A seasoned and highly respected figure on the Hartford, Connecticut jazz scene, guitarist-educator Rich Goldstein has been gigging, recording, and sharing the bandstand with his mentors and students over the past 30 years. To date, the guitarist has shared the stage with a wide range of musicians, from sax legend Houston Person to trombonist Steve Davis, tenor saxophonist, and former Jazz Messenger Javon Jackson, Cuban drumming great Horacio “El Negro” Hernandez, Hartford gospel artist Hubert Powell and jam band legend, drummer Jaimoe, the last surviving member of the original Allman Brothers Band.
Goldstein, a long-time faculty member at The Hartt School of Music at the University of Hartford, channels some of his guitar heroes and main influences on his debut release for the Truth Revolution label – Into the Blue. His playing is marked by a seasoned touch, a penchant for swinging, and an obvious reverence for the history of jazz guitar, drawing inspiration from the likes of Wes Montgomery, George Benson, Pat Martino, Joe Diorio, and Randy Johnston.
Joined by organist Yahn Frankel, vibraphonist Behn Gillece, and drummer Ben Bilello, Goldstein delivers in old-school fashion on a collection of well-known standards by the likes of Thelonious Monk, Django Reinhardt, and Horace Silver along with two numbers popularized by Dinah Washington and Jack McDuff. These soul jazz takes are blues-tinged and authentically grooving, transporting listeners back to the golden era of Blue Note’s Hammond B3 organ tradition in the ‘50s and ‘60s.
The album drops this September 27th, 2024. For further information, please visit the Truth Revolution Records website.
Images provided, courtesy of the artist and Two For the Show Media
About Author
