Rick Hannah, Jazz guitarist was born in the US in Philadelphia. He started playing guitar at young age, being exposed to and playing a variety of Jazz, Funk, and Blues. He moved to Los Angeles in 1976, playing with such notables as Alphonse Mouzon, Bunny Brunel, and Brian Auger. Searching for a deeper understanding of jazz music, Rick turned his attention to the roots of American Classic Jazz and began studying and playing that music exclusively. In 1996 he moved back to the east coast where he met and formed a trio with Phil Cunneff and Tom Baldwin. Together they put out two CDs entitled “ Oui Bop” and “Encore Oui Bop”.
During this period, he also played with Anita O’Day, Chick Corea, Barney Kessel, Joe Pass, Jimmy Smith, John Pattitucci, Steve Smith, Joe Farrell, Stevie Wonder, Stix Hooper, Billy Mitchell, Albert Mangelsdorf, Jaochim Kuhn, Kei Akagi, Gerald Albright, Gary Willis....
In 2005, he moved to France where he has put a new trio together with the bass player Gerald Muller and the drummer Thomas Laedlein. After over three years of collaboration, this trio has put out its first CD entitled “Going Forward”.
Coming from the jazz mainstream tradition, he keeps exploring, as Bill Evans did in the 60’s, the possibilities of the jazz trio giving to each musician more freedom and responsibility in contributing to the music. Instead of alternating melody and chords as most guitarists would, Rick ‘s style fuses both with fluidity. He is rigorous in his arrangements of standards, as well as his own compositions, mixing elegantly the writing and improvisation. The work of his trio for the last two years has raised his music to a new level of density, sophistication, and clarity.
Pour la deuxième édition du Cheese Prog Event, Orignal Music invite sur la scène du Molodoï à Strasbourg l' excellent groupe Italien Accordo Dei Contrari (élu meilleur groupe de rock progressif Italien dans leur pays en 2008), le tout jeune groupe Taennchel (excellent mélange de rock acoustique mégalithique) et le mystérieux Camembert (groupe progressif avec harpe et instruments électriques et acoustiques).
Bien chers Rick, Gérald et Thomas... Me voici avec un joli bout d'Artichaut mêlé de vos concerts chez moi... avec votre ''Going Forward'' L'album est très, très beau et je suis heureuse de l'avoir! Merci mille fois pour tous ces moments de bonheurs musicaux... Je vous embrasse! Stéphanie
Hey Rick,
It's great to hear from you man! you sound great as always. so that's where you are in France, one of my favorite places to be. hope we cross paths again, and stay in touch please.
