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Richard Shulman

Keyboardist and composer Richard Shulman creates music intended to be a positive influence for himself, audiences and society. Richard has recorded 28 of his own albums as well as more than two dozen other recordings for which he has provided compositions, performances and/or musical production. Trained in the classical and jazz fields, he has developed a heartfelt language in these genres while focussing a significant amount of his output on music for meditation, healing and inspiration. He currently divides his concert schedule between performances of his meditation music and his original jazz as personified by The Richard Shulman Group. Shulman has performed at the Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, Art Park, the United Nations, the Kool Jazz Festival, The Amenia Peace Festival and a wide variety of other venues throughout North America and in Europe. As a composer, Shulman has created over eighty pieces for jazz quartet as well as songs and pieces for chamber ensembles, choir, and symphony orchestra. In 1986 and 1987 he composed music for orchestra and jazz quartet during residencies at the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts. From 1986 through 1995, Shulman was the principal composer for “Theatre of the Heart,” a cooperative of dancers, singers, and musicians dedicated to fostering community and the environment. Commissions include a piece for the Amherst Saxophone Quartet, and “May Peace Prevail on Earth” for singers, symphony orchestra, three choirs, and jazz quartet, created for the World Peace Prayer Society. In addition, he has created hundreds of ‘Musical Soul Portrait‘ recordings for individuals, couples, and groups. Born and raised in Niagara Falls, New York, he began piano lessons at age seven. As a teenager Richard played organ at various churches, was the music counselor at a summer camp in Canada, and joined a rock band with future jazz recording artists Thom Rotella and Bobby Previte. Shulman graduated from the University of Rochester with a double-major Bachelor’s degree in music (piano performance) and psychology while continuing to perform with drummer Previte and bassist Bill Savino in the jazz-fusion band Thermopylae. While at Rochester, Shulman also attended the prestigious Eastman School of Music and studied jazz improvisation with Chuck Mangione and Marian McPartland, orchestration with Donald Hunsberger and arranging with the legendary Rayburn Wright. Shulman continued his studies in jazz with Frank Foster, composition with William Kothe and Lejaren Hiller, and piano with Yvar Mikashoff while getting his Masters Degree in musical composition at the State University of New York at Buffalo.

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Album Review

Richard Shulman: Turned into Lemonade

Read "Turned into Lemonade" reviewed by Matt Hooke


Like the cover suggests, Turned Into Lemonade is perfect for a relaxed summer day, with the salty ocean breeze in your face while waves crash in the distance. Music this sweet runs the risk of resembling Kool Aid, but there are enough sour hints to make the album a refreshing pleasant listen. Pianist and bandleader Richard Shulman only features original material, and his songwriting touches on a variety of subjects. The smooth atmosphere that Shulman cultivates ties ...

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181

Performance / Tour

"Sky Jazz" a New Genre by Richard Shulman

"Sky Jazz" a New Genre by Richard Shulman

Source: Daniel Kassell - Authentic Marketing

"Sky Jazz" is Richard Shulman's new genre of music. “Sky Jazz" combines jazz elements of harmony, pulse, and improvisation with a deliberate goal of soothing and inspiring the listener. Full of melody and swing, the music delights on its own, while helping people to relax, meditate, and even heal. Have you ever encountered jazz with such strong spiritual intent? The closest was the urgent questing of saxophone legend John Coltrane -- not surprisingly, one of Richard's major influences -- although ...

Highly inventive original jazz The Richard Shulman Group – Turned into Lemonade By Dick Metcalf, editor, Contemporary Fusion Reviews – May 21, 2018 Though this is my first review of Richard’s energetic jazz piano work, it’s actually his fourth original release… as I listen to tunes like the 5:01 “I Claim My Day“, it helps me to renew my spirit in most positive fashion… full of life & the living of it – to the MAX. Joining Richard are some of the hippest jazz players on the planet… Jacob Rodriguez – tenor & soprano saxophones; Zack Page – bass; Rick Dilling – drums, and Wendy Jones doing vocals on tracks 4, 7 & 9… Wendy’s vocal on the 6:19 “Finding Peace” is (without question) one of the most comforting jazz vocals I’ve heard (yet) in 2018… a perfect match with the other players! The highly-charged “Write Again” will have you up on your feet & swaying ’round the room… I totally dug Zack’s bass work on this one… excellent recording as well

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Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Life Seasons

RichHeart Music
2020

buy

Waltzing out of Town

RichHeart Music
2019

buy

Turned into Lemonade

RichHeart Music
2018

buy

Sky Jazz

RichHeart Music
2009

buy

Open Spaces

RichHeart Music
1997

buy

A Simple Gift

RichHeart Music
1986

buy

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