Richard Huntley

Drummer and percussionist Richard Huntley has performed in over 30 countries worldwide, including major jazz, blues and world music festivals.  He has performed and or recorded with jazz greats such as John Benitez, Ron Blake, Luis Bonilla, Cameron Brown, George Coleman, Jerry Gonzalez, Harold Mabern, Mulgrew Miller, Scott Robinson, Lew Soloff, Esperanza Spaulding and Fred Wesley.  For over twenty years he has played with Brazilian piano legend and samba funk innovator Dom Salvador.  Other musical associations include singer-songwriter Natalie Merchant, New York bordello blues band Hazmat Modine, and globe trotting collaborations with the Gangbe Brass Band from Benin, the Tuvan throat singing groups Huun Hur Tu and Alash, and the Toureg guitarist and singer Bombino.  Recent recordings include a piano trio with pianist Nikolaj Hess and bassist Cameron Brown “The Art of The Hang”, a collaborative trio with guitarist Niklas Winter (Finland) and Emil Hess (Denmark) “You”, a nonet recording by Emil Hess “Evolution Stores” and a cast recording of the musical “This Beautiful City” by the late Michael Friedman.  His creative research includes Afro-Cuban folkloric and Lucumi music and batá drumming. He has often traveled to Havana and Matanazas to research and play in ceremonies.

He holds an M.M. from The Manhattan School of Music, where he was on the faculty for 12 years.  He has also conducted clinics at various music schools and universities in Denmark and Japan.  Since 2014 he has been a yearly guest teacher at the Brødby music school in Copenhagen, Denmark. He is an endorser for Bosphorus cymbals and Beato drum bags.