TIM RICHARDS TRIO
Twelve by Three
33 JAZZ 072 CD"...Swings enough to make you want to kick the cat from the outset. Wide selection of material... beautifully played and recorded..."
John Critchinson (pianist, ex-Ronnie Scott Quintet) MUSICIAN MAGAZINETrack Listing:
1 It's a Grand Night for Swinging Billy Taylor 2.45
2 Over the Moon T Richards 5.27
3 My Secret Love Parish/Sherwood 9.38
4 Poinciana Ahmad Jamal 6.23
5 Safari Horace Silver 3.45
6 Ishmael Abdullah Ibrahim 6.38
7 Twelve by Three T Richards 5.16
8 When Sunny gets Blue Fischer/Segal 8.27
9 Whims of Chambers Paul Chambers 4.06
10 Manteca Dizzy Gillespie/Chano Pozo 6.11
11 Isfahan Billy Strayhorn 5.53
12 Oh Well Oh Well Gene Harris 3.42Total time: 68.38
"...Swings enough to make you want to kick the cat from the outset...A wide selection of material... beautifully played and recorded..."
John Critchinson (pianist, Ronnie Scott Quintet) MUSICIAN
"Tim Richards is the kind of naturally swinging pianist you can never hear too much of... with a lot more drive than you see in most young pianists today. If you didn't know that this was recorded by a British pianist in 2002, you'd swear it was an old 1960s session by some hard-swinging, blues-drenched pianist like Billy Taylor, Horace Silver or Gene Harris."
Jerome Wilson CADENCE (USA)"Tim Richards... moves with impressive confidence from boiling Latin rhythms to bebop, ballads and even a tinge of gospel, while still retaining his own recognisable style. He also understands the art of choosing a good programme, alternating standards like Billy Strayhorn's "Isfahan" and Horace Silver's "Safari" with a few of his own pieces. The cohesion that comes from playing together regularly makes this an impressive band."
Dave Gelly THE OBSERVER
"A swinging groove characterises this set - yet there are tender moments too, and on strong material like [Dizzy] Gillespie's "Manteca" and [Billy] Strayhorn's "Isfahan" we are reminded how the trio gives fine players like these the opportunity to find new angles."
Jazz UK March/April 2003"They sound so American! This new edition of the Richards trio spends much of its time being bluesy and soulful, always letting the groove dominate. This is well out of keeping with the fashion of the moment and makes for a refreshing change..."
Martin Longley JAZZ REVIEW
"Pianist Tim Richards has consistently delivered a high quality jazz product from the exemplary band Spirit Level to his more recent Great Spirit, and here he takes a break from working with horns to perform in a trio context. The result is accomplished and not without poise; Richards is not afraid to use space, or to display his love of the blues...There are salutes in the direction of Ahmad Jamal, Horace Silver, Abdullah Ibrahim and others, plus a couple of originals that are all examined with his light airy touch, making the material sound fresh by the simple device of avoiding cliché."
Stuart Nicholson JAZZWISE
"A swinging groove characterises this set - yet there are tender moments too, and on strong material like Dizzy Gillespie's "Manteca" and Strayhorn's "Isfahan" we are reminded how the piano trio [format] gives fine players like these the opportunity to find new angles."
Pete Martin JAZZ UK MAGAZINE
"Tim Richards has been a fine pianist on the British scene since the late 1970s - fluently exploring a hard-bop and blues-inflected jazz... played with affection and charm."
John Fordham THE GUARDIAN
"One of the best piano trio albums I have heard in a long time, irrespective of which side of the pond it comes from. The new release on 33 Records will come as pleasant surprise for anyone that immediately conjures up the Spirit Level band and McCoy Tyner when thinking of pianist Richards, who I'm sure by now is tiring of such comparisons when in fact his style is far more original...
This is a superb set that displays all the facets of Richards' playing without resorting to flashy virtuosity, and shows the empathy between the trio through numerous gigs and tours. The band come out swinging on the opening Billy Taylor composition "It's A Grand Night For Swinging", and show a wonderful understanding and flexibility on the lovely "Ishmael" by Abdullah Ibrahim, which Tim describes as the most open tune on the album. It was recorded in one take with no prior discussion, and it's easy to hear how this piece may vary greatly from performance to performance.
This is an album full of surprises and highlights, with the trio playing seldom heard standards such as "When Sunny Gets Blue", the toe tapping blues "Whims Of Chambers" by the bassist Paul Chambers, and Dizzy Gillespie's "Manteca", with drummer Matt Home very much to the fore. With a couple of neat originals and a tender reading of Strayhorn's "Isfahan", what more could you ask for?
The sheer musicality and variety of this set shows clearly the pianist's heritage and knowledge of his idiom. Where his music takes him from here is far from clearly mapped out and defined, and I for one will be following his continuing musical journey with interest."
Nick Lea www.jazzviews.co.uk
For 2003 Press Release and musician biographies please click here
For information about 33 Records see the website: www.33jazz.com
For more information about the first trio CD, The Other Side, please click here