Ed Riches is an improviser, composer, producer, music director and multi-instrumentalist specialising in guitar. He leads his own instrumental contemporary jazz quartet ‘Local Authority’ which has made several appearances at Love Supreme Festival, Red Bull Music Academy, Jazz fm, Jazz Cafe London, Cargo, Ghostnotes, Stratford Circus and Jazz Re:freshed. Local Authority's sound has been described as ... "if Nick Drake was ghostwriting a Weather Report album for the Soulquarians'.
Ed's personal music composition interests lie in folk songwriters such as John Martyn, 70s jazz such as Herbie Hancock, the romantic harmony of Tchaikovsky, hard-bop such as the Jazz Messengers, experimental electronic such as Squarepusher, sound design from the BBC Radiophonic workshop, the controlled noise of Tom Morello and slide blues of Derek Trucks, the inner musical logic of Bach, and rhythmic excitement of Stravinsky. Largely self-taught, he has explored the Parker/Trane bebop language of jazz colleges, but also Carnatic music in India, having developed a particular interest in raags and the melakarta system, in addition to Arabic Maqams, Sufi Music and Malian Desert Blues. Ed developed finger style acoustic playing from playing in Ceilidh bands, familiarised odd time signatures playing with Balkan artists, absorbed Bernstein's Harvard lectures online and joined a choir to learn Gospel harmony straight off the bandstand with church organists.
Ed Riches has featured in the Financial Times Masterclass Series, endorses Gibson guitars and Roland synths, and has performed at major jazz festivals around the world, from London Jazz Festival to Rochester New York Jazz Festival, from Istanbul Jazz Festival to North Sea Jazz Festival, from Shanghai Concert Hall to Jamaica Jazz Festival and from Bratislava Jazz Festival to Pori Jazz Festival. Ed has been guitarist of choice for Grammy-winner Bilal’s world tours, Miguel Atwood Ferguson’s ‘Suite for Ma Dukes’ Orchestra, DJ Jazzy Jeff’s ‘Playlist Sessions’, Ayanna Witter-Johnson’s ‘Black Panther’ ensemble and Zara McFarlane’s ‘If You Knew Her’ broadcasts.
Ed played guitar on the soundtrack for Blues for an Alabama Sky at the National Theatre and appears as rhythm guitarist in the motion picture Death on the Nile, directed by Kenneth Branagh and produced by Ridley Scott. He has also been an integral accompanist for vocalists Sahra, N’Dambi, Shaun Escoffery, Marsha Ambrosius, Cynthia Erivo, Mica Paris, Kyan, Jacqui Dankworth, Ntjam Rosie, Nailah Porter, and a featured soloist for Vels Trio, Jazz Jamaica, the London Horns and larger ensembles such as Lumekestra, Ed Puddick Big Band and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. He has been music director for Omar, Mega, Beth Rowley, Jesse Boykins, and worked with hip hop artists Kofi Stone, General Levy, Skinnyman, Funky DL, Klashnekoff, Kojey Radical, Melo-X and Tinie Tempah.
Known for his ‘refined technique, unique tone, deep grasp of harmony and instinct for melody’ (Financial Times), Ed Riches is a prolific collaborator and a respected contributor to the jazz and improvised music community. He has performed in many live and recording projects with: pianists Ashley Henry, Charlie Stacey, Jake Sherman, Xan Blacq, Marc de Clive Lowe, Kaidi Tatham; drummers Corey Fonville, Troy Miller, Marijus Aleksa, Jas Kayser, Moses Boyd, Femi Kolioso and Jamire Williams; Saxophonists Tony Kofi, Dee Byrne, Nubya Garcia, Julian Siegel, Denys Baptiste, Soweto Kinch and Jason Yarde, trumpet players Yelfris Valdes, Jay Phelps and Sheila Maurice-Grey; bassists Gary Crosby, Neil Charles, Mutale Chashi, Daniel Casimir and Rob Mullarkey, Flautist Gareth Lockrane, Vibraphonist Orphy Robinson and Harpist Alina Bzhezhinska.
Ed's personal music composition interests lie in folk songwriters such as John Martyn, 70s jazz such as Herbie Hancock, the romantic harmony of Tchaikovsky, hard-bop such as the Jazz Messengers, experimental electronic such as Squarepusher, sound design from the BBC Radiophonic workshop, the controlled noise of Tom Morello and slide blues of Derek Trucks, the inner musical logic of Bach, and rhythmic excitement of Stravinsky. Largely self-taught, he has explored the Parker/Trane bebop language of jazz colleges, but also Carnatic music in India, having developed a particular interest in raags and the melakarta system, in addition to Arabic Maqams, Sufi Music and Malian Desert Blues. Ed developed finger style acoustic playing from playing in Ceilidh bands, familiarised odd time signatures playing with Balkan artists, absorbed Bernstein's Harvard lectures online and joined a choir to learn Gospel harmony straight off the bandstand with church organists.
Ed Riches has featured in the Financial Times Masterclass Series, endorses Gibson guitars and Roland synths, and has performed at major jazz festivals around the world, from London Jazz Festival to Rochester New York Jazz Festival, from Istanbul Jazz Festival to North Sea Jazz Festival, from Shanghai Concert Hall to Jamaica Jazz Festival and from Bratislava Jazz Festival to Pori Jazz Festival. Ed has been guitarist of choice for Grammy-winner Bilal’s world tours, Miguel Atwood Ferguson’s ‘Suite for Ma Dukes’ Orchestra, DJ Jazzy Jeff’s ‘Playlist Sessions’, Ayanna Witter-Johnson’s ‘Black Panther’ ensemble and Zara McFarlane’s ‘If You Knew Her’ broadcasts.
Ed played guitar on the soundtrack for Blues for an Alabama Sky at the National Theatre and appears as rhythm guitarist in the motion picture Death on the Nile, directed by Kenneth Branagh and produced by Ridley Scott. He has also been an integral accompanist for vocalists Sahra, N’Dambi, Shaun Escoffery, Marsha Ambrosius, Cynthia Erivo, Mica Paris, Kyan, Jacqui Dankworth, Ntjam Rosie, Nailah Porter, and a featured soloist for Vels Trio, Jazz Jamaica, the London Horns and larger ensembles such as Lumekestra, Ed Puddick Big Band and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. He has been music director for Omar, Mega, Beth Rowley, Jesse Boykins, and worked with hip hop artists Kofi Stone, General Levy, Skinnyman, Funky DL, Klashnekoff, Kojey Radical, Melo-X and Tinie Tempah.
Known for his ‘refined technique, unique tone, deep grasp of harmony and instinct for melody’ (Financial Times), Ed Riches is a prolific collaborator and a respected contributor to the jazz and improvised music community. He has performed in many live and recording projects with: pianists Ashley Henry, Charlie Stacey, Jake Sherman, Xan Blacq, Marc de Clive Lowe, Kaidi Tatham; drummers Corey Fonville, Troy Miller, Marijus Aleksa, Jas Kayser, Moses Boyd, Femi Kolioso and Jamire Williams; Saxophonists Tony Kofi, Dee Byrne, Nubya Garcia, Julian Siegel, Denys Baptiste, Soweto Kinch and Jason Yarde, trumpet players Yelfris Valdes, Jay Phelps and Sheila Maurice-Grey; bassists Gary Crosby, Neil Charles, Mutale Chashi, Daniel Casimir and Rob Mullarkey, Flautist Gareth Lockrane, Vibraphonist Orphy Robinson and Harpist Alina Bzhezhinska.
