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HISTORICAL OVERVIEW
 John Rich has been playing piano and keyboards for over 50 years. He began with a few years of lessons in the 1940s. Improvisation started very early, as he happily rearranged the sheet music he was asked to play. His piano teacher retired suddenly, and John continued improvising on his own. Classical songs played previously from sheet music became jazzier Dixieland songs.
As he went through Phillips Exeter Academy, Middlebury College, and Stanford University, John's passion for the piano continued. Throughout these years, he added a stand up bass to his musical repertoire and played in several small bands |
| In the late 70s he moved to the Pacific Northwest, where he frequently visited the Oregon Coast. He was inspired not only to take photographs but also to try and capture the scenery in music as well. |
| In 1984, he bought his first keyboard and began recording relaxing improvisations. The term "New Age" was beginning to be used and seemed to fit his style. A local meditation group asked him to play for their gatherings, and some in the audience asked for tapes. Thus, his first tape, "Reaching for the Sky," was published in 1990. |
 As better-sounding keyboards became available, he began creating more relaxing and healing musical themes. MIDI equipment allowed him to compose and layer several themes and instruments together. A friend with connections to a health-products company in Japan made arrangements for John's music to be packaged with the company's products. As a result, John was able in 1994 to release his first CD, Morning's Promise. |
  In 1995 he was fortunate to find a very mellow sounding Yamaha grand piano. The deep resonance of this piano helped inspire new compositions. The theme of capturing a sense of place in music was continued with the next two albums. The first, Piano with an Ocean View, was released in 1997, followed by Piano Images, in 1998. |
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In John's bread-and-butter role as a human resource trainer, he began using the music as backdrops for discussion groups and training sessions. He willingly lent his music to nonprofit groups for the same purpose. Later he was contacted by Paul Kreider, who had attended one of the sessions and noticed the music. Paul was an accomplished, classically trained flutist and wanted an opportunity to improvise melody lines with John's music. |
  The combination worked with remarkable ease, and John and Paul were invited to play at many social events. During one of these, the majority of the highly spontaneous songs on In the Moment were recorded live. This relaxing and inspirational original collection was truly created by John and Paul 'in the moment' of connection with their true, shared musical spirit. |
 To celebrate the freedom of flight and open spaces, John and Paul produced Glide. The music is also featured in a video, Electra, Queen of the Aleutians in honor of the Lockeed Electra. The video is about this four engine turbo prop used on many airlines including Eastern's Boston, NY, Washington shuttle. It describes how its last main commercial use was in the Aleutian Islands of Alaska. The plane provided both passenger and freight service to this remote string of Islands under very harsh conditions. |
 Jazzin' It Up is John's first CD offered in the Jazz genre. Over the years that John has produced relaxing CDs, he has also created some jazzier cuts. A few of these songs were sprinkled into the earlier CDs for fun and contrast, but now John feels it is time to collect and publish the songs separately in this new CD, "Jazzin' It Up." Five of the 11 songs are either newly composed or previously unpublished.
This compilation of jazz pieces bring together years of friendships, fun, and music. Musicians included on the recording are Paul Kreider on flute, Don Cunningham on lead guitar, Chalazon on Saxophone, and Jennifer Jill Rockwell, a folk singer well known in the Boise area. John is so grateful to the friends who have added their energy and talent to this CD. |
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John continues to play in churches, coffee houses, and weddings. He enjoys creating a reflective and joyful space for himself and others.. |
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Click on the CD Cover Image for MP3 Samples of each piece on the CD.
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