Richie Beirach - Leaving

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 76:53
Size: 177,2 MB
Art: Front

( 7:51) 1. Nardis
(14:17) 2. What Is This Thing Called Love / Alone Together / Blue In Green
( 5:04) 3. Round Midnight
( 4:53) 4. On Green Dolphin Street
( 7:35) 5. Some Other Time
( 6:10) 6. Solar
(13:49) 7. Spring Is Here / Maiden Voyage / Monk´S Drem / You Don´T Know What Love Is
( 3:42) 8. Footprints
(13:29) 9. Leaving / Sunday Song

On Leaving, recorded in France in 2022, Richie Beirach revisits thirteen evergreen standards, seven of them grouped together in two medleys, and two of his own compositions ("Leaving," "Sunday Song") written in the 1970s. The album is Beirach's first live solo recording since 1981.

All of the material is more than familiar to Beirach and will be equally well known to seasoned jazz fans. In his liner note, Beirach says that this was intentional. He wanted to roam freely over material that he knew as well as the backs of his hands, taking whatever twists and turns flashed into his mind on the hoof, and he wanted the audience, too, to be so at home with the tunes that they would have a frame of reference for every diversion, digression and discursion that he embarked on. Composers include Miles Davis, Cole Porter, Thelonious Monk, Bill Evans, Leonard Bernstein, Richard Rodgers, Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter. Full track listing below.

Beirach also says that he did not approach the performance with a setlist. Instead he made a long list of many tunes he considered playing that evening and at the top of the list wrote: "Choose from." At this point in his life as a pianist, he says, he has put aside intellectual considerations such as consciously thinking about the music at hand or preparing a programme in advance. He is instead wholly concerned with expressionism and being in the moment. (He expounds further on this in the YouTube clip below).

What results are not definitive, or even necessarily substantial, reimaginings of the thirteen warhorses, but rather the spontaneous musical equivalent of a word association game.

The more familiar the listener is with the source material, the more compelling they are likely to find Beirach's expositions. Non-sequiturs abound, as do rococo embellishments and, frankly, melodramatic flourishes. The prevailing mood is rhythmically intense and the only sustained moments of reflection come with the closing "Leaving" and "Sunday Song." But the overall effect is as Beirach intended, and seventy-five unpredictable minutes fly. By Chris May
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/leaving-richie-beirach-jazzline-records

Personnel: Richie Beirach: piano.

Leaving

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Conrad Herwig - New York Hardball

Styles: Trombone Jazz
Year: 1989
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:28
Size: 97,4 MB
Art: Front

(4:12) 1. Hardball
(4:52) 2. Vendetta
(6:17) 3. Zal
(4:39) 4. Code Blue
(3:52) 5. I'm Getting Sentimental Over You
(5:31) 6. Master's Image
(3:40) 7. Hey, New Day
(9:22) 8. Out Of Darkness, Into Light

This lesser-known set from the now-defunct Ken label features the fluent and creative trombonist Conrad Herwig, who is joined by the harmonically advanced pianist Richie Beirach, bassist Ron McClure and drummer Adam Nussbaum. The music ranges from introspective ballads to a swinging version of the lone standard "I'm Getting Sentimental Over You." Herwig is mostly in the spotlight and he rises to the occasion, excelling on the complex straight-ahead material.
By Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/new-york-hardball-mw0000896298

Personnel: Trombone, Producer – Conrad Herwig; Bass – Ron McClure; Drums – Adam Nussbaum; Piano, Liner Notes – Richie Beirach

New York Hardball

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Jeremy Steig - Temple of Birth

Styles: Flute Jazz
Year: 1975
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:17
Size: 101,6 MB
Art: Front

(8:25) 1. King Tut Strut
(2:33) 2. Gale
(7:52) 3. Ouanga
(3:49) 4. Mountain Dew Dues
(3:52) 5. Goose Bumps
(3:14) 6. Belly Up
(2:11) 7. Temple Of Birth
(9:30) 8. Shifte Telle Mama
(2:47) 9. Rupunzel

In his entire career as an improvisational flutist Steig has challenged the boundaries of conventional categories in music. In his first album Flute Fever (Columbia Records 1963) Steig established himself as one of the most important voices in contemporary music, setting new standards in the performance and appreciation of the flute as improvisational instrument.

Steig's openness to all kinds of music is the key that attracts audience to his music. In his newest CD, Steig teams up as a duo with the prominent guitarist and composer, Vic Juris. Their collaboration covers everything from jazz, blues, rock, free music and even some classical pieces that have been reworked to include improvisation. Improvised, Steig and Juris' first CD together, is a dynamic sonic adventure. They have been invited to the 2004 Yokohama Jazz Promenade, one of the biggest jazz festivals held in Japan.

Steig has also been active as Free Folk, a trio with Perry Robinson (clarinet) and Ed Schuller (bass). The music they play contains elements of folk, classical and jazz. Steig studied flute with Paige Brook, who played in the New York Philharmonic. He went on to study at the High School of Music and Art in New York. Paige encouraged Steig to play “jazz” while providing him with classical tools. Emerging as a leader of the first jazz-rock band, “Jeremy and the Satyrs,” followed by the release of What's New (Verve 1969) with the legendary Bill Evans, proved Steig's versatility as a young musician.

Steig has played and recorded with a wide variety of musicians, such as Jimi Hendrix, Tim Hardin, Jim Hall, Big Joe Williams, Junior Wells, Eddie Gomez, David Amram, Art Blakey, Paul Bley, Joe Chambers, Jan Hammer, Johnny Winter and Tommy Bolin. The Beastie Boys have shaped their hit Sure Shot around Steig's flute. https://www.allaboutjazz.com/musicians/jeremy-steig

Personnel: Jeremy Steig – flute, Armstrong bass flute; Johnny Winter - acoustic guitar, electric guitar; Richie Beirach - acoustic piano, electric piano; Anthony Jackson - bass guitar; Alphonse Mouzon – drums; Ray Mantilla - congas, percussion

Temple of Birth

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Conrad Herwig, Richie Beirach, Jack DeJohnette - The Tip Of The Sword

Styles: Trombone Jazz
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:35
Size: 114,7 MB
Art: Front

(6:49) 1. Where The Tip Of The Sword Settles
(7:11) 2. Mastery Of The Mind
(6:28) 3. Thought Precedes Action
(7:30) 4. The Void
(6:50) 5. Inner Sincerity
(7:06) 6. Moonlight On The Water,Rebirth
(6:37) 7. Being, Non-Being

Much of trombonist Conrad Herwig’s activity in recent years has been focused on exploring the so-called Latin side of jazz giants like John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Wayne Shorter and Herbie Hancock. Though not without their charms, those albums’ central concept, by its very nature, tends to limit inventiveness; they exist in a box enforced by a demanding gimmick. Whether or not Herwig has begun to chafe at those restrictions, The Tip of the Sword takes off in a wholly opposite direction, driven largely by freedom and openness. Though all seven compositions are credited to Herwig, the material is defined by the interactions between the trombonist and his heavyweight counterparts, pianist Richie Beirach and drummer Jack DeJohnette.

All three play with a predictably impressive vigor, and a certain hectic momentum propels most of the tracks. That’s certainly true of the tense, antic opener, “Where the Tip of the Sword Settles,” during which Herwig’s bluster is met by Beirach’s caffeinated urgency and DeJohnette’s all-over-the-kit hyperactivity. “Mastery of the Mind” builds at a much more patient pace, Herwig wailing with breathiness and the occasional stuttering catch while DeJohnette dances around his cymbals and Beirach muses. But it’s “The Void,” the album’s literal centerpiece, that finds the trio reining itself in to its starkest point, beginning with a lengthy solo piano turn that basks in the instrument’s resonance. “Inner Sincerity” restores the brisk pace with DeJohnette’s ebullient rhythms, which bear traces of his globetrotting influences without suggesting any particular culture or style. https://jazztimes.com/reviews/albums/conrad-herwig-richie-beirach-jack-dejohnette-the-tip-of-the-sword/

Personnel: Conrad Herwig - trombone; Richie Beirach - piano; Jack DeJohnette - drums

The Tip Of The Sword

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Conrad Herwig - The Latin Side of John Coltrane

Styles: Trombone Jazz
Year: 1996
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 70:04
Size: 161,0 MB
Art: Front

(1:17)  1. Blessing
(6:05)  2. A Love Supreme (Supremo Amor)
(6:52)  3. Blue Train
(9:38)  4. Afro-Blue
(4:41)  5. Naima
(7:59)  6. Satellite
(6:37)  7. Africa
(4:36)  8. After the Rain
(7:26)  9. Impressions
(7:44) 10. India
(5:43) 11. The Drum Thing
(1:20) 12. Blessing (Reprise)

A great idea beautifully executed by New York trombonist Conrad Herwig. The trombonist/arranger/musical director chooses Coltrane's most accessible material from a period that arguably spawned his best, most memorable work (1958-1964), devised simple, exploratory frameworks for each (recalling veteran Chico O'Farrill), then assembled an outstanding collection of musicians. In addition to Herwig's sinewy trombone, there's Brian Lynch on trumpet, Dave Valentin on flutes, Ronnie Cuber on baritone, Richie Beirach (who contributed to some of the arrangements), Danilo Perez and Eddie Palmeri on piano, Andy Gonzalez (from the Fort Apache Band) on bass and Milton Cardona on vocals and percussion. Selections are outstanding: "A Love Supreme," "Blue Train," (where Lynch trades fours with Herwig), "Afro Blue" (great flute solo by Valentine), "Naima" (beautifully featuring Beirach), "After The Rain," "Impressions" and "India." Throughout, Herwig solos flawlessly, with a sensitivity and fire that's reminiscent of the source of his tribute. Herwig's record, more than Joe Henderson's recent big-band event, sounds like a natural conclusion. The arrangements and performances work well together and the Latin environment seems a logical foundation for Coltrane's passions. One last note: Astor Place has done a beautiful job packaging The Latin Side of John Coltrane , sparing no expense for trendy art direction that recalls some of the very expensive covers Limelight Records put out in the mid 60s. Recommended. ~ Douglas Payne https://www.allaboutjazz.com/the-latin-side-of-john-coltrane-conrad-herwig-astor-place-review-by-douglas-payne.php

Personnel: Conrad Herwig - trombone, musical director;  Brian Lynch - trumpet;  Alex Sippiagin - trumpet;  Mike Ponella - trumpet;  Ray Vega - trumpet;  Dave Valentin - concert flute, alto flute, bass flute;   Ronnie Cuber - baritone saxophone;  Gary Smulyan - baritone saxophone;   Danilo Pérez - piano; Eddie Palmieri - piano;  Edward Simon - piano;  Richie Beirach - piano;   John Benitez - bass;   Andy González - bass;  Adam Cruz - drums;  Jose Clausell - timbales, percussion;  Richie Flores - congas;   Milton Cardona - vocals, bata, congas, percussion;  John Coltrane - tribute to, composer

The Latin Side of John Coltrane

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Richie Beirach Trio - What Is This Thing Called Love

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:54
Size: 132.6 MB
Styles: Bop, Contemporary jazz
Year: 1999
Art: Front

[4:52] 1. What Is This Thing Called Love
[6:19] 2. Leaving
[5:32] 3. Night And Day
[4:07] 4. Goodbye
[6:08] 5. Autumn Leaves
[6:11] 6. All The Things You Are
[3:53] 7. Pinocchio
[5:22] 8. Oh, What A Beautiful Morning
[7:26] 9. Nardis
[8:02] 10. On Green Dolphin Street

Double Bass – George Mraz; Drums – Billy Hart; Piano – Richie Beirach. Recorded at Sear Sound Studio in New York on June 18 and 19, 1999.

What a fantastic 'jazz piano trio' - yes George Mraz is truly a bassist delight, sympathetic, emotive, with improvised soloing thrown in. Virtuosic players all three, Billy Hart is one of the greatest drummers for modern jazz, creative, inventive, and progressive! Last but not least - the leader - Richie Beirach on piano - a consistently inventive pianist whose ability to play straight ahead or avant-garde and with lyricism makes him an original. ~John Herrmann

What Is This Thing Called Love

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Richie Beirach - Manhattan Reverie

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:41
Size: 159.5 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 2006
Art: Front

[5:14] 1. You Don't Know What Love Is
[6:09] 2. On Green Dolphin Street
[6:40] 3. If I Were A Bell
[5:07] 4. Manhattan Reverie
[8:49] 5. Etude (No. 6 In E-Flat Minor, Op. 10)
[9:07] 6. Transition
[8:34] 7. Stella By Starlight
[5:37] 8. Veils
[6:30] 9. Blood Count
[7:52] 10. Footprints

Richie Beirach: piano; George Mraz: bass; Billy Hart: drums.

It was all in the eyes. They say peek into someone's eyes if you really want to see what they're about and how they're feeling. From the looks of things at a performance to celebrate his sixtieth birthday at Birdland at the end of August 2007, it seemed that Richie Beirach was feeling good. Sounded tops, too. This classically-trained veteran pianist was marking his sixth decade on earth with a little help from his friends—trio band mates, bassist George Mraz and drummer Billy Hart, expert rhythm makers also featured on this highly effective 2007 Japanese import from Venus Records, Manhattan Reverie. They all appeared to have a certain twinkle in their eyes, suggesting that they are very comfortable playing with each other, wise to each other's ways and that they were having a good time. It was kind of a nice message: Age has nothing to do with vitality or musical ability, except maybe, in this case, it adds to both of those things.

Two terrific guests shared in the belated (his birthday was in May) festivities at Birdland —trumpeter Randy Brecker and the violinist Gregor Huebner. Whether live or on recording, Hart and Mraz supplied excellent support to Beirach's intricate, introspective and lively playing. Surprises of the show included explorations of Bartók and Bach, each offering gorgeously rendered improvisations. A tribute to the late Michael Brecker, in the form of a rearranged "old Russian folk song as Beirach described it, was moving and beautiful, if at moments almost painful to witness, a feeling heightened by the intensity of brother Randy's participation. These stunning, seemingly effortless endeavors were punctuated by exquisite soloing by Huebner.

The live event had been touted in some circles as an occasion also to mark the release of Manhattan Reverie so the repertoire sampled on the Friday before Labor Day was somewhat unexpected, as no pieces from the album were played in that particular set. But the recording merits repeated listening. It features several standards, including "You Don't Know What Love Is, "On Green Dolphin Street and "If I Were a Bell, all performed at breakneck pace. Somehow that works. In fact, for those of us out here who are a little love-weary (or even love-leery?) it was a welcome change of pace to hear a heart-crushing tune like "You Don't Know What Love Is zip by at such a clip. Would that the pain of lost love could breeze by like that. The Germany-based pianist's own title track is delicious and more gently realized, though a pretty violin accompaniment goes by uncredited. ~Laurel Gross

Manhattan Reverie

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Richie Beirach - Round About Federico Mompou

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2001
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:19
Size: 149,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:29) 1. Impressiones Intimas #1
(8:09) 2. Música Callada # 6
(2:13) 3. Fantasie on Musica Callada # 10
(6:37) 4. Música Callada # 10
(2:58) 5. Bass Fantasie on Música Callada # 1
(3:55) 6. Música Callada # 1
(1:48) 7. Música Callada # 27
(4:37) 8. Around Música Callada # 27
(3:13) 9. Fantasie on Música Callada # 19
(1:00) 10. Around Música Callada # 19
(3:42) 11. Música Callada # 19
(7:42) 12. Música Callada # 18
(1:58) 13. Fantasie on Música Callada # 18
(2:31) 14. Música Callada # 15
(8:19) 15. Música Callada # 22

Richard "Richie" Beirach (born May 23, 1947) is a jazz pianist and composer born in New York City. He initially studied both classical and jazz before entering the Berklee College of Music. In 1972 he began working with Stan Getz. He also worked with Chet Baker and in the 1990s worked well with Swedish saxophonist Henrik Frisk. He maintained an ongoing musical partnership with David Liebman from the 1970s to the 90s, in Lookout Farm, Quest and many duos. Richie Beirach's style is influenced by Art Tatum, Bill Evans, McCoy Tyner, Chick Corea and his earlier classical training. It is also individualistic with many touches all its own. Several of his compositions, "Leaving" and "Elm" for instance, have found their way into the jazz standard repertoire.
https://wn.com/richie_beirach_round_about_federico_mompou/musician

Personnel: Piano – Richie Beirach; Double Bass – George Mraz; Violin – Gregor Huebner

Round About Federico Mompou

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Richie Beirach - Round About Monteverdi

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:15
Size: 133,5 MB
Art: Front

(1:34) 1. Lamento D' Arianna
(4:21) 2. Responsorium #5 (From Stabbata Sancto)
(5:53) 3. Eja Mater Fons Amoris (From Stabat Mater)
(4:59) 4. Chant (From Music for Good Friday)
(4:38) 5. Ben Mio, Rimanti in Pace (From the 6th Madrigal Book)
(7:29) 6. Orfeos Lament
(1:14) 7. Fantasy on Orfeos Lament
(2:49) 8. Fantasy on Fili Mi, Absalon
(4:21) 9. Dialog Orfeo Messanger
(3:10) 10. Around Dialog Orfeo Messanger
(6:09) 11. Sancta Mater, Istud Agas (From Stabat Mater)
(6:02) 12. Siciliana
(4:31) 13. Fantasy on Lamento D'arianna

Following early interpretations of the music of Béla Bartók and Federico Mompou, pianist Richie Beirach is once again joined by violinist Gregor Huebner and bassist George Mraz for a series of stunning interpretations of classical music, though most of this CD is devoted to the compositions of early Baroque composer Claudio Monteverdi. The mournful opener, Lamento d'Arianna, is the only remaining fragment of Monteverdi's lost opera Arianna. Beirach opens Don Carlo Gesualdo's Responsorium No. 5 (from his Sabato Sancto) alone, then ducks out as the bowed strings work their magic. Palestrina's Chant opens elegantly, then Mraz switches to a pizzicato line, with Huebner gradually making his way from the outer fringes, with Beirach eventually adding a passionate improvisation. Beirach's moving improvisation of Monteverdi's Orfeos Lament is spacious, followed by a brief fantasy upon the theme featuring wild pizzicato violin and occasionally hand-muted piano in an intense setting. Mraz, who assisted Beirach and Huebner with their arrangements, is solely responsible for Fantasy on Fili Mi, Absalon, a composition by Heinrich Schütz. Rarely heard unaccompanied on bass, Mraz makes the most of this opportunity with a powerful effort. No exploration of Baroque music is complete with venturing into the works of Johann Sebastian Bach, and Mraz's solo improvised introduction to Siciliano is every bit as powerful. He accompanies Beirach's brilliant improvisation, though the theme is never stated until Huebner joins in, taking the music down paths its composer could have never imagined. This outstanding release will cause more than a few jazz fans to search out classical recordings of these timeless works if they aren't already familiar with them.~ Ken Dryden https://www.allmusic.com/album/round-about-monteverdi-mw0000692174

Personnel: Piano – Richie Beirach; Violin – Gregor Huebner; Double Bass – George Mraz

Round About Monteverdi

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Richie Beirach Trio - Romantic Rhapsody

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2001
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:29
Size: 142,0 MB
Art: Front

( 6:53) 1. Flamenco Sketches
( 7:00) 2. Spring Is Here
( 7:08) 3. Blue In Green
(10:38) 4. Old Folks
( 6:47) 5. Young And Foolish
( 6:20) 6. Prelude No.20 C Minor
( 5:24) 7. Hudba
( 6:10) 8. I Wish I Knew
( 5:05) 9. The Last Rhapsody

Even after numerous recordings as a leader over his long career, pianist Richie Beirach remains deserving of wider recognition. These 2000 studio sessions with bassist George Mraz and Jack DeJohnette, recorded for the Japanese Venus label, represent some of his best work, in which both his classical training and the influence of Bill Evans are readily apparent, particularly in his dreamy interpretation of "Blue in Green." Beirach finds fresh approaches to several standards, adding a gorgeous, pastoral introduction to an extended workout of "Old Folks," and bringing out the lyricism of the forgotten chestnut "Young and Foolish." The pianist's improvisation upon Chopin's "Prelude No. 20 in C Minor" springs forth with a wealth of ideas. Beirach's two originals are also stunning, including the dramatic, unpredictable "Hudba" and "The Last Rhapsody."~ Ken Dryden https://www.allmusic.com/album/romantic-rhapsody-mw0000504762

Personnel: Richie Beirach - piano; George Mraz - bass; Billy Hart - drums

Romantic Rhapsody

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Richie Beirach - Ballads II

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1987
File: MP3@192K/s
Time: 59:12
Size: 82,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:40) 1. My Funny Balentine
(4:27) 2. Chelsea Bridge
(4:11) 3. The Pearl
(4:35) 4. Alone Together
(5:24) 5. Flamenco Sketches
(4:00) 6. Zal
(2:12) 7. Young And Foolish
(4:57) 8. Summer Night
(3:52) 9. D.L.
(2:30) 10. Old Folks
(5:32) 11. Stella By Starlight
(3:33) 12. Anse Des Flamands
(5:12) 13. The Peacocks
(4:01) 14. Night And Day

Richard Alan Beirach was born on 23 May 1947 in Brooklyn, New York City. Having a sheltered childhood, he started playing the piano at the age of 5. From age 6 to age 18, Beirach was given lessons by the pianist und composer James Palmieri. "James Palmieri showed me everything that I know about music,...he made me understand the deeper meaning of music." Palmieri's lessons were strictly classic and until age 13, Beirach exclusively dealt with classical music.When, at the age of 13, he stayed at a friend's place, he heard Red Garland's version of "Billy Boy" from Miles Davis' album "Milestones": "I could hardly believe it. This was exactly what I was looking for, what I needed. Until then, I had only had a classical musical education: Mozart, Beethoven, no improvisation. I took the album to my teacher. He hated it, he hated it a lot…"Beirach realized that he wanted to devote himself to improvisation and Jazz. He tried and got in touch with Jazz musicians, while continuing to take lessons with Palmieri. In the middle of the 1960s, Richard Beirach entered the New York club scene, played innumerable gigs and jam sessions, with, among others, Freddie Hubbard and Lee Konitz, while, at the same time occasionally working as a longshoreman at the docks of New York.In 1967, he went to Boston in order to study at the Berklee College Of Music, where Keith Jarrett, Miroslav Vitous and John Abercrombie were enrolled as well at that time. But he only stayed for one year and returned to New York in 1968, where he started a composition degree with Ludmilla Ulehla at the Manhattan School Of Music, from which he graduated in 1972 with a "Master Of Music".

Soon afterwards, he played in the band of Stan Getz, together with bass player Dave Holland and drummer Jack deJohnette. The band largely went on worldwide tours.In 1973, he joined the group "Lookout Farm" of the saxophone player Dave Liebman. "Lookout Farm" became one of the most outstanding groups of the Fusion movement and the cooperation between Beirach and Liebman beyond the group, which broke up in 1976, developed to a close musical partnership. Together, as a duo, they recorded "Forgotten Fantasies", "Omerta" and "Chant"". In 1976, the first album under Beirach's own name was released: "Eon", recorded with drummer Eliot Zigmund and bass player Frank Tusa. For the label ECM, Beirach worked as a leader, e.g. on the albums "Eon" in 1976, "Elm" in 1979, "Elegy for Bill Evans", and as a sideman respectively (for John Abercrombie and George Adams) from the middle of the 1970s until the beginning of the 1980s.

His first solo album "Hubris" was released in 1977. At that time, he went on tour a lot with, among others, Chet Baker, John Scofield and John Abercrombie.In the 1980s, Richie Beirach focused increasingly on the solo piano and, parallel to that, on the cooperation with David Liebman in their duo and in the band "Quest", which they founded together in 1981, with drummers Billy Hart and Al Forster and George Mraz or Ron McClure on the bass, respectively. Until their break-up in 1991, the band recorded six albums: "Quest", "Quest 2", "Midpoint: Live at the Montmartre", "Natural Selection", "N.Y. Nites: Standards" and "Of one mind", and went on tours throughout Europe, Asia and South and North America. Stylistically, the quartet did not set any limits and thus played both standards and original compositions with the same intensity and freedom. Beirach then devoted himself increasingly to playing solo. The album "Live in Tokyo" (1981) was recorded during a Japan tour. Following albums were "Ballads" and "Ballads 2", which dealt intensely and in a contemporary manner with the Jazz standard repertoire. Records, which are characterized by non-musical influences, from "Waterlilies", compositions impressed by the paintings of Claude Monet, and "Breathing of Statues", after texts by Rilke, to the completely improvised "Self Portraits", "Sunday Songs" and "Live at Maybeck Recital Hall", were created at the beginning of the 1990s. "Inspiration", recorded in 1991 as a member of the RonMcClure Trio, and "Trust", recorded in 1993 under his own name with Dave Holland and Jack deJohnette, showed Beirach in a trio again.

As a co-leader and sideman, he recorded several albums with the trombonist Conrad Herwig, e.g. the duo record "Intimate Conversation", and, with a bigger band, "The Amulet" and "The Latin Side of John Coltrane". Since the middle of the 1990s, Beirach has mostly worked with two different trios; together with his musical fellows George Mraz (bass) and Billy Hart (drums), Beirach recorded the album "The Snow Leopard" in 1996. That was followed by "Romantic Rhapsody" and "What is this thing called love", which showed a fresh view on standards and some own compositions. "No borders" (2002) focuses on classical pieces as a basis for improvisation, and, on the other hand, also contains a completely composed original composition by Beirach: "Steel Prayers", a piece for the victims of 9/11. To take classical pieces and open them for improvisation, without depriving them of their character, is also the basic principle in the cooperation with violinist Gregor Hübner. The trio with Beirach, Hübner and again George Mraz on the bass has released three albums with the label ACT. "Round about Bartok", "Round about Federico Mompou" and "Round about Monteverdi" are each dedicated to the respective composer and try and approach them via improvisation. Since 2000, Richie Beirach lives in Leipzig and holds a professorship for Jazz piano at the Leipzig conservatory "Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy".

Ballads II

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Richie Beirach - Ballads

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1986
Time: 56:56
Size: 79,2 MB
Art: Front

(6:29) 1. Elm
(4:45) 2. My Foolish Heart
(5:05) 3. Infant Eyes
(3:18) 4. Blood Count
(4:42) 5. Nightlake
(4:15) 6. On Green Dolphin Street
(4:46) 7. Naima
(5:02) 8. Small World
(4:47) 9. Leaving
(3:01) 10. Over The Rainbow
(5:05) 11. You Don't Know What Love Is
(5:35) 12. Sunday Song

Richard Beirach was born in New York in 1947. His stage name is Richie Beirach. He is an innovative jazz pianist. His free and beautiful melody makes him a unique avant-garde jazz master. Richie Beirach was born classically, then devoted himself to jazz , and is committed to its further development. He studied music theory and composition at Berklee College of Music and Manhattan School of Music and obtained a master's degree. Richie Beirach is one of the pillars of ECM. In 1972 , he cooperated with Stan Getz for a period of time and also established a cooperative relationship with ChetBaker . Early Richie Beirach in the 70 's jazz artists who fled the United States worships money and conservative artistic atmosphere, choose Japan as the development of the market, an anti-choice majority in Europe, was in Japan Jazz label Venus has published many great jazz recordings, Among them are mainly played in trio form.

"Balads" is Richie Beirach who was asked by Sony Records in 1986 to record a solo piano album in Tokyo. The recording quality is excellent, with designer Yasutaka Kato 's beautiful blue seascape and artistic design cover. The 16- page brochure contains information and explanations of Beirach's choice of tunes. In the album, Beirach himself composed four works, including Elm, Nightlake , Leaving and Sunday Song . This album can be regarded as the first in a trilogy produced by Richie Beirach for Sony . The other two are " Ballads2" ( 1987 , with the same cover design but green) and " Water Lilies " ( 1987 ) ). It includes Richie Beirach 's musical interpretation of the French painter Claude Monet's paintings, and his fascination with impressionism. Translate By Google https://dsdlove.com/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=34789

Ballads

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Dave Liebman, Richard Beirach - Balladscapes

Styles: Saxophone And Piano Jazz
Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 74:20
Size: 171,3 MB
Art: Front

(4:31)  1. Siciliana
(3:21)  2. For All We Know
(6:32)  3. This Is New
(4:33)  4. Quest
(6:29)  5. Master of the Obvious
(5:52)  6. Zingaro
(4:37)  7. Sweet Pea
(4:46)  8. Kurtland
(6:08)  9. Moonlight in Vermont
(4:12) 10. Lazy Afternoon
(8:47) 11. Welcome / Expression
(9:09) 12. Dl
(5:16) 13. Day Dream

If there is an artistic partnership that deserves to be called "historical," it is the one between Dave Liebman and Richie Beirach : the first encounter between the two who are almost the same age, the sopranist having only one more year than the pianist - happens indeed almost fifty years ago, when the two were still students, and they were together in 1973 for First Visit , the first work on behalf of Liebman. Since then the collaboration has never stopped: together in the Quartet Quest, with Billy Hart and Ron McClure , they have recorded numerous duo works (the last, Unspoken, is from 2013) and have worked together in many different formations. It is therefore based on their highly developed agreement and their common sensibility that this CD is based, which is atypically focused above all on ballads above all . As evidence of the openness and ellipticity of the two, however, the first of these thirteen ballads is none other than a passage by Johan Sebastian Bach, the "Sicilian" from the Sonata for piano and flute in E-flat Major BWV 1031, which Liebman reinterprets to his way to the soprano sax. Then followed by well-known pieces such as the following "For All We Know" and "Zingaro" by Antonio Carlos Jobim one of the highest moments of the work, for the originality and delicacy of the, as in the case of the Shorteriana "Sweet Pea" or of the medley coltraneana "Welcome / Expression," interspersed with original compositions, even if not previously unpublished, of the two protagonists. The figure is that of a very tidy and linear chamber classicism, enriched, however, besides the understanding of the musicians, by the very great interpretative skills of the two. In particular, Beirach appears to be extremely sensitive in measuring time and pauses, so as to create intimate, never dense atmospheres, while Liebman shows off to his soprano his proverbial expressive complexity that makes him one of the greatest living interpreters (and not only), a gift that he also replicates in the reduced occasions in which he takes up the tenor and the flute (in particular, precisely in "Zingaro"). A disc masterfully performed by two Masters, a synthesis of the artistic work they have been leading for a lifetime. ~ Neri Pollastri https://www.allaboutjazz.com/balladscapes-dave-liebman-intuition-review-by-neri-pollastri.php

Personnel: Dave Liebman: sax (soprano, tenore), flauto; Richie Beirach: pianoforte.

Balladscapes

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Richie Beirach & Gregor Huebner - Live At Birdland New York

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 77:44
Size: 179,3 MB
Art: Front

(10:18)  1. You Don't Know What Love Is
(11:18)  2. Around Bartok Bagatelle #4
(10:27)  3. Siciliana
(13:26)  4. African Heartbeat
(18:41)  5. Elm
(13:31)  6. Transition

With his lyrical, harmonically rich style and warm sense for group interplay, pianist Richie Beirach emerged in the 1970s as a highly respected jazz artist. Schooled in classical and jazz, Beirach spent several early years with Stan Getz before joining saxophonist David Liebman on albums like 1973's Lookout Farm and 1978's Omerta. From there, he also toured and recorded with such luminaries as Chet Baker, Lee Konitz, John Abercrombie, and others. He also issued his own highly regarded albums for ECM, including 1976's Eon and 1979's Elm. His ongoing creative partnership with Liebman also led to the formation of the forward-thinking Quest ensemble, as well as continued pairings on albums like 1991's Chant and 2016's Balladscapes. Born Richard Alan Beirach on May 23, 1947 in Brooklyn, New York, Beirach became interested in music at a young age and first started taking piano lessons at age five. Studying classical music with noted pianist and composer James Palmieri, he developed a strong technique and ear for harmony. However, it wasn't until his teens that he discovered jazz after hearing Red Garland's version of "Billy Boy." By the early '60s, he was splitting his time between classical lessons with Palmieri, working as a longshoreman, and playing in jazz jam sessions alongside artists like Lee Konitz and Freddie Hubbard. Hoping to expand his jazz studies, he enrolled at Boston's Berklee College of Music, where he stayed for a year before transferring to the Manhattan School of Music to study composition with Ludmila Ulehla. After graduating in 1972 with his Master of Music degree, Beirach quickly found work playing with Stan Getz, alongside bassist Dave Holland and drummer Jack DeJohnette. From there, he joined saxophonist David Liebman for his landmark 1973 septet fusion album Lookout Farm. Beirach and Liebman formed a creative bond, and went on to collaborate on albums like 1975's Night Scape, 1977's Forgotten Fantasies, and 1978's Omerta. It was also during this period that the pianist made his solo debut with the 1976 trio date Eon with drummer Eliot Zigmund and bassist Frank Tusa on ECM. 

More well-received sessions followed, including 1977's Hubris and 1979's Elm. There were also sessions and tours with Chet Baker, John Scofield, and John Abercrombie. During the '80s, Beirach found himself continuing to balance his own work as a leader with further work alongside Baker, trumpeter John McNeil, and others. In 1981, he paid homage to one of his major influences with Elegy for Bill Evans, with bassist George Mraz and drummer Al Foster. He also formed the stylistically expansive post-bop outfit Quest with Liebman, bringing on board at various times drummers Foster and Billy Hart and bassists Mraz and Ron McClure. Together they issued a series of adventurous albums including 1986's Quest II, 1988's Natural Selection, and 1990's Of One Mind. Away from the band, Beirach devoted increasing time to his solo piano work, releasing 1985's ambitious Antarctica, 1987's Common Heart, and 1989's Some Other Time: A Tribute to Chet Baker. He returned to more collaborative work in the '90s, including albums with saxophonist George Coleman, bassist McClure, and Liebman. In 1997, he delivered the trio album Trust with Holland and DeJohnette. Snow Leopard, also a trio date, followed a year later. There also were sessions with Conrad Herwig, Michel Graillier, Jamie Baum, Steve Davis, and more. He next issued the standards albums What Is This Thing Called Love? and Romantic Rhapsody in 2002 and 2003, followed by the 2003 classical-themed effort No Borders. Also around this time, Beirach relocated to Germany, where he accepted a position as professor of jazz piano at the University of Music and Theatre "Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy" Leipzig. Since then, Beirach has remained prolific, issuing a steady stream of solo and small-group sessions, including 2003's Round About Monteverdi, 2008's Piano Solo, and 2010's Quest for Freedom with Liebman and the Frankfurt Radio Bigband. Also in 2010, he and Liebman joined Lee Konitz for Knowinglee. The following year, he released Impressions of Tokyo: Ancient City of the Future, and paired again with Liebman for Unspoken. Varuna followed in 2015 and found the pianist collaborating with singer Laurie Antonioli. He then reunited once again with Liebman for 2016's Balladscapes. In 2018, both Beirach and Liebman joined vocalist Fred Farell for Fred Farell: Distant Song. ~ Matt Collar https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/live-at-birdland-new-york-randy-brecker-george-mraz/1224693909

Personnel:  Richie Beirach - piano;  Gregor Huebner - violin;  Randy Brecker - trumpet;  George Mraz - bass;  Billy Hart - drums

Live At Birdland New York

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Dave Liebman & Richie Beirach - Double Edge

Styles: Saxophone Jazz 
Year: 1987
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:39
Size: 93,6 MB
Art: Front

(7:09)  1. Naima
(9:07)  2. Round Midnight
(6:37)  3. India
(7:03)  4. On Green Dolphin Street
(6:59)  5. Lover Man - Some Other Time
(3:41)  6. Oleo

Originally put out as an LP in 1987 and reissued as a CD a decade later, this set of duets by David Liebman (on soprano and flute) and pianist Richie Beirach finds the longtime associates in prime form. The length of the program (40 minutes) might be in the LP range but the playing is of the highest order. Liebman and Beirach explore seven superior standards including "'Round Midnight," John Coltrane's "India," a heated "Oleo" and a medley of "Lover Man" and "Some Other Time." None of the performances are at all predictable and there is plenty of chance-taking (along with reverence for the melodies) by both masterful improvisers. This lesser-known sleeper is highly recommended. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/double-edge-mw0000265727

Personnel:  David Liebman (saxophone), Richard Beirach (piano).

Double Edge

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Jeremy Steig - Firefly

Styles: Flute Jazz
Year: 1977
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 35:33
Size: 81,6 MB
Art: Front

(11:55)  1. Firefly
( 5:48)  2. Living Inside Your Love
( 2:59)  3. Everything Is Coming to the Light
( 7:26)  4. Hop Scotch
( 2:04)  5. Sweet Hour of Prayer
( 5:17)  6. Grasshopper

Produced by Creed Taylor himself, Jeremy Steig's jazz-funk throwdown, Firefly, is one of the great forgotten masterpieces of the genre. Steig is a monster flutist who may lack some of Herbie Mann's subtlety, but more than makes up for it with his chops. Taylor surrounded Steig with a band that was testosterone-fueled yet knew how to get the sexy grooves. Firefly was designed for the purpose of being a hit in the dance clubs, and it should have been, because it kicks ass on that level as well as on the jazz-funk beam. Arranged and conducted by pianist Dave Matthews, the band included guitarists Eric Gale, Hiram Bullock, and John Scofield, Richard Tee on keys, drummers Steve Gadd and Allen Schwarzberg, conguera Ray Mantilla, percussionist Sue Evans, and vocalist Googie Coppola. As for the commercial edge, tracks like Dave Grusin and Earl Klugh's sublime groover "Livin Inside Your Love," features beautiful double-tracked flute solos going into the red on the funky soul edge; then there's the title track opener where Steig plays inside and out in shimmering interplay with Gary King's popping bassline. But it's on "Grasshopper," a Steig original, that this disc really soars. Overdriven chunky guitars, cutting across one another, electric Rhodes, and acoustic piano in counterpoint on two different melodies, bass bubbling like Sly Dunbar's, and orchestral horns giving Steig a punch lead line he can really mess with in his fills and solo. This is burning. ~ Thom Jurek https://www.allmusic.com/album/firefly-mw0000460410

Personnel:  Jeremy Steig – flute;  Burt Collins, Jon Faddis, Joe Shepley, Lew Soloff – trumpet;  Sam Burtis, Jerry Chamberlain, Tom Malone – trombone;  Dave Taylor - bass trombone;  Richard Tee – keyboards;  Richie Beirach – piano;  Cliff Carter – synthesizer;  Hiram Bullock, Eric Gale, John Scofield - electric guitar;  Gary King – bass;  Steve Gadd, Allan Schwartzberg – drums;  Ray Mantilla – congas;  Googie Coppolla – vocals;  Sue Evans – percussion;  David Matthews - electric piano, arranger

Firefly

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Richie Beirach Trio - No Borders

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:47
Size: 127.7 MB
Styles: Classical jazz
Year: 2009
Art: Front

[5:44] 1. Scenes From Childhood Op. 15 No. 1
[6:56] 2. Pathetique In C Minor Slow Movement
[5:08] 3. Gnossienne No. 1 In F Minor
[5:40] 4. Pavane In G Minor
[7:37] 5. Footprints In The Snow
[4:15] 6. Siciliano In G Minor
[8:10] 7. Impressions Intimas No. 1 In A Minor
[7:47] 8. Prelude For Piano No. 4 In E Minor
[4:25] 9. Steel Prayers Ballad For 9 11 Wtc

Double Bass – George Mraz; Drums – Billy Hart; Piano – Richie Beirach; Violin – Gregor Huebner (tracks: 5, 9). Recorded at "The Studio" in New York on May 7 and 8, 2002.

No Borders focuses on classical pieces as a basis for improvisation, and, on the other hand, also contains a completely composed original composition by Beirach: "Steel Prayers", a piece for the victims of 9/11. To take classical pieces and open them for improvisation, without depriving them of their character, is also the basic principle in the cooperation with violinist Gregor Hübner.

"Although somewhat underrated, Richie Beirach is a consistently inventive pianist whose ability to play both free and with lyricism makes him an original." ~Scott Yanow

No Borders

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David Liebman, Richie Beirach, Ron McClure, Billy Hart - Redemption - Quest Live In Europe

Styles: Saxophone And Flute Jazz
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 35:53
Size: 83,0 MB
Art: Front

(4:50)  1. Round Midnight
(5:10)  2. Ogunde
(6:11)  3. WTC - Steel Prayers
(5:53)  4. Dark Eyes
(4:19)  5. Lonely Woman
(9:27)  6. Redemption

The passage of time has no meaning when it comes to the kind of intimate musical understanding that saxophonist David Liebman and pianist Richie Beirach have shared since first working together in the early '70s. They have collaborated on numerous group projects as well as a series of duet recordings that are in dire need of reissue. Perhaps their longest and most enduring group was Quest, a quartet that released half a dozen albums between 1981 and 1990.  Redemption - Quest Live in Europe documents a 2005 reunion, and in many respects it feels as if no time has passed. The chemistry shared with bassist Ron McClure and drummer Billy Hart remains intact, but this is no backwards-looking get-together. Instead, it's a chance to hear where the past fifteen years have led these musicians, both individually and collectively. Beirach and Liebman open with a duet take on Monk's "'Round Midnight," beginning in brief abstraction before finding its way to the familiar theme. A feeling of total spontaneity without a safety net pervades Liebman and Beirach's expansive examination of the tune's rhythmic, harmonic and thematic possibilities. Still, no matter how far they take it, what defines the tune is never far away. 

Liebman and Beirach have always shared deep roots in the music of John Coltrane. Transcending mere reverence, however, Quest makes latter-day Coltrane's "Ogunde" its own through a more deeply lyrical approach to this tumultuous tone poem. McClure and Hart create a curiously understated maelstrom beneath Beirach's poignant melodism before leading into a more outgoing and extreme solo from Liebman. McClure's supple pizzicato support and visceral arco are a continuing reminder of how unfairly overlooked a player he remains. Liebman's "WTC" is an abstract exploration into the emotional impact of the September 11 Word Trade Center attack. Dark and foreboding, the chemistry of the quartet gradually builds Liebman's abstruse yet unequivocal theme to a logical point where Beirach becomes the sole voice, segueing into "Steel Prayers," Beirach's mournful yet equally hopeful conclusion. "Dark Eyes" is Quest at its most swinging, yet there's still an underlying sense of abandon. 

McClure is the fluid anchor beneath Leibman's powerful tenor, with Hart and Beirach pushing and pulling to create an ongoing tension and release. Ornette Coleman's "Lonely Woman" becomes a rubato tone poem, with Liebman's wooden flute giving the piece an otherworldly feel. The title track has been in the group's repertoire since the mid-'80s, but this twenty-minute version of Hart's tune is definitive a potent blend of free interaction, powerful rhythmic interplay and post-Coltrane modality. It's uncertain whether or not Quest will continue to work together. Based on Redemption, however, it's clear that there's no shortage of inspiration to keep it a viable and vital concern. ~ John Kekman https://www.allaboutjazz.com/redemption-quest-live-in-europe-hatology-review-by-john-kelman.php

Personnel: David Liebman: soprano and tenor saxophones, wooden flute; Richie Beirach: piano; Ron McClure: bass; Billy Hart: drums.

Redemption - Quest Live In Europe

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Richie Beirach & Andy Laverne - Too Grand

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1994
File: MP3@256K/s
Time: 62:21
Size: 114,4 MB
Art: Front

( 5:36)  1. Footprints
( 8:36)  2. Nature Boy
( 4:30)  3. Moonlight In Vermont
( 4:54)  4. So What
( 5:46)  5. Zingaro
( 5:18)  6. Monk's Dream
( 6:29)  7. Milestones
(12:38)  8. In Your Own Sweet Way
( 8:29)  9. Passion Dance

Pianists Richie Beirach & Andy LaVerne have each made a number of first rate solo releases, so a follow up to there earlier collaboration, "Universal Mind," was essential. This time they're on separate keyboards rather than sharing one instrument. They kick things off with an aggressive daredevil take of Wayne Shorter's "Footprints," followed by brilliant interpretations of other classics like "So What," "Monk's Dream," and "In Your Own Sweet Way." The intense closer is a no-holds-barred version of McCoy Tyner's "Passion Dance." Highly recommended for fans of jazz piano. ~ Ken Dryden http://www.allmusic.com/album/too-grand-mw0000436586

Personnel:  Richie Beirach (piano), Andy LaVerne (piano).

Too Grand

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Richie Beirach Trio - Summer Night

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:23
Size: 136.0 MB
Styles: Contemporary jazz
Year: 2008
Art: Front

[4:58] 1. Summer Night
[7:39] 2. All Of You
[5:40] 3. Solar
[5:35] 4. Memories Of You
[6:23] 5. All Blues
[6:02] 6. Siciliano
[6:48] 7. I Remember You
[5:30] 8. Impressions Intimas No. 1
[5:19] 9. Milestones
[5:25] 10. So What

Double Bass – George Mraz; Drums – Billy Hart; Piano – Richie Beirach. Recorded at The Studio in New York on September 4&5, 2007.

The golden trio of Richie Beirach, George Mraz and Billy Hart returns to Venus Records with another superb album. This is an eagerly awaited CD because their previous output, Manhattan Reverie, was not only selected as Swing Journal Gold Disc but also won the magazine's 2006 Jazz Disc "Silver" Award. The trio goes back more than 30 years, and, as Beirach lives and teaches in Germany now, they seem to especially enjoy these 'reunion' recording sessions. Their exuberance is felt throughout the program which is dominated by four Miles Davis compositions and augmented by four standards and two classical tunes. This is another strong album by Beirach, and should not be missed by his fans. Recommended!

Summer Night

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