Richard Saunders (voice/piano), Jake Goldbas (drums), Shenel Johns (back-up vocals), and and ever-changing assortment of singers, horn players, and bassists.
Influences
Camille, "Full Moon" by Brandy and Rodney Jerkins, Sufjan Stevens, Bjork, Donny Hathaway, The Bad Plus, Tribe Called Quest, John Legend, Spleen, Amy Winehouse, Mark Ronson, Frou Frou, Regina Spektor, Third Eye Blind, the Stills, Joanna Newsom, Johanna Kunin, John Mayer, Maria Mena, Incubus, M83, Ahmad Jamal, Aphex Twin, Postal Service, Robert Glasper...Christina Aguilera (w/ Scott Storch).
Hi I'm Richard Saunders. I've written a lot of music through the years and hope that you like it. Here's a bio.
Richard Saunders is an eighteen year old who survived the Connecticut suburbs making music too soulfulicious to be ignored. Claiming influences from Donny Hathaway to Ella Fitzgerald to Björk, his musical blend of jazz, pop, and hip hop sounds like a young Michael Bublé who spent his first few years of high school in Harlem. He plays the piano and writes songs to sing with his band, Richard Saunders and the too-cool-for-yous, which consists of Jewish drumming prodigy Jake/Yakov Goldbas, bassist Andrew Grandahl, and soulfulicious singers Andrew Flynn, Shenel Johns, and Stephanie McAllister.
In a short amount of time, Richard has conquered every jazz vocal award that exists for humans of his age. He’s been a part of the Gibson/Baldwin GRAMMY Jazz Choir in 2007 and 2008, along with the first vocalist ever selected to sing with the Next Generation Jazz Orchestra in 2008. He won the silver award in jazz voice at the NFAA youngARTS week in 2008, and is one of twenty high school students selected by the U.S. Department of Education to be a Presidential Scholar in the Arts. The opportunities have allowed him to sing in venues such as the Kennedy Center, North Sea, and Monterey Jazz Festivals.
Having mastered the fine art of scatting, he pushes that all aside and gets down to business. His no-nonsense approach to harmony and lyrics allow him to succinctly speak his mind about the destitution and weirdness of living in the suburbs. No doubt, this Berklee Songwriting Contest and Young Guns 2008 Battle of the Bands award-winning group of musicians will have much to say as they travel up to the city of Boston this year.
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If you have any questions you can e-mail at RichST99@comcast.net Forward all booking inquiries to richardsaundersbooking@gmail.com
i've played PHYSICAL BUSINESS a total of 32 times today alone!!! you are a true musician! we have similar styles! your music is very colorful and substantial! keep doing EXAKKKKKTLY what you are doing! im officially a true fan!
Hi Richard, Great to have you as a friend!! Best wishes, Mike (Brett Huckfield's promo team). PS Please check out Brett's debut release 'Here Again' (available on iTunes, Amazon, Napster etc.) Hope you enjoy the music!!
Hi Richard! Two things: 1. I finally spoke to Emily about how to book those clubs on the lower east side. She said she just emailed them through their websites. ...I thought it would be more complicated... the places she did this with are: rockwood music hall, bowery poetry club, pete's candy store, spike hill, the living room. You could probably also get the zinc bar on their jazz vocal night.
2. Are you going to be in Boston over the summer? I will be there for berklee May17-July17. Would be good to hang out and jam!
New song "Under the sea" featuring Cyané & Pesina Siller New song "Under the sea" featuring Cyané & Pesina Siller New song "Under the sea" featuring Cyané & Pesina Siller New song "Under the sea" featuring Cyané & Pesina Siller
