Artist: Richard Michael

Date of Release: 01/11/2009

Catalogue no: RM2009

Label: Richard Michael

Price: £11

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Winner of the 2009 Parliamentary Jazz Award for Jazz Education, Richard Michael has just released his first solo CD celebrating the music of Robert Burns – ‘The Deil’s awa’ wi’ the Jazzman’.

Richard’s achievements in education have often overshadowed his abilities as a solo jazz pianist.

As BBC Radio Scotland’s ‘Jazzhouse Jargonbuster’ he has, over the past 3 years, enlightened a regular radio audience into the mysteries of jazz improvisation in his ‘Anatomy of a Solo’ feature where he dissects a well known jazz solo. The idea of a solo CD came to him when he was describing the beauty of fellow Scotsman Joe Temperley’s performance of ‘My Love is Like A Red, Red Rose’.

Richard says, ‘I was playing live along with the recording, and also playing some of Burns’s other tunes in the style of my own jazz heroes – Oscar Peterson, Bill Evans and Fats Waller, when I thought to myself – I’ve analysed literally hundreds of other people’s solos over the years – now it’s my turn’.

And as a lecturer in solo jazz piano at St Andrews University, Richard was given the use of the University’s concert grand Bosendorfer and the promise of silence in the Younger Hall to make the recording!

The finished result is now available on CD and includes improvsations on ‘The Deil’s awa’ wi’ the Exciseman’, ‘Ae Fond Kiss’ and ‘Auld Lang Syne’.

Richard can be seen on the BBC iPlayer with Phil Cunningham in an excerpt from ‘Scotland’s Music’ at www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/music/tv/index.shtml?episode_number=2

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