Richard Schumacher - Right Of Way (2014) [Hi-Res]

Guitarist and composer Richard Schumacher has made a name for himself as the driving force behind his highly acclaimed project Vibe Tribe, regularly featuring a stellar cast of musicians, including Bill Evans, Terri Lynn Carrington, Jack Bruce, Patrice Rushen, Russ Ferrante and Eric Bibb. After his successful solo debut “Waterlilys” in 2009, his follow-up album “Right Of Way” once again represents an impressive collection of tunes, featuring tenor saxophonist Bill Evans and trumpeter Michael “Patches” Stewart at the top of their game, inspired performances by keyboarder Mitch Forman andGuitarist Richard Schumacher, all powered by the exquisite rhythm section of Kai Eckhardt and Rayford Griffin. The album was produced by Richard Schumacher & Reinhard Karwatky, recorded in Los Angeles, New York and Hamburg, beautifully mixed by Grammy Winner Rich Breen (Yellowjackets, Vince Mendoza, Oregon).

Right Of Way may best be characterized as a steadily flowing river, a colourful, always grooving musical journey, with truly spirited performances by these fantastic musicians, in short: a little masterpiece is awaiting you!

One of the most fascinating things to observe in life is growth, be it a planted seed developing into a tree, or a child mastering its first steps of independence, the opportunities to stand back in wonder will never cease. We may wish for the child or seed to blossom along a save path, but nature will always have a few surprises along the way. Enter the need to improvise, in life as well as in music, you soon come to appreciate the charme of instinct to guide you through these moments, however big the challenge may appear at first glance.

In music, hearing a little melody, jotting it down and allowing for it to slowly unfold its very own character, is always a welcome, if unpredictable invitation to adventure… but without trying to stay out of the way of its natural development, the trip may come to an end rather quickly, so due respect is called for by honouring the melody’s “Right Of Way”.

Once the so-called tune was completed, it seemed to offer itself as the title track of the album. Considering the nature what “being on the way” entails to begin with, an underyling string of ideas came to the surface, motifs, that seemed to be somehow connected. Like “Oklahoma Willy”, forever trying his luck on his way to true love, or “Autumn”, with its moments of serenity and hope, as well as “One Year Ago”, dedicated to the memory of my late father. All these individually written “travel scenes”, if you will, only in the end of the journey start to complete the picture.

Time and again, to me, the beauty of instinct in music derives from the fact, that I always feel somewhat secure in following it, although never quite knowing where it will take me, or by which means… there is an unconditional sense of trust and truth involved, similar to your way in life. You don’t go far without it. Especially these days, with musicians facing numerous difficulties trying to keep their music alive and prospering, the ongoing support of our listeners has equally become of vital importance and continues to be the strongest motivation to keep moving on – so, we look forward to see you down the road! (Richard Schumacher)

Richard Schumacher, guitars, synth guitar, keyboard programming, vocals
Bill Evans, tenor saxophone
Michael “Patches” Stewart, trumpet, flugelhorn
Mitchel Forman, acoustic piano, keyboards
Henry Hey, acoustic piano
Kai Eckhardt, electric bass
Detlev Beier, acoustic bass
Munyungo Jackson, congas, percussion
Daniel Sadownik, congas, udu, percussion
Rayford Griffin, drums
William Kennedy, drums
Nathalie Dorra, lead and backing vocals
Lothar Atwell, lead and backing vocals
Anna Depenbusch, backing vocals
Nils Tuxen, pedal steel guitar, dobro

01. Richard Schumacher - Right Of Way (7:06)
02. Richard Schumacher - Oklahoma Willy (7:30)
03. Richard Schumacher - One Year Ago (8:56)
04. Richard Schumacher - Wherever You Start (4:47)
05. Richard Schumacher - Zaihe´ (6:58)
06. Richard Schumacher - Acoustic Silence (2:47)
07. Richard Schumacher - On The Rise (8:43)
08. Richard Schumacher - Autumn (9:38)