitled ‘Jazz Piano Library’, with a different guest each time. Pianists featured so far include: Horace Silver, McCoy Tyner, Red Garland, Thelonious Monk, Bill Evans, Bud Powell, Herbie Hancock, James Booker, Keith Jarrett, Professor Longhair, Dr John, Chick Corea and Erroll Garner.

In 2023 Tim compiled a podcast entitled ‘The 21 Best Piano Trios of all Time’

COMPOSITION

Tim has a Masters Degree in Composition from London’s Trinity College of Music, where he studied with Stephen Montague and Dierdre Gribbin. As well as the jazz compositions heard live, on recordings and featured in his books, in 2008 he was commissioned by Gloucester Music 'Jazz Live' to write a suite for the Gloucester Youth Jazz Orchestra.

The resulting 'Shamanism Suite', a 20-minute piece for big band, was performed by Gloucester Youth Jazz Orchestra at Cheltenham Jazz Festival, May 2009, conducted by Tim. A ‘small band’ version of the Suite appears on the 2015 HEXTET album ‘Telegraph Hill’.

Tim has also written a number of ‘non-jazz’ pieces for various instrumentations:

• Timetrap for piano trio (piano, violin, cello) – 11:00

Commissioned in 1998 by Tryptich Piano Trio (Table Music).

First performed at Trinity Arts Centre, Tonbridge Wells, March 1998.

• Opus Pocus for piano – 4:30

First performed by Androniki Liokoura, January 2007.

• String Quartet – 9:00

First performed by the Brodowsky Quartet, January 2008.

• Tangletalk for recorder quintet – 4:00

Commissioned in 2008 for Consortium5 Recorder Consort.

First performed at Grosvenor Chapel, Mayfair, London, 25 May 2008, by Consortium5.

• Escape Velocity for soprano sax, vibraphone and piano – 5:00

Commissioned in 2010 by The Interference Trio.

First performed by Matt London, Manchester 2010.

• Syzygy for toy pianos and looper pedal – 14:00

Commissioned in 2010 by pianist Kate Ryder.

First performed at the Royal Festival Hall, London, 21 May 2011, by Kate Ryder.

• Starshower – 3:36 (and other pieces for layered pianos)

Commissioned in 2011 by Cue Music.

• Funk, Journey, Promenade, Hieronymus for piano duet (four hands)

Four piano duets (for one piano), 2012.

First performed by Kate Ryder and Tim Richards at Kings Place, London, 13 October 2012.

PUBLISHED PIANO PIECES

• 1998 On-Off Boogie and Barrelhouse Blues (selected from 'Improvising Blues Piano') –

Published in the ABRSM Jazz Piano Syllabus, Grades 2 and 3

• 2000 Timbo's Gumbo, Lazy Dog Blues, Raised on the Gospel and Beauville Boogie

Commissioned and published by Rockschool Ltd for the Popular Piano Syllabus Grades 1-6

• 2006 Southern Discomfort – Original piano piece

Commissioned and published by Schott Music for the opening of the Bauer & Hieber music shop, London. First performed by Tim Richards, London 21 Sep 2007

• 2010 Down by The Riverside – Traditional, arr Tim Richards.

Included in ABRSM classical piano syllabus, Grade 2

• 2012 Triskelion – Original piano piece

Commissioned by Schott Music for the Petrushka Project involving 70 composers around the world with concerts in London, New York, Beijing and Mainz, and published in the ‘Dances of Our Time’ book

• 2015 Swing Low Sweet Chariot – Traditional, arr Tim Richards.

Included in ABRSM Grades 1-3 Piano Mix anthology

• 2017 Jump Shuffle (reprinted from 'Improvising Blues Piano')

Published by Schott Music in ‘Play It Again: Piano (Book 1)’ by Melanie Spanswick

ARTICLES by Tim Richards

Nov 1997         JAZZ UK Magazine                   Horizontal or Vertical Improvisation?

1998                PIANO Magazine                     Piano Blues

March 2006     MUSIC TEACHER Magazine     Scaling Up

May 2006        PIANO PROFESSIONAL            Jazz Up Your Scales and Arpeggios

Fall 2006         PIANO TODAY Magazine         Playing Duke Ellington

Fall 2007         PIANO TODAY Magazine         Oscar Peterson’s style

Dec 2007         MUSIC TEACHER Magazine     Thickening the Melodic Line

Feb 2012         LIBRETTO ABRSM Magazine   Improvisation Notes

June 2019       AROUND THE GLOBE Magazine Getting to Grips with Improvisation

INTERVIEWS with / FEATURES on Tim Richards

• May 1986     JAZZ MAGAZINE (France)         Spirit of Bristol

Interview by Christian Gauffre

• May 1989     JAZZ HOT (France)                   Hot News: Spirit Level

Feature by Guy Renard

• June 1989     THE WIRE                                 Spirit Level – Level Crossings

Interview with Tim Richards & Paul Dunmall by Philip Watson

• Oct 1991      JAZZ IN TIME (Belgium)           Une Sourie dans le Portefeille

Interview by Claude Loxhay

• Oct 1995      JAZZ PODIUM (Germany)       Spirit Level – Straight Ahead, Ganz Relaxed

Feature by Gudrun Endress

• Summer 99  AVANT Magazine                     Tim Richards & Sigi Finkel

Feature by John Wickes

• Sep 1999      JAZZ UK Magazine                   Tim Richards 20 Years On – Same Spirit, New Level

Cover feature & interview by Ken Mathieson

• Sep 1999      JAZZWISE Magazine                 The Right Stuff

Interview by Chris Parker

• April 2005    THE GUARDIAN                       Epistrophy

Feature/review by John Fordham

• Feb 2006      JAZZ REVIEW                           Tim Richards                          

Interview & feature by Derrick Greaves

• May 2006     PIANO Magazine                     Beginning to Swing

Interview & feature by Alyn Shipton

• Dec 2011      INSOUND Magazine (Italy)     Il Jazz di Tim Richards

Interview by Claudio Chianura

• Jan 2014       KINGS PLACE                           Tim Richards’ HEXTET - a Kings Place podcast

Podcast/interview

• Jan 2017       JAZZ JOURNAL                        Tim Richards – Profile            

Interview by Mark Gilbert

DISCOGRAPHY

As a leader:

1982    SPOTLITE SPJ522         vinyl    SPIRIT LEVEL               Mice in the Wallet

1984    SPOTLITE SPJ528         vinyl    SPIRIT LEVEL               Proud Owners

1986    SPOTLITE SPJLP25       vinyl   SPIRIT LEVEL + Jack Walrath    Killer Bunnies (w/ Jack Walrath)

1988    Radio Suisse Romande  cassette   SPIRIT LEVEL           The Swiss Radio Tapes (cassette)

1990    FMR CD03-1290             CD     SPIRIT LEVEL               New Year

1992    FLAT                               cassette   SPIRIT LEVEL           Live in Europe

1994    33Jazz021                       CD     SPIRIT LEVEL               On The Level

1998    33Jazz037                       CD     Tim Richards TRIO       The Other Side

1999    33Jazz051           double CD     GREAT SPIRIT               Suite for the Shed + Best of SPIRIT LEVEL

2003    33Jazz072                       CD     Tim Richards TRIO       Twelve by Three

2005    33Jazz120                       CD     GREAT SPIRIT               Epistrophy

2019    33Jazz205                       CD     Tim Richards TRIO       Shapeshifting

2015    Track CD0215                 CD     Tim Richards’ HEXTET Telegraph Hill

As a sideman:

1988    INDIGO XCD505     vinyl/CD     OTIS GRAND & THE DANCE KINGS               Always There

1997    ORF CD155                     CD    SIGI FINKEL + TIM RICHARDS (duo)               Dervish Dances

1998    SBQ 06198CD                  CD    'QUEEN BEE & SNAKE’S BLUES 4TET          'A'

1999    FMR CD61-0499              CD     SOUNDSCAPE (4tet with Sigi Finkel)             Shibop

2002    SBQ 03202CD                  CD    Q BEE                                                               Beecoming

2012    THEA 1100                       CD     CINDY DOUGLAS + Tim Richards TRIO        My New Jive

2017    ABACAJAZZ 0014            CD    JT4TET                                                             The Message

WEBLINKS

Website: www.timrichards@ndo.co.uk

YouTube: www.youtube.com/timrichards2007

Soundcloud: soundcloud.com/tim-richards-jazz-pianist/

Instagram: www.instagram.com/timrichards123

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TimRichardsPiano

Schott Music: www.schott-music.com/tim-richards-piano-books

MusicGurus: www.musicgurus.com/gurus/tim-richards/

Morley College: www.morleycollege.ac.uk/courses/subject-areas/music/

Morley Radio: www.morleyradio.co.uk/series/jazz-piano-library/

Tim Richards at All About Jazz https://www.allaboutjazz.com/musicians/tim-richards

Tim Richards at the National Jazz Archive: https://nationaljazzarchive.org.uk/people-places/3786358-tim-richards

British Library – Oral History of Jazz in Britain (interview 2001)

References

• An Illustrated History of Jazz (Brian Case, Stan Britt & Chrissie Murray,) Salamander Books Ltd, 1986 – SPIRIT LEVEL entry p. 168

• Innovations in British Jazz Vol 1 1960-1980 (John Wickes)

Soundworld Publishers 1999 – pp. 302-303

• Jazz – The Rough Guide (Ian Carr, Digby Fairweather & Brian Priestley)

Rough Guides Ltd, 1^st edition 1995  ISBN 1-85828-137-7 – p. 536

• The Rough Guide to Jazz (Ian Carr, Digby Fairweather & Brian Priestley

Rough Guides Ltd, 3^rd edition, 2004 – p. 661

• The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (Richard Cook & Brian Morton)

Penguin, 8^th edition, 2006 – p. 1107

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