The name may be hard to pronounce (try Busa-kevitch) but Richard’s playing is certainly easy on the ear! He started playing the piano at the age of six, and by his late teens was performing frequently in top London hotels and restaurants, and starting to become known on the jazz scene. Richard is now recognized as one of the country’s top jazz pianists, performing not only with other leading British players but with many visiting American musicians including some of the biggest names in jazz: Scott Hamilton, Warren Vache, Bob Wilber, Art Farmer, Harry Allen and Ken Peplowski. Richard was also a member of the Ray Gelato Giants for ten years, touring extensively both in this country and abroad. With this band, Richard played at Paul McCartney’s wedding, at Bryan Adams’ private at-home party, and for Prince Charles’ birthday at The Ritz in front of the Queen and other members of the royal family.
As well as being a fantastic jazz pianist, Richard is also a sensitive cocktail pianist, the difference being that whereas a jazz player will build his own improvisations on a song, a cocktail pianist will merely embellish the tune, keeping it recognizable and familiar. Richard’s cocktail piano skills are acknowledged by the fact that he is currently the house pianist at London’s exclusive Lanesborough Hotel.
Richard’s repertoire covers what is known as the Great American Songbook – numbers penned by writers such as George Gershwin, Jerome Kern, Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, Rogers and Hart, Lerner and Loewe, etc – which started life in Broadway shows and Hollywood musicals but then went on to become the core repertoire of artists like Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Stan Getz and Miles Davis.
Where necessary, Richard can provide his own professional quality stage piano and our quote covers playing for up to two hours over a three-hour stay. Although the demo tracks and our quote are for Richard playing solo, he can also add bass and drums if a jazzier set is required.
Price: from £315
Richard is Buckinghamshire based
