Rich has been around music his whole life. Her father had a swing band in the 1940s and played saxophone and clarinet. Rich played one of these clarinets in the elementary school band and also learned guitar in high school. But was never a jazz player. Instead, he listened! RichTones Curated Jazz on KPCW gives our listeners a new perspective on jazz.

While in college, Stanford Rich University roommate Ian McIlraith was a jazz saxophonist who knew many jazz musicians and songs. Ian really educated him on jazz; he taught him to listen carefully to the playing styles of different artists and introduced him to the standards of classical jazz.

He honed his listening skills by attending many concerts and jazz festivals. Some of the people and places Rich remembers are Mike Stern at the Regatta Bar at the Charles Hotel in Cambridge, MA; Milt Jackson at the lighthouse in Hermosa Beach, California; Bill Frisell at Blue Note in New York; local combos at the Green Mill in Chicago; and The Blue Room in Kansas City’s Jazz District, to name a few. Additionally, Rich was able to see performances from Chick Corea, Gary Burton, Pat Metheny Herbie Hancock, Miles Davis and many more.

If you’re new to jazz, Rich Tones will introduce you to new musicians and sounds; if you’re already a jazz enthusiast, Rich Tones will give you a new personal perspective on the genre.