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Richard Francis Wyands (July 2, 1928 – September 25, 2019) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and arranger, best known for his work as a side-man.

Early life

Wyands was born in Oakland, California, on July 2, 1928 and grew up in Berkeley. He began playing the piano at age 7 or 8 and started playing professionally in 1944, while a teenager, in San Francisco. Wyands earned a degree in music from San Francisco State College in 1950. At school and college he played piano and drums. Wyands was influenced by Count Basie, Nat King Cole, Erroll Garner, Art Tatum, and Teddy Wilson.

Later life and career

In the early 1950s, Wyands was part of Vernon Alley's group that was the house band at the Black Hawk club in San Francisco, and thus part of the rhythm section that accompanied visiting soloists. The year after leaving the Black Hawk in 1954, Wyands was an intermission performer at another San Francisco club, before becoming music director for vocalist Ella Fitzgerald during a 3-month period in 1956.

For ten months around 1957, he was accompanist to pop singers in a club in Ottawa, Canada. Following this, he toured with vocalist Carmen McRae for three months, and arrived in New York with her in 1958. In New York, he played with Roy Haynes, Charles Mingus (1959), Jerome Richardson (1959), and Gigi Gryce. In the 1960s Wyands was a member of Illinois Jacquet's band. Wyands worked with guitarist Kenny Burrell from 1965 to 1974.

Wyands died on September 25, 2019, in New York.

Discography

As leader

As sideman

With Gene Ammons

• Nice an' Cool (Moodsville, 1961)
• Jug (Prestige, 1961)
• Soul Summit Vol. 2 (Prestige, 1961 )
• Late Hour Special (Prestige, 1961 )
• Velvet Soul (Prestige, 1961 )

With Kenny Burrell

• The Tender Gender (Cadet, 1966)
• A Generation Ago Today (Verve, 1967)
• Night Song (Verve, 1969)
• God Bless the Child (CTI, 1971)
• 'Round Midnight (Fantasy, 1972)
• Up the Street, 'Round the Corner, Down the Block (Fantasy, 1974)
• Stormy Monday (Fantasy, 1974 )
• Prime: Live at the Downtown Room (HighNote, 1976 )

With Benny Carter

• Over the Rainbow (MusicMasters, 1989)
• Cookin' at Carlos I (MusicMasters 1988 )

With Jimmy Cobb

• Only for the Pure of Heart (Fable, 1998)
• Cobb's Groove (Milestone, 2003)

With Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis

• Trane Whistle (Prestige, 1960)

With Teddy Edwards

• Horn to Horn (Muse, 1994 ) with Houston Person
• Midnight Creeper (HighNote, 1997)
• Smooth Sailing (HighNote, 2001 )

With Frank Foster

• Manhattan Fever (Blue Note, 1968)

With Gigi Gryce

• Saying Somethin'! (New Jazz, 1960)
• The Hap'nin's (New Jazz, 1960)
• The Rat Race Blues (New Jazz, 1960)
• Reminiscin' (Mercury, 1960)
• Doin' the Gigi (Uptown, 2011)

With Roy Haynes

• Just Us (New Jazz, 1960)

With Freddie Hubbard

• First Light (CTI, 1971)

With Willis Jackson

• Really Groovin' (Prestige, 1961)
• In My Solitude (Moodsville, 1961)

With Etta Jones

• Don't Go to Strangers (Prestige, 1960)
• Something Nice (Prestige, 1961)
• Easy Living (HighNote, 2000)
• Etta Jones Sings Lady Day (HighNote, 2001)

With Bobby Kapp and Gene Perla

• Fine Wine Trio (Fine Wine Records, 2000)

With Roland Kirk

• We Free Kings (Mercury, 1961)

With Charles Mingus

• Jazz Portraits: Mingus in Wonderland (United Artists, 1959)

With Oliver Nelson

• Screamin' the Blues (New Jazz NJ8243, 1960)
• Straight Ahead (Prestige, 1961)

With Houston Person

• Person-ified (HighNote, 1997)
• My Romance (HighNote, 1998)
• Soft Lights (HighNote, 1999)
• Blue Velvet (HighNote, 2001)
• Sentimental Journey (HighNote, 2002)

With Jerome Richardson

• Roamin' with Richardson (New Jazz, 1959)

With James Spaulding

• The Smile of the Snake (HighNote, 1997)

With Buddy Tate and Al Grey

• Just Jazz (Uptown, 1984)

With Cal Tjader

• Cal Tjader: Vibist (Savoy, 1954)
• Ritmo Caliente (Fantasy, 1954)

With Warren Vaché

• Horn of Plenty (Muse, 1994)
• Talk to Me Baby (Muse, 1996)

With Richard Williams

• New Horn in Town (Candid, 1960)

With Lem Winchester

• Lem Winchester with Feeling (Moodsville, 1961)

References

1. ^ Gardner, Mark; Kernfeld, Barry, Wyands, Richard, Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press, retrieved December 18, 2014
2. ^ Chinen, Nate. "Richard Wyands, Consummate Accompanist and Impeccable Jazz Pianist, Is Dead at 91". www.wbgo.org. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
3. ^ Panken, Ted (December 2, 2012) "An interview with Richard Wyands for the Liner Notes for Half and Half (Criss-Cross) – Feb. 7, 2000".
4. ^ Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (9th ed.). Penguin. p. 1532. ISBN 978-0-141-03401-0.
5. Dryden, Ken. "The Arrival: Richard Wyands Trio". AllMusic. Retrieved December 27, 2024.
6. "Lady of the Lavender Mist". Venus Records. Retrieved December 27, 2024.
7. ^ "Jimmy Cobb Discography". jazzdisco.org. Retrieved December 27, 2024.

External links

• BBC Radio 2
• AllMusic

• 1928 births
• 2019 deaths
• Hard bop pianists
• Post-bop pianists
• Musicians from Oakland, California
• American male jazz pianists
• 20th-century American pianists
• Jazz musicians from California
• 21st-century American pianists
• 20th-century American male musicians
• 21st-century American male musicians
• Criss Cross Jazz artists
• SteepleChase Records artists