Rich Driver
Sacramento, California, United States | SELF
Music
Press
Songs "J Street" and "Flexible" are used in a surf video produced by Chris Steblay at BNQT.com - Chris Steblay
There was no sawdust on the floor at downtown pub Fox & Goose last Friday night. And no chicken wire was strung where the musicians set up to play, either, to keep them safe from beer bottles hurled. What passes for country music in Sacramento has a different feel than country in other places, like Bakersfield.
Rich Driver opened the evening. Driver is more of a singer-songwriter, and he looked the part—cap, horn-rims, neatly trimmed beard, casual shirt and jeans, Taylor acoustic guitar. His singing carried a warm rasp, illuminating his wry observations with a delivery rooted in such ’70s cafe bards as Jim Croce, with a hint of Harry Nilsson; his guitar playing often touched on a subtext of jazzy chords and funk syncopation.
Driver had pulled in a contingent of a dozen or so friends, who’d crowded the front tables near the stage area. Most of them seemed pretty familiar with his songs. “I’m a joke without a punch line, you’re the song without a voice,” he sang while standing, slightly pacing, his toe tapping. His crowd ate it up.
Richard March followed. He had a problem. He’d played a gig earlier that day in Colfax with the headliner, former local Amee Chapman, now of Santa Cruz, and because March was on his motorcycle, he’d let Chapman transport his guitar. She was outside, with a locksmith, the guitar and her keys secured inside the van. So Driver loaned March his trusty Taylor, and March commenced to steer the evening more toward Nashville.
Most of Driver’s friends had gone, and seated at the front table were three women, gossiping loudly. The song finished, March stepped up and introduced himself, shaking their hands. The ploy worked momentarily, but a few songs later, they were back to gabbing.
But March persevered. His original songs, like “San Francisco,” tend to be more folkish than overtly country, somewhere between John Hartford and Merle Haggard’s more philosophical side. March dipped into Nashville standards, like Jerry Chesnut’s “It’s Been a Good Year for the Roses,” where a twang affectation was apparent, then followed with a story-song with political overtones, called “Obama Road.” Lee Greenwood, this was not.
Amee Chapman followed. March had been touting her wonderfulness, and she’d come backed by the Velvet Tumbleweeds—David Wren on pedal steel, Pat Golliher on bass and Todd Lewis on drums. Chapman strummed an acoustic Gibson and confessed she’d not been feeling well. She was a bit wan at first, but she struggled valiantly, and by set’s end her strong alto was putting the magic to such originals as “Make Up in the Make-Out Room” and “Tattooed Cowboy,” and you could see that victory reflected in some mighty satisfied faces at the bar, smiling into their pints. - Sacramento News and Review
Rich Driver - Rich Driver
2008, Rich Driver
Sacramento, CA based singer/songwriter Rich Driver has released his debut album, entitled Rich Driver, in 2008. The songs here have been written over the past five years, and infuse alt-country, jazz and reggae into a traditional rock sound. Driver uses humor and adept songwriting to tackle issues pertaining to love, loss, the minutiae of day-to-day life and popular culture.
Rich Driver is not just a singer-songwriter; he is a performer. There is an effusive energy that one encounters with his self-titled debut. The disc is bright and warm with big jangly guitar, easy-on-the-ear vocals, and great melodies. The set opens with Holiday, and shows that Driver easily belongs in a class with elite singer-songwriters. Other highlights include Free Time, Messages and Don't Bother Me.
Rich Driver's self-titled debut is an absolute treat. Here's a place to find great rock songs in their simplest, unadorned form. The energy and musicality here is unusual for the recorded format, and suggests that Driver's live performances may be a must-see. Get your hands on this disc.
Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)
Copied from Wildy's World,
http://wildysworld.blogspot.com/2008/07/cd-review-rich-driver-rich-driver.html - Wildy's World
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Rich Driver, over here, is a singer/songwriter from Sacramento, who is trotting out alt-Americana songs sprinkled with his own version of country rap. This is not your ordinary Cowboy Troy. Driver has tossed in some pop and R&B stylings, all wrapped up in the fresh California outdoors. Performing since he was eight, Driver has roots in blues and acid jazz, which makes his current work more plumped out than most singer/songwriters. His lyrics range from quirky love songs to social observations, but always he puts his listeners in a great mood. He has two CDs out and is working on a new EP, which is due out at the end of summer. - Skope Magazine
Koren Motekaitis of KDRT in Davis interviewed me on her show last week. It was an interesting and a lot of fun. Got to play five songs off the new CD.
Here is a link to the podcast:
http://www.howshereallydoesit.com/How_She_Really_Does_It/Podcasts/Entries/2008/8/29_Rich_Driver.html - KDRT
9/16/08
I was the featured musical guest on Sacramento's KXJZ Insight show.
Cut and paste the following link to hear it!
http://www.richdrivermusic.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=65:kxyz&catid=1:latest-news - KXJZ
Discography
Rich Driver (self-titled, May 2008)
Inside A Valley (EP, June 2011)
Photos
Bio
Singer-songwriter Rich Driver takes the music he loves, alt-country, pop, and rock, and blends them into style he likes to call, California roots pop. His songwriting influences range from the eclectic Harry Nilsson and Scott Walker to the modern craftsmen of Ryan Adams, Jeff Tweedy and Britt Daniel. Known for his catchy hooks, you will find yourself singing his songs in the least likely of places. Raised on the beaches of Orange County and San Diego, Rich migrated to Northern California in the mid-1990s. There he co-found the Tahoe-based blues-pop trio Blue House Burning and the Sacramento Music Award winning acid-jazz ensemble West Coast Rhythm Section. The bands played with established acts such as Charlie Hunter, Ozomatli, B-Side Players, Duke Robillard, Norton Buffalo, and Koko Taylor. After a brief hiatus to complete a masters program, he reemerged in 2008 with his first self-titled solo release. His forthcoming EP, Inside A Valley, marks a new chapter a dynamic career and is expected to be release in June of 2011.
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