Press, Quotes & Endorsements
“A devoted bebopper with a decidedly lyrical style.” — WINDPLAYER Magazine on Rich Willey
“Rich Willey has assembled a terrific group of musicians to perform a well chosen as well as brilliantly performed repertoire of standards and original music. Rich displays originality, humor and a broad expanse of emotional depth in his writing and playing. Rich Willey is a young and inspired trumpeter/composer who is headed for high recognition in a world that is hungry for such ambition.”
— AL TRAINER, CAP records
“Rich Willey is an inspiration. His lines bubble with bebop and his sound is smooth to the touch. Rich had me popping my fingers & begging for more!” — BYRON STRIPLING
“Rich Willey studied Jazz Composition with me and I feel I’ve gotten to know him pretty well. I really enjoyed the charts he did for his Gone With The Piggies CD, his original Eyes All For You, based on the changes to Body and Soul and done as a waltz, Gone With the Wind and even Melancholy Baby! I think you will enjoy this CD. Rich’s trumpet playing and his use of bass trumpet is especially refreshing. A no-nonsense player.”
— MICHAEL ABENE, NY, faculty member at Manhattan School of Music
“Rich Willey is a wonderful instrumentalist and jazz composer. Anything he puts on paper I trust 100%.” — CLAUDIO RODITI, Trumpeter, South Orange, NJ
“Rich’s arrangements are thoughtful and swinging. His bass trumpet sound and style really knocks me out.” — TED ROSENTHAL
CD Reviews
Interviews with Rich
Debbie Burke’s JazzBlog
THE GRIT, THE GROWL AND THE LOW DOWN – RICH WILLEY’S CREATIVE BURSTSimon Sargsyan at Jazz Blues News
INTERVIEW WITH RICH WILLEYMaynard Ferguson Tribute Page
MATT KELLER INTERVIEWS RICH WILLEY ON MAYNARD FERGUSON TRIBUTE PAGERapid River Magazine: Arts and Culture
RAPID RIVER MAGAZINE: JAZZ PROFILE, RICH WILLEYOJ’s Trumpet Page
OLE UTNES INTERVIEWS RICH WILLEYTop Brass interviewed by author Bob Bernotas
Windplayer Magazine Vol. 10, No. 5, interviewed by Bob Bernotas (1993)
