About

The virtuoso pianist has been compared to Brian Wilson, Miles Davis, The Beatles, and Sun Ra-- but as All About Jazz said in its review of Rising Rose Records 2004 release Ghost
His writing is unmistakably original …. Cadence Magazine said in it’s review of Compose Yourself “ Bliwas transforms intricate phrases into seamless music

Carob Tempered Variations. solo piano improvisations recorded in April,1998 at Sound On Sound in NYC was released in July 2013 and is currently available as a digital download on BandCamp, I-Tunes and elsewhere! . These previously unreleased recordings from the Compose Yourself sessions were long overdue.
Water E. Bee and The Haunted Rag Band another suite of previously unreleased recordings from 1982 is also now available for download on BandCamp.
Nine ( Dec. 2012) is an utterly unique collection of euphonic recipes, conjuring past and future stories with a mercurial texture and a melodic narrative. It's a masterful trio recording featuring the prolific musician, producer and film composer Bruce Ditmas on Drums plus Daniel Carter and Ned Goold each sitting in for their second Rising Rose session on Tenor.
Rising Rose Bakery (2011) is a tripped out exploration of improvisational psychadelic composition. Pop sensibility. Jazz essence. A lucid incarnation. Multi-instrumentalist Daniel Carter joins a select group of original musicians who have recorded on Rising Rose Records. His collaboration is instantly karmic and ignites the ensemble engine of this fluidly structured recording.
Astral Prints (2010) and Uncovered ( 2009 ) , reflect the dissolving boundaries between jazz and other forms of music, Richard's soulful improvisations, mystical tunes and transformative psychedelic production create a poetic spellbinding musical symposium, summoning synesthetic spirits in these mellifluous inventive recordings.
Downtown Music Gallery says in it's reviews of Uncovered (Rising Rose 2009) and Astral Prints (Rising Rose 2010) "Richard is in a class of his own.../ would be world famous in a better balanced universe".
Richard made his national television debut in 2008 appearing as the pianist on Paula's Party (episode IPO406) featuring Susan Lucci, Suzie Orman and Ru-Paul This episode was first broadcast during a Lunar Eclipse !-- He also appeared on Paula's Party episode IPO407) featuring Cameron Mathison , Leanne Morgan , Daisy Fuentes and her lovely sister Rosanna, improvising another ready-made sound track for The Food Network
His lyrics have been described as profound, cryptic, silly, perceptive and poetic.
and In 1989 Richard worked as principle editor of Cynthia Kadohata's acclaimed first novel --The Floating World (Viking 1989) - a New York Times notable book of the year
Richard also worked as editorial consultant on The Thing About Luck,(2013 National Book Award Young Readers Winner)written by Cynthia Kadohata and published by Atheneum/Simon & Schuster in June 2013.
Shredding Paper said in it’s review of Walk the Bike “ Bliwas walks the line between jazz and folkrock with confidence…producing a dialectic sound that compliments rather than conflicts.
Was Is ---an album that Jazz Improv Magazine says has the feeling of stretching time and space in an infinite universe of floating musical galaxies, morphing textures and articulated with dynamic clarity was released in May 2008 and played at many great radio stations like WFMU , WNYU and CMAT reached number 1 ( hooray !!! ) at CFRU reviewed by Never Ending Wonder radio , DMG newsletter and Jazz Improv Magazine
An encouraging suggestion from the great jazz artist Paul Bley, led Richard to record his first CD's -- Compose Yourself -- solo, duo and trio improvisations --which recording engineer David Baker called great musicians, recording and performance." and Cadence Magazine called "engrossing and creative, seamless music..." and the painterly production of songs and improvisations from another single afternoon stream of consciousness session, Walk the Bike which Downtown Music Gallery called timeless and exquisite, an album which could have been made in the late 60's if they didn't know better.
Walk the Bike which reached # 1 at CFRC an enlightened college station (Canada's oldest ) in June 2003, was played --- on dozens of other public and college stations including Stanford's KZSU, and praised in reviews from Music Dish, Shredding Paper, All About Jazz (Italy),The Big Takeover etc..
Ghost , released in Sept. 2004, called Richard's most ambitious work by All About Jazz, reunites his early 80's trio with Brazilian great Valtinho Anastacio. Within a few weeks of it's release it climbed on to a dozen or so college and public radio top 10's including # 4 at KTUH in Hawaii ,# 3 at WAIH Potsdam, NY 90.3 FM #5 at KEUL 10/23/04, and # 3 at WMHB Waterville, ME 89.7 FM
"Richard has great sense of humor ...:an All About Jazz writer proclaimed after discovering a hidden track on Ghost. Rising Rose 2004).
Haunted Rag, also from Ghost(2004) was used in the PBS series Roadtrip Nation 2007.
Yarrow Stalk Bridge, an introspective solo session was recorded in a single afternoon at Walter Sear's Sear Sound in 2005 and followed in Ghosts' footsteps , with reviews from All About Jazz Italy , Downtown Music Gallery among others , and more college radio play like WNCW and top ten on a growing number of insightful stations like CKXU.
DMJ (who listed Walk the Bike in their top recommendations for 2005) states in it's July 1st 2005 newsletter which reviews Yarrow Stalk Bridge . "Richard is a truly gifted piano player and songwriter who should not go unnoticed for very long. "
Richard's early 80's groups like AMS/Water E. Bee... with David Budway and Ned Goold were infusing the influences of Miles Davis , Brian Eno , Syd Barrett and The Beatles , into intimate innovative recordings-- and performances at the Kool Jazz festival , smokey old Pittsburgh jazz clubs where Benson and Eckstine played a few generations earlier or rock/punk clubs like The Electric Banana. The music however, freely crossed genre lines, foreshadowing alternative and contemporary styles. Electric Banana Theme, from the Water E. Bee collection is a rare live recording from The Electric Banana.
. 1982-2000 New York City and surrounding…
During this time Richard played stylistically diverse music for a variety of venues and circumstances , providing organic entertainment for listening and dancing at clubs, special events, parties and concerts.
Partial list of venues:
Birdland, The Knitting Factory, The Food Network, The Plaza , The UN, 21 Club, Angry Squire, The Cat Club, Burgundy, Chelsea Place, CBGB, NY Public Library, Kool Jazz Festival, The All Star Café for Jim Palmer’s children’s charity (performing alongside Bruce Hornsby), N.E.A. party for Kitty Carlisle Hart , Lincoln Center (NDI performance as a pianist for Jacques d'Amboise and Ann Reinking) , Gramercy Park Hotel, Metropolitan Museum, Metropolitan Club, Mondo Cane Blues Bar, Scrambles , Burgundy , Crystal Pavilion concert series, Chelsea Place, La Maganette, Roma de Note , Jimmy Weston’s , Waldorf Astoria, Grand Hyatt, Doral Court , The Water Club , Tavern on the Green, Brooklyn and Bronx Botanical Garden’s etc..

Music

Bach, Debussy, Schumann. Repertoire mostly Pop and Jazz standards: Beatles, Cole Porter, Jobim, Nat Cole, Sam Cooke, Chuck Berry etc... Also, original music and improvisations.

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