Rich began his island life in Honolulu, Hawaii almost forty years ago, but he was born and raised in Chicago and educated in the Midwest—undergrad at Lawrence University in Appleton and grad school at Western Michigan University. His father’s love for traditional and big band jazz got Rich started on trumpet, but it was piano that really caught him. He free-lanced through jazz scenes, leading his own groups in Appleton, Chicago, Michigan, and San Francisco before Honolulu. Cherished memories include music-making with greats like Freddie Hubbard, Sadao Watanabe, Frank Morgan, Ernestine Anderson, Trummy Young, Henry Mancini, Ira Sullivan, Rufus Reid, Kim Richmond, et al. But it’s life in the islands that’s assured Rich’s musical individuality. It’s there he composed most of his original works, many available on his recordings—Solo Travel, Soothsayer, ‘Til Further Notice, Last Takes With Rory, and Shine as well as Malaika (both featuring his songstress daughter Angela). Community efforts in Hawaii include his statewide “Jazz-In-The-Schools” program and a decade of Tuesday night Studio 6 jazz sessions at the Musicians’ Association of Hawaii. Rich’s new solo piano album of standards, Buddy Nowhere 1930s, is now released and available online or by mail order.