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With his lyrical, harmonically rich style and warm sense for group interplay, pianist
Richie Beirach emerged in the '70s as a highly respected jazz artist. Schooled in classical and jazz,
Beirach spent several early years with
Stan Getz before joining saxophonist
David Liebman on albums like 1973's
Lookout Farm and 1978's Omerta. From there, he toured and recorded with such luminaries as
Chet Baker,
Lee Konitz,
John Abercrombie, and others. He also issued his own highly regarded albums for
ECM, including 1976's
Eon and 1979's
Elm. His ongoing creative partnership with
Liebman led to the formation of the forward-thinking
Quest ensemble, as well as continued duets on albums like 1991's
Chant and 2016's
Balladscapes.
Born
Richard Alan Beirach on May 23, 1947 in Brooklyn, New York,
Beirach became interested in music at a young age and first started taking piano lessons at five. Studying classical music with noted pianist and composer James Palmieri, he developed a strong technique and ear for harmony. However, it wasn't until his teens that he discovered jazz after hearing
Red Garland's version of "Billy Boy." By the early '60s, he was splitting his time between classical lessons with Palmieri, working as a longshoreman, and playing in jazz jam sessions alongside artists like
Lee Konitz and
Freddie Hubbard. Hoping to expand his jazz studies, he enrolled at Boston's Berklee College of Music, where he stayed for a year before transferring to the Manhattan School of Music to study composition with Ludmila Ulehla.
After graduating in 1972 with his Master of Music degree,
Beirach quickly found work playing with
Stan Getz alongside bassist
Dave Holland and drummer
Jack DeJohnette. From there, he joined saxophonist
David Liebman for his landmark 1973 septet fusion album
Lookout Farm.
Beirach and
Liebman formed a creative bond, and went on to collaborate on albums like 1975's Night Scape, 1977's
Forgotten Fantasies, and 1978's Omerta. It was also during this period that the pianist made his solo debut with the 1976 trio date
Eon with drummer
Eliot Zigmund and bassist
Frank Tusa on
ECM. More well-received sessions followed, including 1977's
Hubris and 1979's
Elm. There were also sessions and tours with
Chet Baker,
John Scofield, and
John Abercrombie.
During the '80s,
Beirach found himself continuing to balance his own work as a leader with further work alongside
Baker, trumpeter
John McNeil, and others. In 1981, he paid homage to one of his major influences with Elegy for Bill Evans, joined by bassist
George Mraz and drummer
Al Foster. He also formed the stylistically expansive post-bop outfit
Quest with
Liebman, bringing on board at various times drummers
Foster and
Billy Hart and bassists
Mraz and
Ron McClure. Together they issued a series of adventurous albums including 1986's Quest II, 1988's Natural Selection, and 1990's
Of One Mind. Outside of the band,
Beirach devoted increasing time to his solo piano work, releasing 1985's ambitious Antarctica, 1987's Common Heart, and 1989's Some Other Time: A Tribute to Chet Baker.
He returned to more collaborative work in the '90s, including albums with saxophonist
George Coleman, bassist
McClure, and
Liebman. In 1997, he delivered the trio album Trust with
Holland and
DeJohnette. Snow Leopard, also a trio date, followed a year later. There also were sessions with
Conrad Herwig,
Michel Graillier,
Jamie Baum,
Steve Davis, and more. He next issued the standards albums What Is This Thing Called Love? and Romantic Rhapsody in 2002 and 2003, followed by the 2003 classical-themed effort No Borders. Also around this time,
Beirach relocated to Germany, where he accepted a position as professor of jazz piano at the University of Music and Theatre "Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy" Leipzig.
Since then,
Beirach has remained prolific, issuing a steady stream of solo and small-group sessions, including 2003's
Round About Monteverdi, 2008's Piano Solo, and 2010's
Quest for Freedom with
Liebman and
the Frankfurt Radio Bigband. Also in 2010, he and
Liebman joined
Lee Konitz for
Knowinglee. The following year, he released
Impressions of Tokyo: Ancient City of the Future, and paired again with
Liebman for Unspoken.
Varuna followed in 2015 and found the pianist collaborating with singer
Laurie Antonioli. He then reunited once again with
Liebman for 2016's
Balladscapes. In 2018, both
Beirach and
Liebman joined vocalist
Fred Farell for
Fred Farell: Distant Song.
Crossing Borders arrived the following year and found
Beirach backed by violinist
Gregor Huebner and Germany's
WDR Big Band. ~ Matt Collar