Original jazz with memorable melodies, solid harmony, and adventurous playing

10 MP3 Songs
JAZZ: Traditional Jazz Combo, JAZZ: World Fusion



Details:
Active in the flourishing New England jazz scene for more than 20 years, Richard Gardzina is a native of Manchester, New Hampshire, who has also had the pleasure of performing in the Dallas, Los Angeles, and San Francisco areas, with such artists as Red Garland, David "Fathead" Newman, James Clay, Frank Rosalino, Mark Johnson, Rebecca Parris, and Little Feat.

For his two CDs - "Play This" and "Imaginings" - Gardzina composed all but one piece and wrote the arrangements. He is featured on tenor and soprano saxophones and alto flute. His latest CD, "Where Words Do Not Go" features 5 originals and 4 standards including the enchanting Tennessee Waltz.
The recording was captured one Sunday afternoon/evening mostly in 1 take. "A pretty organic album".
A master of improvisation, Gardzina brings his experience with a variety of styles and groups to his performances and compositions.

Gardzina earned his B.A. in Music at North Texas State University and an M.A. in Music Composition at the University of New Hampshire.

In addition to performing, Gardzina also teaches saxophone, flute, improvisation, composition, arranging, and recording at New England College, College for Life Long Learning, and the Concord Community Music School all in New Hampshire. Richard composes music for dance and video companies, and serves as music director for Moving & Learning, a company specializing in movement education for children.

Praise for Play This:
"...Play This sends us moving toward the new millennium - soulfully, joyfully, and spiritually jazzed."
-Fred Tackett of Little Feat

"Play This is a remarkable recording with a tight ensemble that performs with refreshing enthusiasm and energy. Each tune is story-like in quality and provides a fine framework for Gardzina's warm, robust sound. 'Sweet Life Calypso' closes out the CD in a buoyant fashion that will have you playing this CD again and again and again..."
-Alan Chase, Portsmouth Herald

"'Remembering You' is perfect! The accompaniment from the band is superb and Gardzina's sax is sultry. Gardzina wrote this one in the '80s as a reflection of 'the wonderful experiences life offer.' I can sense that. If an instrumental ever exuded an introspective tone, it's this one. It's no wonder the CD was titled Play This. It should be...a lot!
-William A. Huffman, Jam Music Magazine

"Your music is like a cloud vapor coming into existence from vapors taking shape, changing form, then disappearing. It is subtle."
-Michael Lemire, music critic, fan