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Jazz pianist Rick Gallagher has been a part of the Pittsburgh music scene since late 1980’s when his jazz duo enhanced the elegance of the historical Grand Concourse’s Sunday brunch. From there his career has gone in a variety of directions from solo work at the Gandy Dancer Salon and PPG Holiday Series, to performing nationally and regionally with some of the areas top performers and bands such as the Boilermaker Jazz Band. Locally Rick can be seen regularly with his trio, the Orchard Hill Church worship team and the Boilermaker Jazz Band as well as his long-standing spotlight as the pianist with the USX Tower and One Oxford Center downtown. “Gallagher can swing with the best, but it’s his delicate touch and arranging skills that separate him from the crowd.†- AllAboutJazz.com. Gallagher is noteworthy for his classic jazz style, creative arrangements, and his memorable originals. He has three recordings as a feature artist and has played on a number of other recordings as a sideman. His first release, the well-acclaimed “Sweet Potato Eyebrows“ was named runner-up for instrumental jazz album of the year 2004 in a world-wide songwriting contest sponsored by the music organization Just Plain Folks. This recording which hit the top 20 charts in three cities and received airplay on over 100 stations world-wide including Jim Wilke’s “Jazz After Hours,†is a collection of original tunes and standards performed by some of Pittsburgh’s finest. Recently, Rick’s classic jazz style and noteworthy arrangements caught the attention of Sabermark Inc., a music marketing company, who purchased the use of his arrangement of “Sleigh Ride†from Gallagher’s holiday release “A Sleigh, A Song, and a Baby Boy†for use on the Coldwater Creek holiday compilation. Rick’s newest release, “Peace Be Still,†a collection of spirituals and hymns reworked in his creative styles is his first solo piano recording. It shows another side to Gallagher‘s arranging, harmonic concepts and vision. “There isn’t a mediocre track on the disk. It’s a gem to be savored!†- JazzReview.com April 2005 A Pittsburgh native and father of three, Gallagher studied jazz piano at Duquesne University under the mentorship of David Budway, although his musical studies had begun several years prior. His influences include Herbie Hancock, Horace Silver, Red Garland, Vince Guaraldi, Bill Evans, Oscar Peterson, Benny Green, Ray Brown, Wynton Kelly, Cyrus Chestnut and George Shearing. He currently balances his performances with teaching, arranging, composing and recording. Rick is available for studio work, jazz festivals, concerts, church performances, and other private and public events. A Sleigh, a Song, and a Baby Boy" is a must have collection of freshly rearranged Christmas classics performed by a swinging but sensitive jazz trio with percussion. The uptempo cuts "Sleigh Ride" and "Sing We Now of Christmas" swing with holiday cheer, while the ballads "O Holy Night", "Hark the Herald Angels Sing", and "The Holly and the Ivy" are warm, tasteful,and reflective. The Afro-cuban "Little Drummer Boy", the funky bugaloo "Let it Snow", and the Latin grooves of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" and "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" complete the collection with a soulful sound. Backed by some of the regions finest, Paul Thompson, Thomas Wendt, and George Jones, and expert engineering by Dino Distefano, who engineered the 1997 Grammy Award winning performance by the Count Basie Orchestra, "A Sleigh, a Song, and a Baby Boy" is sure to become a holiday favorite. rick gallagher-piano, paul thompson-bass, thomas wendt-drums, george jones-percussion Check out the artist's website: http://www.rickgallagher.com Track List: 1. Sleigh Ride 2. Little Drummer Boy 3. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing 4. The Holly and the Ivy 5. O Come All Ye Faithful 6. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen 7. O Holy Night 8. O Come O Come Emmanuel 9. Let It Snow 10. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas 11. A Child Is Born 12. Sing We Now of Christmas 13. Silent Night Suggested CDs:Other Genres:
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