# Richie Beirach

Richard Alan Beirach (born 23 May 1947) is an American jazz pianist and composer.

## Early life

Beirach was born in New York City. He initially studied both classical music and jazz. While still attending high school, he took lessons from pianist Lennie Tristano. Beirach later entered the Berklee College of Music. After one year, he left Berklee and began attending the Manhattan School of Music. While there, he studied with Ludmila Ulehla. In 1972, he graduated with a master's degree in Music Theory and Composition.

## Career

In 1972, Beirach began working with Stan Getz. He also worked with Chet Baker. Beirach has maintained an ongoing musical partnership with David Liebman from the late-1960s to the present in the groups Lookout Farm and Quest. In addition, Liebman and Beirach have frequently performed and recorded as a duo.
Several of Beirach's compositions – "Leaving" and "Elm", for instance – have found their way into the jazz standard repertoire.

## Playing style

Beirach's style is influenced by Art Tatum, Bill Evans, McCoy Tyner, Chick Corea, and his earlier classical training.

## Discography
### As leader/co-leader

| Year recorded | Title | Label | Personnel/Notes |
| 1974 | Eon | ECM | Trio, with Frank Tusa (bass), Jeff Williams (drums) |
| 1975 | Methuselah | Trio | Trio, with Frank Tusa (bass, electric bass), Jeff Williams (drums) |
| 1975 | Forgotten Fantasies | A&M Horizon | Duo, with Dave Liebman (tenor sax, soprano sax, echoplex, phase shifter, alto flute) |
| 1975 | Sunday Song | Trio | Duo, with Frank Tusa (bass) |
| 1976 | Zal | Trio | One track solo piano; three tracks duo, with Yoshiaki Masuo [ja] (guitar); two tracks duo with Terumasa Hino (flugelhorn, trumpet) |
| 1976 | Leaving | Trio/Storyville | Duo, with Jeremy Steig (alto flute, soprano flute, bass flute, piccolo) |
| 1977 | Hubris | ECM | Solo piano |
| 1978 | Omerta | Trio/Storyville | Duo, with Dave Liebman (tenor sax, soprano sax, alto flute) |
| 1978 | Kahuna | Trio | One track solo piano; one track duo, with Masahiko Togashi (percussion) |
| 1979 | Elm | ECM | Trio, with George Mraz (bass), Jack DeJohnette (drums) |
| 1981 | Elegy for Bill Evans | Palo Alto | Trio, with George Mraz (bass), Al Foster (drums) |
| 1981 | Rendezvous | IPI | Duo, with George Mraz (bass) |
| 1981 | Live in Tokyo: Solo Concert | Break Time | Solo piano; in concert; also released by PJL as Complete Solo Concert 1981 with two extra tracks |
| 1982 | Breathing of Statues | Magenta/CMP | Solo piano |
| 1983 | Continuum | Baybridge/Eastwind | Solo piano |
| 1984 | Ayers Rock | Polydor | Trio, with Terumasa Hino (trumpet), Masahiko Togashi (percussion) |
| 1985 | Antarctica | Pathfinder | Solo piano |
| 1985 | Double Edge | Storyville | Duo, with Dave Liebman |
| 1985 | The Duo: Live | Advance | Duo, with Dave Liebman |
| 1986 | Ballads | Sony Japan | Solo piano |
| 1987 | Ballads 2 | Sony Japan | Solo piano |
| 1987? | Water Lilies: Richie Beirach Plays Musical Portraits of Claude Monet | Sony Japan | |
| 1987 | Emerald City | Pathfinder/Evidence | Duo, with John Abercrombie (guitar synth) |
| 1987 | Common Heart | Owl | Solo piano |
| 1989 | Some Other Time: A Tribute to Chet Baker | Triloka | With Randy Brecker (trumpet, flugelhorn), Michael Brecker (tenor sax), John Scofield (guitar), George Mraz (bass), Adam Nussbaum (drums) |
| 1989? | Chant | CMP | Duo, with Dave Liebman |
| 1990 | Convergence | Triloka | Duo, with George Coleman (tenor sax, soprano sax) |
| 1990 | Inamorata | EAU | Solo piano |
| 1990 | Self Portraits | CMP | Solo piano |
| 1990–91 | Sunday Songs | Blue Note | Solo piano |
| 1991 | Themes and Impromptu Variations | EAU | Solo piano |
| 1992 | The Duo Session | Nabel | Duo, with Laurie Antonioli (vocals) |
| 1992 | Richie Beirach at Maybeck | Concord Jazz | Solo piano; in concert |
| 1992 | Too Grand | SteepleChase | Duo, with Andy LaVerne (piano) |
| 1993 | Universal Mind | SteepleChase | Duo, with Andy LaVerne (piano) |
| 1993 | Trust | Evidence | Trio, with Dave Holland (bass), Jack DeJohnette (drums) |
| 1994 | Solo Piano Recital: Live in Japan | Label Les Jungle | Solo piano; in concert |
| 1996–97 | The Snow Leopard | Alfa/Evidence | Most tracks trio, with George Mraz (bass), Billy Hart (drums); some tracks quartet, with Gregor Huebner (violin) added |
| 1997 | Freedom Joy | Trial | Duo, with Masahiko Togashi (percussion) |
| 1998 | New York Rhapsody | Tokuma | Duo, with Gregor Huebner (violin) |
| 1999 | What Is This Thing Called Love? | Venus | Trio, with George Mraz, Billy Hart (drums) |
| 1999 | Round About Bartok | ACT | Trio, with George Mraz (bass), Gregor Huebner (violin) |
| 2000 | Romantic Rhapsody | Venus | Trio, with George Mraz, Billy Hart (drums) |
| 2001 | Round About Federico Mompou | ACT | Trio, with George Mraz (bass), Gregor Huebner (violin) |
| 2002 | Round About Monteverdi | ACT | Trio, with George Mraz (bass), Gregor Huebner (violin) |
| 2002 | No Borders | Venus | Most tracks trio, with George Mraz, Billy Hart (drums); some tracks quartet, with Gregor Huebner (violin) added |
| 2006 | Manhattan Reverie | Venus | Trio, with George Mraz, Billy Hart (drums) |
| 2007 | Duality: The First Ten Years | Niveau/Nuromusic | Duo, with Gregor Huebner (violin) |
| 2007 | Summer Night | Venus | Trio, with George Mraz, Billy Hart (drums) |
| 2008? | Crossing Over | Niveau | Solo piano |
| 2008 | Jazz Adagio | Venus | Solo piano |
| 2009 | Unspoken | Outnote | Duo, with Dave Liebman (tenor sax, soprano sax, flute) |
| 2009 | Quest for Freedom | Sunnyside | With Dave Liebman (soprano sax, flute), Frankfurt Radio Bigband |
| 2010 | Knowinglee | Outnote | Trio, with Lee Konitz (alto sax, soprano sax), Dave Liebman (tenor sax, soprano sax) |
| 2010 | Impressions of Tokyo: Ancient City of the Future | Outnote | Solo piano |
| 2012 | Live at Birdland New York | ACT | Quintet, with Gregor Huebner (violin), Randy Brecker (trumpet), George Mraz (bass), Billy Hart (drums); in concert |
| 2016/17 | Aftermath | Jazzline | Quartet, with Dave Liebman (tenor sax, soprano sax, wooden flute, c-flute), Florian Van Volxem (buchla synthesizer), Leo Henrichs (modified tympani, gong) |
| 2017 | Gaia, The New Richie Beirach Trio | Jazzsick | Trio, with Regina Litvinova (keyboards), Christian Scheuber (drums) |
| 2018 | Empathy | Jazzline | Duo, with Dave Liebman (tenor sax, soprano sax) |
| 2019 | Lifelines | Jazzline | Trio, with Dave Liebman (tenor sax, soprano sax), Jack DeJohnette (drums) |
| 2019 | Crossing Borders | Zoho | Duo, with Gregor Huebner (violin) with the WDR Big Band |
| 2019 | Live | Jazzsick | Quartet, with Reiner Witzel (alto & soprano sax), Joscha Oetz (bass), Christian Scheuber (drums) |
| 2020 | Avala | Jazzsick | Duo, with Christian Scheuber (drums, percussion) |
| 2020 | Heart Of Darkness | Jazzline | Solo piano |
| 2022 | Leaving | Jazzline | Solo piano |

### As a member

Quest
* Quest (Trio, 1982) – recorded in 1981
* Quest II (Storyville, 1986) – Live
* Midpoint: Quest III (Storyille, 1988)
* N.Y. Nites: Standards (PAN Music/NEC Avenue, 1988)
* Natural Selection (Pathfinder/NEC Avenue, 1988)
* Of One Mind (CMP, 1990)
* Redemption; Quest Live in Europe (Hatology, 2007) – Live
* Re-Dial – Live in Hamburg (Outnote, 2007) – Live
* Circular Dreaming (enja, 2012) – recorded in 2011

### As sideman

With George Adams
* Sound Suggestions (ECM, 1979)
With John Abercrombie
* Arcade (ECM, 1978)
* Abercrombie Quartet (ECM, 1979)
* M (ECM, 1980)
With John Scofield
* John Scofield Live (Enja, 1978)
With Chet Baker
* You Can't Go Home Again (Horizon, 1977)
* The Best Thing for You (A&M, 1977 [1989])
With Frank Tusa
* Father Time (Enja, 1975)
With Dave Liebman
* First Visit (album) (Philips, 1973)
* Lookout Farm (ECM, 1973)
* Sweet Hands (Horizon, 1975)
* Light'n Up, Please! (Horizon, 1976)
* Pendulum (Artists House, 1978)
* Eternal Voices (Jazzline, 2019)
With Jeremy Steig
* Temple of Birth (Columbia, 1975)
* Firefly (CTI, 1977)
With Steve Davis
* Explorations and Impressions (Double-Time, 1997)
With Laurie Antonioli
* The Duo Session (Nabel, 2005)
With Ron McClure Trio
* Inspiration (Ken, 1991)
With George Mraz
* Catching Up (1991)
* My Foolish Heart (1995)
* Jazz (1995)