RICK WALDRON ” a life immersed in music
“The closest thing we have to Bill Evans that we have here in the Puget Sound” Independent Voice
“Waldron played voraciously, passionately....original compositions.... often moving and striking..” The Clipper
“Passionate music driven by creativity and diversity..” www.smoothjazz.de
'Nothing like on a rainy day to have a nice cup of coffee and some latin- flavored contemporary jazz from local artist Rick Waldron on your CD player.....sit back and enjoy and forget about the weather!' Q13Fox News
Born in Longview, Washington, Rick began his musical studies at the piano at age 5. By the time he was in high school he had added trombone ( school and honors bands), guitar, bass and voice ( performance and dance bands) to his talents, and had begun to pen his first compositions. Rick attended Washington State University, the University of Washington, and then received his Bachelor’s degree (summa cum laude) in Jazz piano from the prestigious Cornish Institute of Allied Arts in Seattle. He received his Master’s degree in composition ( with a minor in classical piano) from North Texas State University, one of the most acclaimed music schools in the country. Meanwhile he began racking up accolades such as memberships in Phi Beta Kappa and Pi Kappa Lambda(honorary scholarship and music fraternities), listings in ‘Who’s Who among students in American Universities and Colleges”, as well as performing, teaching, writing, arranging, and recording classical, pop and jazz music in a variety of settings. During this time, Rick traveled the country with numerous acts, and appeared on stage with Sly Stone, Billy Preston, Hamish Stuart ( Average White Band, Wings), Ohio Players, Minnie Ripperton, and many others. Rick currently lives in Seattle, and has been a college music department chairman for over 15 years.
Rick is currently is working on his fourth CD recording. From orchestral to bebop, from rock to big band, his projects continue to explore stylistic frontiers while maintaining a standard of musical excellence.
“ I was fortunate to have some very good teachers at an early age, a supportive family, a wide variety of musical experiences, and a desire to avoid doing the same thing over and over again. I hope that my optimistic and diverse view of life comes through in the music.”
