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“Jazz greats, world tours, and family ties: Richard Huntley joins his brother Ralph on stage in Portland.”When we saw we had this concert coming up and that Ji Tanzer wouldn’t be able to play with us, Ralph Huntley picked up the phone and called his brother Rich, an Austin resident and kick-ass drummer. Ralph explained the situation and Rich suggested he pack an overnight bag (his snare drum case) and come right on out!
Drummer and percussionist Richard Huntley has taken his rhythms to over 30 countries, from major jazz and world music festivals to collaborations with legends like Esperanza Spalding, Fred Wesley, George Coleman, and Brazilian piano innovator Dom Salvador. His groove has found a home in everything from New York bordello blues with Hazmat Modine, to Tuvan throat singers, to Tuareg desert blues, to the Kleztraphobix and the Breslov Bar Band.
Portland has long been one of his favorite stops: from drumming alongside his brother Ralph in high school (they even played their own prom), to holding down the kit with the Tony Starlight band in the ’90s, to helping 3 Leg Torso expand from trio to sextet. More recently, he and Ralph teamed up in Cincinnati Playhouse productions like Cincy Kings (2018) and Need Your Love (2021). When he’s not globe-trotting, Huntley teaches, researches Afro-Cuban batá drumming, and serves up a beat so alive it feels like it has its own passport. On this night, we’re lucky he’s stamping it in Portland once again.
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Corkscrew Wine Bar, 1665 SE Bybee Blvd, Portland, OR 97202-5700, United States
