6234 Rockcliff Drive
Los Angeles CA 90068
USA
1-800-472-7793
Email:
Website:
www.richardgreene.net
www.americanfiddler.com
Travels to: All of Planet Earth
Biography:
Richard Greene, "one of the most innovative and influential fiddle players of all time," grew up in Los Angeles and studied classical music until his encounter with the pyrotechnic fiddling of Scotty Stoneman; from then on Richard was a fiddler. He first attained prominence with Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys in 1966 as one of Monroe's first "northern" band members, then went on to found the revolutionary Folk-Rock group Seatrain, pioneering the first use of the electric violin in Rock.Richard's return to acoustic music occasioned the invention of "New Grass" or "New Acoustic" instrumental music, now a mainstay throughout the world's acoustic music festivals. As one of Los Angeles' premier string session players he founded the trailblazing Greene String Quartet creating the first ever amalgam of Jazz-Folk-Rock-Chamber music and producing three seminal albums. His many acclaimed releases in the folk and bluegrass world have been honored with Grammy and IBMA awards, his CD Sales Tax Toddle was Grammy nominated for Bluegrass Album of Year.
Mr. Greene currently leads seminars on all aspects of fiddling and violin playing nationwide, teaching courses at The Mancini Institute, the RockyGrass Academy, the Festival of Fiddle Tunes, the Mark O'Connor Fiddle Camp, the Rocky Mountain Fiddle Camp and dozens of ad hoc workshops throughout the year. Also last year marked the debut of Richard Greene's 1st Concerto for Bluegrass Violin and Orchestra entitled "What If Mozart Played With Bill Monroe?".
Fiddling: Bluegrass, Celtic, Rock, Electric
Techniques
Chop rhythms, tuning the left hand, strengthening the L.H. 4th finger, classical as it applies to fiddling.
A partial list of Richard Greene's currently available solo recordings:
| Duets | Rounder (0075) |
| Ramblin' | Rounder (0110) |
| Blue Rondo | Sierra (GA 1981) |
| Bluegrass Album, Rowan, Greene & the Red Hot Pickers |
Nippon Columbia (YX-7225-N) |
| Muleskinner | Sierra (SXCD 6009) |
| Molly on the Shore | Hannibal (HNCD 1333) |
| The String Machine | Virgin Classics (91632) |
| Bluegreene | Virgin Classics (5-45133) |
| The Greene Fiddler | Sierra (SXCD 6005) |
| The Grass Is Greener | Rebel (1714) |
| Wolves A' Howlin' | Rebel (1730) |
| Sales Tax Toddle (1998 Grammy Nomination) | Rebel (1737) |
| Hands Across the Pond | RGP (001) |
"...There's not a man in the country that can do what Richard can do..." — Bill Monroe
"...Richard Greene has such great tone and fine musicianship, he states a melody the way Lawrence Olivier delivers Shakespeare, clearly and with command of the language and the feelings..." — efolkMusic Reviews
"...the only violinist in the world who can play anything on that instrument, and with so ecstatic a tone..." — Nat Hentoff
"...one of America's most influential fiddlers — certainly one of the giants of modern fiddling, with Richard Greene you get the complete Bluegrass fiddle package: great technique, daring invention, sensitivity to the music's inner soul and a fiery presentation..." — Bluegrass Unlimited