Rick Bottari

Rick has been playing music and piano since he was 5 years old, and comes from a very musical family. Early memories from the 1970's include Rick playing his older sister JoAnn's Fender Rhodes, Crumar Organ, and Moog keyboards along with a wide variety of music ranging from Stevie Wonder, The Bee Gee's, George Benson, Donna Summer, ELO. During this time Rick's Father introduced the reel to reel 2 track recorder and Rick's productions began ! In the early 1980's Rick further developed an affinity for NYC Dance Music, New Wave, R&B, classic Rock, and Funk. The 4 track cassette recorder improves his basement productions. Serious Jazz studies along with theory and songwriting began as well. Rick studied privately with Mark Hyams and New England Conservatory Alumni Frank Doyle throughout the 1970's and 1980's, they were both instrumental in forming Rick’s musical talent. 
Soon after Rick graduated from high school he met up with dance music's legendary producer/ DJ, Tommy Nappi and worked on records as a synthesizer player and engineer. The pair made legendary dance music which then opened the ears and eyes of producer Ric Wake, who placed Bottari in Taylor Dayne’s band for her hit album “Tell It To My Heart”. Through this opportunity, Rick toured the world with Taylor Dayne’s band and they also were the opening act for the Michael Jackson “Bad” Tour in Europe. After the tour ended in 1989, Rick went on to be a highly prolific artist working with local NY bands, musicians, and acts such as Bob Geldof, Snow, Kevin Grivois, New Kids on the Block, Queen and Larry Corryel. In 1996, Creed Taylor of famed CTI records brought Rick in under his wing to produce five songs for the acid Jazz record entitled, "Thus Spoke Z Evolution" . The millennium brought about a major turn inward. Relocating to Long Island not far from his home town, Rick went off radar with determination to be closer to family, nature, and to explore poetry, art creation, his singing voice, the guitar, videography, photography and literature.

Today Rick divides his creative time between his private students, writing and composing, and producing music in his production studio Sound In Waves. Rick has already scored music for one feature film, and he enjoys playing in Nick Gianni's Evolution, while also producing local talent soon to be released on his label.

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