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Draft article about jazz guitarist Rick Stone

Rick Stone (born August 13, 1955) is a jazz guitarist/educator

Rick Stone was born in Fairview Park, OH on August 13, 1955, but grew up in Parma, Ohio, a west side suburb of Cleveland. He began taking guitar lessons with Dick Lee and then Elwood Palmer at Heights Academy of Music at about age 8 or 9. He played mostly rock and blues music through junior high and high school, but developed an interest in jazz after hearing saxophonist Sonny Stitt perform at the Smiling Dog Saloon around 1975. After that, he began studying classical guitar with George Bachmann, and music history, theory and composition with Dr. Joseph Howard at Cuyahoga Community College.

Rick's interest in jazz grew, but he had minimal guidance in this area. He played in the college jazz band, took lessons with a fellow student Jose' Pochedley who advised him to study the Mickey Baker book "How to Play Jazz Guitar" and he was introduced to Harvey Pekar (the jazz critic and comic book author) who gave him advise about listening to some of the great jazz guitarists. Upon receiving his Associate of Arts Degree from Cuyahoga Community College in 1977, Dr. Howard advised Rick to go to Berklee, but due to lack of funds he took a job teaching guitar classes for the Parma Community Arts Program, and joined the group Compost led by flutist Tom Moore which played weekly at the Genesis Vegetarian Restaurant from 1977-79.

1978: Moved to Boston to attend Berklee College of Music where he studied with Ken Pullig, Orville Wright, Bret Willmott, Al Defino, Bob Harrigan and Larry Baione. He formed a group with fellow Berklee guitarist Frank Sikora which played at the Eliot Hotel, the Sunflower, Street Food, and other local venues, and appeared on WQTV in the spring of 1980. Upon Bachelor of Music Degree at Berklee in August 1980, Rick moved back to Cleveland and began playing with Ronnie Fiorentino and Nightflite at the Theatrical Restaurant, Swingos Keg & Quarter and other local venues.

1982: Moved to New York City where he began studying with pianist Barry Harris. At Mr. Harris' Jazz Cultural Theatre, Rick took advantage of the many opportunities to sit in with Lionel Hampton, Tommy Flanagan, Art Blakey and many other master musicians who frequented the club. During this time he played gigs with Nancy Banks, Clarence "C" Sharpe" and others, taught at American Institute of Guitar and Pace University, and worked at Music People (a music book store on W48th & 7th Ave.)

1984: Recorded first album "Blues for Nobody" with pianist Hal Galper, bassist Brian Hurley, drummer Billy Hart and saxophonist Marc Bernstein. Released on Jazzanne Records in 1985.

1986-1988: Joined Jimmy Robinson's All-Stars which performed Sundays at the University of the Streets with a revolving cast of players including trumpeters; Jimmy Robinson, Tommy Turrentine and Curly Walker, alto saxophonist; Clarence "C" Sharpe, tenor saxophonists; Howard Kimbo and Karl Grimmett, pianists; John Spruill, Richard Clements and Burt Eckoff, bassists Arthur Harper, Melissa Slocum and Ari Roland.

1989-1991: Studied with Jimmy Heath, Donald Byrd, Howard Brofsky, Tony Purrone and Ted Dunbar at the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College. Received Master of Arts in Jazz Performance in 1991.

1990: Led Rick Stone Allstars with tenor saxophonist Junior Cook, pianist Richard Wyands, bassist Michael Formanek, and drummer Leroy Williams at the Blue Note, reviewed in Jazz Times by Ira Gitler, May 1990.

1991: Released CD "Far East" (recorded in August 1988) with pianist Kenny Barron, bassist Don Gladstone and drummer Curtis Boyd on Jazzand Records.

1991-2000: Performed regularly with own groups including several NEA funded concerts entitled "A Tribute to the Masters of Modern Jazz Guitar" which he presented in three cities; at Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall (New York, 1991), Tri-C Mainstage Theater (Cleveland, 1993) and the Smithsonian Institute (Washington, DC, 1996). His groups were drawn from a pool of musicians which included at various times pianists; Kenny Barron, Richard Wyands, Barry Harris and Tardo Hammer, bassists; Dennis Irwin, Victor Gaskin and Yosuke Inoue, drummers; Kenny Washington, Leroy Williams, Curtis Boyd and Vernel Fournier, and saxophonists; Eric Alexander and Ralph Lalama.

Mid 1990s: Rick led a series of guitar duo performances at the Swing Street Cafe where he performed with guitarists Mark Elf, Roni Ben-Hur, Peter Bernstein, Peter Leitch, Ron Jackson, and others.

Late 1990s: Performed with blues singer Irene Reid at the East Coast Jazz Festival, Charlie Parker Jazz Festival, Jazzmobile Concert Series, and various smaller venues.

Sources:

Encyclopedia of Jazz Musicians http://www.jazz.com/encyclopedia/stone-rick-richard-john

Summerfield, Maurice J. "The Jazz Guitar: Its Evolution, Players and Personalities Since 1900" Fourth Edition, Hal Leonard 1998 ISBN 1-8726-3931-3

Feather, Leonard & Ira Gitler. "The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz" Oxford University Press 1999 ISBN 0-19-507418-1

van Trikt, Ludwig. Cadence Magazine Interview, August 2007, Volume 33, Number 8

All About Jazz Interview "Take 5 With Rick Stone" http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=35547

Guitarkadia Interviews http://guitarkadia.com/emon/jazz/interview-with-rick-stone-jazz-guitarist-part-one/ http://guitarkadia.com/emon/jazz/interview-with-rick-stone-jazz-guitarist-part-2/

Artist's Website: http://www.rickstone.com/