Strauss, Rick (1950

Composer and guitarist who studied with Ed Arkin, Livingston Gearhart, Frank Gerard, Edgar Grana, Ted Greene, Dr. James Mabry, and Joe Pass. He graduated from Buffalo’s State University of New York with an M.A. and wrote music for big band, brass quintet, guitar, and orchestra.

He started out with a group called Flight and then joined Spyro Gyra and appeared on their first four albums. In 1988, he released a pair of solo albums, Body Lines and Jump Start. Both fared well on the record charts and are still a staple on contemporary jazz radio and Nick Carver’s podcasts. His compositions and recordings also appear on the Bedroom Mixes and Cool Jazz Hot Summer anthologies.

Other artists and groups with whom he has worked include Jim Beishline, Dave Brubeck, The Buffalo Philharmonic, John Dankworth, Bud Fadale, Paul Fadale, Bobby Jones, Jerry Livingston, Jack Prybylski, Rod McKuen, Don Menza, Bobby Militello, Dianne Reeves, The Rochester Philharmonic, Bobby Short, and Bill Staebell.

In August 2009, he took part in the Historic Lewistown Jazz Festival. On 28^th March 2010, he is slated to perform with The Kurt Rosenwinkel Trio at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery in Buffalo, New York.

Rick is a member of The Buffalo Musicians’ Association, Local 92, and teaches a class in music theory at Buffalo’s Academy of Visual and Performing Arts.

Sources:

Strauss, Rick (1950 – Present)

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