Charles Coleridge "Red" Richards (October 19, 1912,

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

– March 12, 1998,

Scarsdale, New York Scarsdale is a town and village in Westchester County, New York, United States. The Town of Scarsdale is coextensive with the Village of Scarsdale, but the community has opted to operate solely with a village government, one of several village ...

) was an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

pianist.

Biography

Richards began playing classical piano at age ten and concentrated on jazz from age sixteen after hearing

Fats Waller Thomas Wright "Fats" Waller (May 21, 1904 – December 15, 1943) was an American jazz pianist, organist, composer, violinist, singer, and comedic entertainer. His innovations in the Harlem stride style laid much of the basis for modern jazz pi ...

. His first major professional gig was with

Tab Smith Talmadge "Tab" Smith (January 11, 1909 – August 17, 1971) was an American swing and rhythm and blues alto saxophonist. He is best remembered for the tracks "Because of You" and "Pretend". He worked with Count Basie, the Mills Rhythm Boys a ...

at the

Savoy Ballroom The Savoy Ballroom was a large ballroom for music and public dancing located at 596 Lenox Avenue, between 140th and 141st Streets in the Harlem neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. Lenox Avenue was the main thoroughfare through upper Harle ...

in New York City from 1945 to 1949. Following this he played with

Bob Wilber Robert Sage Wilber (March 15, 1928 – August 4, 2019) was an American jazz clarinetist, saxophonist, and band leader. Although his scope covers a wide range of jazz, Wilber was a dedicated advocate of classic styles, working throughout his caree ...

(1950–51) and

Sidney Bechet Sidney Bechet (May 14, 1897 – May 14, 1959) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer. He was one of the first important soloists in jazz, and first recorded several months before trumpeter Louis Armstrong. His erratic temp ...

(1951). He toured Italy and France in 1953 with

Mezz Mezzrow Milton Mesirow (November 9, 1899 – August 5, 1972), better known as Mezz Mezzrow, was an American jazz clarinetist and saxophonist from Chicago, Illinois. He is remembered for organizing and financing recording sessions with Tommy Ladnier ...

's band alongside

Buck Clayton Wilbur Dorsey "Buck" Clayton (November 12, 1911 – December 8, 1991) was an American jazz trumpeter who was a member of Count Basie's orchestra. His principal influence was Louis Armstrong, first hearing the record "Confessin' That I Love You" ...

and Big Chief Moore, also accompanying

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular ...

in Italy. He played with

Muggsy Spanier Francis Joseph "Muggsy" Spanier (November 9, 1901 – February 12, 1967) was an American jazz cornetist based in Chicago. He was a member of the Bucktown Five, pioneers of the "Chicago style" that straddled traditional Dixieland jazz and swin ...

intermittently from 1953 through the end of the decade and with

Fletcher Henderson James Fletcher Hamilton Henderson (December 18, 1897 – December 29, 1952) was an American pianist, bandleader, arranger and composer, important in the development of big band jazz and swing music. He was one of the most prolific black musi ...

in 1957–58. In 1958, he performed as a solo act in

Columbus, Ohio Columbus () is the state capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S., the second-most populous city in the Midwest, after Chicago, and t ...

, then played with

Wild Bill Davison William Edward Davison (January 5, 1906 – November 14, 1989), nicknamed "Wild Bill", was an American jazz cornetist. He emerged in the 1920s through his work playing alongside Muggsy Spanier and Frank Teschemacher in a cover band where they ...

in 1958–59 and again in 1962. In 1960 he formed Saints & Sinners with

Vic Dickenson Victor Dickenson (August 6, 1906 – November 16, 1984) was an American jazz trombonist. His career began in the 1920s and continued through musical partnerships with Count Basie (1940–41), Sidney Bechet (1941), and Earl Hines. Life and care ...

, playing with this band until 1970. He joined jazz drummer Chuck Slate and his band in 1971 and stayed with him most of the year. He recorded an album with Slate called ''Bix 'n' All That Jazz''. Following this he worked with

Eddie Condon Albert Edwin Condon (November 16, 1905 – August 4, 1973) was an American jazz banjoist, guitarist, and bandleader. A leading figure in Chicago jazz, he also played piano and sang. Early years Condon was born in Goodland, Indiana, the son of J ...

(1975–77), then led a trio in 1977–78. He played with

Panama Francis David Albert "Panama" Francis (December 21, 1918 – November 13, 2001) was an American swing jazz drummer who played on numerous hit recordings in the 1950s. Early life Francis was born in Miami, Florida, on December 21, 1918. His father was ...

and the

Savoy Sultans The Savoy Sultans was the name of two related 20th-century American jazz ensembles. Savoy Sultans (1937–1946) The original Savoy Sultans were formed by saxophonist Al Cooper, and played at the Savoy Ballroom from 1937 to 1946. This small swing ...

worldwide from 1979 through the 1980s. He recorded with Bill Coleman in 1980. He continued to tour near to the time of his death in March 1998, in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

Discography

As leader

* ''In a Mellow Tone'' (West 54, 1978) * ''Soft Buns'' (West 54, 1979) * ''It's a Wonderful World'' ( Black & Blue, 1980) * ''Lullaby in Rhythm'' ( Sackville, 1985) * ''I'm Shooting High'' (Sackville, 1988) * ''Dreamy'' (Sackville, 1992) * ''My Romance'' (Jazz Point, 1993) * ''Swing Time'' (Jazz Point, 1993) * ''Groove Move'' (Jazz Point, 1994) * ''Echoes of Spring'' (Sackville, 1998)

As sideman

With

* ''Gettin' in the Groove'' (Black and Blue, 1979) * ''Panama Francis and the Savoy Sultans'' (Classic Jazz, 1980) * ''Grooving'' (Stash, 1982) With Saints & Sinners * ''Catch Fire at the Sheraton-Jefferson in St. Louis'' (Seeco, 1960) * ''The Saints and Sinners'' (77 Records, 1964) * ''Saints and Sinners in Canada'' (Cav-a-Bob, 1967) * ''Sugar'' (MPS, 1968) With

* ''Chicago Jazz'' (RKO, 1958) * ''Muggsy Spanier'' (Ace of Hearts, 1967) * ''One of a Kind'' (Glendale, 1983) * ''Hesitatin' Blues'' (Affinity, 1986) * ''At Club Hangover San Francisco 1953–54'' (Storyville, 1997) With others *

Buster Bailey William C. "Buster" Bailey (July 19, 1902 – April 12, 1967) was an American jazz clarinetist. Career history Early career Buster Bailey was taught clarinet by classical teacher Franz Schoepp, who also taught Benny Goodman. Bailey gained his s ...

, ''

All About Memphis ''All About Memphis'' is an album by clarinetist Buster Bailey which was recorded in 1958 and released on the Felsted label.

'' (Felsted, 1958) *

, ''Singing Trumpets'' (Jazztone, 1957) * Bill Coleman, ''Really I Do'' (Black and Blue, 1982) *

, ''Just Friends'' (Sackville, 1986) *

Bobby Donaldson Robert Stanley "Bobby" Donaldson (November 29, 1922, Boston – 1971) was an American jazz and R&B drummer. After playing locally in the early 1940s, Donaldson played with Russell Procope while serving in the Army in New York City. In 1946–47 ...

, ''Dixieland New York'' (World Wide, 1958) * Bobby Donaldson, ''Dixieland Jazz Party'' (Savoy, 1959) *

Eddie Durham Edward Durham (August 19, 1906 – March 6, 1987) was an American jazz guitarist, trombonist, composer, and arranger. He was one of the pioneers of the electric guitar in jazz. The orchestras of Bennie Moten, Jimmie Lunceford, Count Basie, ...

, ''Eddie Durham'' (RCA Victor, 1974) *

All Stars, ''The Big Reunion'' (Jazztone, 1958) *

Bud Freeman Lawrence "Bud" Freeman (April 13, 1906 – March 15, 1991) was an American jazz musician, bandleader, and composer, known mainly for playing tenor saxophone, but also the clarinet. Biography In 1922, Freeman and some friends from high sc ...

, ''The Bud Freeman All Star Swing Sessions'' (Prestige, 2003) *

Marian McPartland Margaret Marian McPartland OBE ( Turner;Hasson, Claire"Marian McPartland: Jazz Pianist: An Overview of a Career" PhD Thesis. Retrieved 12 August 2008. 20 March 1918 – 20 August 2013), was an English–American jazz pianist, composer, and wri ...

, ''Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz Radio Broadcast'' (Jazz Alliance, 1994) *

, ''Swingin' with Mezz'' (Vogue, 1962) *

Pee Wee Russell Charles Ellsworth "Pee Wee" Russell (March 27, 1906 – February 15, 1969), was an American jazz musician. Early in his career he played clarinet and saxophones, but he eventually focused solely on clarinet. With a highly individualistic and sp ...

, ''The Individualism of Pee Wee Russell'' (Savoy, 1978) *

Rex Stewart Rex William Stewart Jr. (February 22, 1907 – September 7, 1967) was an American jazz cornetist who was a member of the Duke Ellington orchestra. Career As a boy he studied piano and violin; most of his career was spent on cornet. Stewart drop ...

, ''

Henderson Homecoming ''Henderson Homecoming'' is a live album performed by cornetist Rex Stewart with the Fletcher Henderson Alumni that was recorded at the Great South Bay Jazz Festival in 1958 and released on the United Artists label.Edwards, D., Eyries, P. & Call ...

'' (United Artists, 1959) *

Maxine Sullivan Maxine Sullivan (May 13, 1911 – April 7, 1987), born Marietta Williams in Homestead, Pennsylvania, United States, was an American jazz vocalist and performer. As a vocalist, Sullivan was active for half a century, from the mid-1930s to just be ...

, ''We Just Couldn't Say Goodbye'' (Audiophile, 1995) *

Skeets Tolbert Campbell Aurelius "Skeets" Tolbert (February 14, 1909, Calhoun Falls, South Carolina - November 30, 2000, Houston, Texas) was an American jazz clarinetist, alto saxophonist, vocalist, composer and bandleader. He acquired the nickname "Skeets", whi ...

, ''1939–1942'' (Everybodys, 1983) *

Dinah Washington Dinah Washington (born Ruth Lee Jones; August 29, 1924 – December 14, 1963) was an American singer and pianist, who has been cited as "the most popular black female recording artist of the 1950s songs". Primarily a jazz vocalist, she performe ...

, ''A Slick Chick: The Rhythm & Blues Years'' (Mercury, 1983) *

Benny Waters Benjamin Waters (January 23, 1902, Brighton, Baltimore, Maryland – August 11, 1998, Columbia, Maryland) was an American jazz saxophonist and clarinetist. known in part for the longevity of his career. He began on organ, then switched to cl ...

, ''Plays Songs of Love'' (Jazzpoint, 1993) *

George Wettling George Godfrey Wettling (November 28, 1907 – June 6, 1968) was an American jazz drummer. He was born in Topeka, Kansas, United States, and from his early teens was living in Chicago, Illinois. He was one of the young Chicagoans who fell ...

, ''George Wettling's Jazz Band from Stuyvesant Casino Featuring Hot Lips Page'' (Storyville, 1994) *

Jimmy Witherspoon James Witherspoon (August 8, 1920 – September 18, 1997) was an American jump blues singer. Early life, family and education Witherspoon was born in Gurdon, Arkansas. His father was a railroad worker who sang in local choirs, and his mot ...

, ''Sings the Blues with Panama Francis and the Savoy Sultans'' (Muse, 1983)

References

Other sources

*Doran/Kernfeld, "Red Richards". '' Grove Jazz'' online. {{DEFAULTSORT:Richards, Red 1912 births 1998 deaths Jazz musicians from New York (state) People from Scarsdale, New York 20th-century American male musicians 20th-century American pianists American jazz pianists American male jazz musicians American male pianists Black & Blue Records artists Sackville Records artists Saints & Sinners (jazz band) members Savoy Sultans members