Richard
'Bluesman' Bryant
Richard
'Bluesman' Bryant
keyboards/synth - vocals - backup
BIO:
Richard was born into poverty in Marlboro, Massachusetts. Shortly thereafter, they shut down the maternity ward at the hospital there. Guess they didn’t want to take any more chances after Richard’s arrival.
As a baby, he was a
bother to his mother and she used to put him in a high chair and sit him in
front of a piano. He loved to bang on that piano and kept himself entertained
while his mother got her household chores done. About the age of 3, she started
hearing songs coming out, nursery rhymes mostly. Mary Had a Little Lamb, etc. At
the age of 4, she approached a local piano teacher, Miss Ruby Hamlin, who said
she’d teach him to read music. Richard was thus launched on his musical life’s
journey. He grew musically and played many recitals starting at age 5.
Growing up in Milford, Massachusetts
which was the home of many of the Big Band era musicians, he was exposed to the
Jazz Standards and by age 14, his now
not-so-poor parents found themselves driving his 5-piece dance band to gigs. He rocked
in his high school band, accompanist to world-famous Jewish
comedian Jack Carter
at age 17, at age 19 played twice for Ella Fitzgerald
helping
her select current material for her nightclub act.
In his 20’s played Hammond Organ with a million-seller group
called the G-clefs
from Boston, and
EVERETT MILES and the SCREAMERS
,
composed and recorded soundtracks for TR PRODUCTIONS/CAROLL "ED" SPINNEY (BIG BIRD, OSCAR THE GROUCH ON SESAME STREET)
Played with a number of
headliner bands in the Boston and New England
area,
members of the PLATTERS, ALLMAN BROTHERS, PAT METHANY, TOMMY AND JIMMY
DORSEY ORCHESTRAS, STAN KENTON ORCHESTRA, in concert with the Florida West
Coast Symphony Orchestra. Graduate and teacher at Butler Conservatory of Music,
Sarasota, Florida and Sherwood Music, Chicago, Illinois. Arranger and coach for numerous other bands and performers.
Performance coach for Florida's voted #1 Country Band for two
years running, THE WHISKEY BENT BAND. Other credits include: 6 National Commercials, producer/arranger for the Bel-Airs
Billboard #2 hit "The Time Has Come" (Beatles had #1, 3 & 4 at the time)
featuring UK vocalist "Scotty Briggs".
Richard, recently led and
played with Florida’s premier group, The GrooveMasters
and in pickup
bands for Roy Gaines
(California Bluesman)
and the Danny and the Juniors
50th anniversary show.
He also performs as a solo act in a one man, audience
interactive “Blues” show, as a solo pianist playing Standards and Jazz and as a
performance coach for singers and bands. For the
latest, go to the BANDMATES page.
AVAILABLE FOR SUB WORK, SESSIONS, TOURS AND AS A SINGLE PLAYING BLUES, CLASSIC ROCK, R & B, OLDIES, JAZZ, LATIN, STANDARDS FOR CLUBS, DINNER MUSIC OR FUNCTIONS.
my phone 931-729-3375
my email bluesman@bluemailboxfarm.com
FOR INFORMATION ON OUR PROJECTS IN TENNESSEE: