Rich West

Bio:

.. See a little more of me at www.bookcrazy.com/richwest . This is where purchases of cds can be made or try CDBaby for either cd purchases or downloads: http://www.cdbaby.com/Search/cmljaCB3ZXN0/0. I've been in a variety of bands over the years, some famous, others infamous. Camper van Beethoven was one and I was their second drummer supposedly. Mooseheart Faith Stellar Groove was another with Larry Robinson and Todd Homer (of Angry Samoans). Studied with George Marsh (drumset) and Willie Winant (percussion), Mary Lynn-Badarak (french horn) and David Cope (composition) at UCSC. Good school, fun times. Wrestling Worms lasted from 1984 to 1989, a band that started with three and got to eleven, imploded down to five, and then I left Santa Cruz. I consider myself a fairly adequate free improviser and jazz musician although people do tend to throw quite a bit of hard-to-read music in front of me, from graphic scores to rapid odd time signatures. It's best for me to have my own group that I can mold, though, and luckily I have Jerry Wheeler, Dan Clucas, Bruce Friedman, Sarah Ann Phillips, Brian Walsh, Jeff Schwartz, and Haskel Joseph helping me out with this.

Member Since:

January 27, 2008

Influences:

Darius Milhaud (a name I just love to say) and his serious silliness. Check out La Creation du Monde or Le Boeuf sur le Toit and tell me I'm wrong. Billy Strayhorn sure wrote some wonderful tunes of which UMMG is a fave. Urban Sax combined with Rova Saxophone Quartet would make a perfect gig for me, especially in the 1980s as I can't say I know what they're doing now. Amazed by Randy Newman prior to I Love L.A...Louisiana feel with commentary attached...and well-orchestrated diatribes in song form. Art Ensemble big-time, pre-real drummer. Don't get me wrong...I still like the drummer stuff but it just has a conceptualism that is unmatched. David Bowie before 1983 or so (although his marketing skills afterwards are to be admired plus his appearance on The Office was brilliant). ELP's Brain Salad Surgery. Blood, Sweat and Tears (especially that live disc set). The stuff I see at MEC (70 years and going). Leo Brouwer (improvisations within compositions). Brion Gysin (especially the permutations). Lord Buckley, his life and his output. Anything with Dave Kermin in it and on it...anything. Why is that? Music Improvisation Company, Jazz Composers Orchestra....

Sounds Like:

"the way I walk" (Mahler, or is it The Cramps?)

Record Label:

pfMENTUM