more from
Green Monkey Records
We’ve updated our Terms of Use to reflect our new entity name and address. You can review the changes here.
We’ve updated our Terms of Use. You can review the changes here.

Seven

by Richard Peterson

/
  • Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    Renaissance man: Richard Peterson’s ‘Seven’ by Gillian G. Gaar -There’s no two ways about it: Richard Peterson is a bonafide Seattle institution. Maybe you’ve seen him outside the sporting arenas on game day, playing his trumpet for spare change, in the finest tradition of busking. He released his first single, “Want to Be in the States”/“Let’s Take a Trip to Spokane,” in 1976; Richard Peterson’s First Album followed in 1982 (trivia: my very first publicity job was writing a press release for the aptly-named The Second Album in 1983). He’s recorded with the Young Fresh Fellows, and opened for Jeff Bridges’ band the Abiders, when they play Seattle. There’s even a movie about him; Big City Dick: Richard Peterson’s First Movie (2004).

    Turns out he’s something of a renaissance man as well. For on Seven — his first album in over a decade — he not only plays trumpet, but also trombone, French horn, oboe, piano, synthesizer, bass, drums, and the harp; it’s left to Fritz Klein to play violin (and I’ll bet Richard could take up that instrument if he tried). It explains why the album’s credited to “The Richard Peterson Orchestra.” Peterson also wrote most of the album’s 15 tracks, which were primarily composed in the first decade of this sparkling 21st century, according to the copious, and handwritten, liner notes.

    The instrumentals are highly atmospheric, like soundtracks for movies that you can see unfolding in your mind. “The Ghost Trumpets” (a pretty evocative title, that) opens with what amounts to an extended, almost rhapsodic, introduction of a minute and a half before the trumpets come in, their harmonies building over the piano’s vamping, ultimately creating a stirring symphonic landscape. “Midnight on Fire Dome Mountain” has a propulsive beat that makes it perfect driving music. Peterson’s liner notes for “Canadian Serenade” paint an excellent picture: “Composed on June 20, 2001 in Dawson, Yukon, at a Catholic church piano. This piece starts out with weird chords. Then the main song which is sound[ing] like a Supertramp tune but not quite. It got some fancy chords (F#, C#, Bb, C major). It came from a piece of music used on ‘Men Into Space,’ a 1959-60 Ziv TV series.”

    “Ziv” refers to the production company Ziv Television Programs, who produced and distributed TV shows. One show they were involved with was Sea Hunt, and “Amphibian Disco” is a moody variation on a theme heard in that series. “Nocturne in Blues” has a retro feel (the first minute would’ve worked well in Twin Peaks, underscoring a scene between James and Donna), and “The F.H. Blues” takes French horns in a decidedly unexpected direction.

    I found the instrumentals to be the stronger tracks on the album. For me, the tracks with vocals on them (provided by a variety of singers, as well as a group, the George Gleason Singers) lacked the otherworldly feeling that’s found on the rest of the album, though admittedly “I Hear Those Ziv Tunes Once Again” has a dreaminess as it opens the album, dropping in references to Peterson’s own pastimes along the way (“I watch some Sea Hunt every day”). The deadpan vocals on “Ziv Supremes” (which opens with a bit of “Where Did Our Love Go?”) gives the song an edginess completely absent from the original. And “American Celtic Dance,” a dismantling and reconstruction of “Skip to My Lou,” features the off-kilter non sequitur “Skip to my Joe, my Michaels.”

    Seven stands as one of Peterson’s most diverse works, with sudden changes in genre, arrangements, and mood. And now that his recording career is up and running again, Green Monkey Records has plans to reissue his entire catalogue. You can’t keep a good man down.

    Includes unlimited streaming of Seven via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ... more
    ships out within 3 days
    Purchasable with gift card

      $15 USD or more 

     

  • Streaming + Download

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    Purchasable with gift card

      $10 USD  or more

     

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Chances Now 04:41
9.
10.
11.
ZIV Supremes 03:33
12.
13.
14.
15.

about

Note:100% of sales go to Richard Peterson. Green Monkey keeps 0%.

Green Monkey is proud to take up the mantle of being Richard Peterson’s label with the release of his new CD, SEVEN, releasing Friday, October 18. Richard Peterson is a Pacific Northwest institution, a well-known savant Seattle trumpet player/piano player/composer. His music is heavily influenced by the 1950’s and 60’s television soundtrack work of the Columbia and Ziv music production companies. In addition to being available in fine music stores, both in the US and internationally, the album will be available on all the major streaming and download services and at Green Monkey’s bandcamp store (greenmonkeyrecords.bandcamp.com/album/the-richard-peterson-orchestra-seven). We are working toward making Richard’s entire catalog available to you at some point in the future.

Richard will be performing on solo piano on Friday, Oct. 25, 2019, 7:00 pm at Tipsy Piano Bar, 514 Capitol Way, Olympia. This is Richard’s first Olympia piano performance. There is no cover charge for the event and you simply must attend.

Richard released his first 45 rpm single “Want to Be In The States” in 1976. He advanced his career by playing trumpet outside the football and baseball games for years. He has made records with many Seattle music celebrities. His debut full-length album, “Richard Peterson”, was released in 1982. In 1983, he released his second album, produced by Peter Barnes, from which the Stone Temple Pilots placed a track on their album “Purple”, which sold over 4 million copies. For those of you less familiar with, or even new to Richard’s work, there is extensive info available on his GMR artist page, greenmonkeyrecords.com/r-peterson/.

“Big City Dick: Richard Peterson’s First Movie”, a documentary about Mr. Peterson, was released in 2004. It won the audience award at the Slamdance film festival in Park City Utah. His penchant for early TV music gained him the friendship of Hollywood actor Jeff Bridges via his father Lloyd Bridges of 1950’s “Sea Hunt” fame. Based on this enduring friendship, Richard often opens for Jeff’s band “The Abiders” when they play the Seattle area. Look for "Big City Dick" on youtube.

His new record is appropriately tilted, Seven, and features The Richard Peterson Orchestra (which is all Richard). It is the culmination of his many influences and years of composing music. Seven features Richard’s compositions, his playing on piano, horns, synth oboe, bass, drums and harp as well as a variety of vocalists and a violin player. Both true and new fans of Mr. Peterson’s work are certain to enjoy Seven. It is Richard’s masterpiece.

I am listening to Seven as I write this and I must tell you it is a delight. Richard will impress you with the depth and clarity of his astonishing new masterpiece, Seven. We are confident you will marvel at this brilliant new offering. Please give it a listen!


Discography:

1976 Richard Peterson ‎– Want To Be In The States b/w Let's Take A Trip To Spokane 7”

1982 Richard Peterson ‎– Richard Peterson's First Album (LP)

1983 Richard Peterson ‎– The Second Album (LP)

1991 Richard Peterson w/The Young Fresh Fellows ‎– Mathisization 7”

1993 Richard Peterson – Love on the Golf Course (CD)

1999 Richard Peterson ‎– The William Loose Songbook (CD)

2006 Richard Peterson – Richard’s Ungreatest Hits (CD)

2008 Richard Peterson – The Religious Album (CD)

2019 Richard Peterson – Seven (CD)

credits

released October 14, 2019

license

all rights reserved

tags

about

Richard Peterson Seattle, Washington

Richard Peterson is a Pacific NW institution, a well-known savant Seattle trumpet player/piano player/composer. His music is heavily influenced by the 1950’s and 60’s television soundtrack work of the Columbia and Ziv music production companies.
Richard released his first 45rpm single in 1976. He advanced his career by playing trumpet outside the football and baseball games.
All proceeds go to him
... more

contact / help

Contact Richard Peterson

Streaming and
Download help

Redeem code

Report this album or account

If you like Richard Peterson, you may also like: