Richard Elliot | Straight Up Down

If you are one of the lucky ones, you can recall a moment in time when a portal to an entire new world was opened for you, and a fire was lit within. For Richard Elliot, that moment was when his sister, ten years his senior, took a leap of faith and invited him to listen to her record collection. The only caveat was that he takes good care of her records and put them back where they belong. Elliot not only took good care of the music, but the music has been taking care of him for over four decades. The chart-topping Grammy-nominated saxophonist recalls, “My sister had everything from Joni Mitchell, Carlos Santana and Dave Brubeck to Smokey Robinson, The Temptations and The Four Tops. I got a chance to be exposed at a young age to a lot of great music.” That inspiration ran deep, and Elliot went on to work with all three of the aforementioned Motown legends. His enviable credits also include a five-year stint with the funk and soul horns of Tower of Power and when he was just a lad worked with Natalie Cole and the Pointer Sisters. A man of many talents, Elliot, who once moonlighted as a software engineer, is also a pilot. In fact, the saxman is in the process of building his own two-seat plane in his garage. On September 6, 2024, the Scottish-born, LA raised and San Diego based renaissance man will release his 21st recording as a leader, Straight Up Down, on Shanachie Entertainment.  He shares, “I feel incredibly fortunate that I am allowed to do this as a career and even more grateful that I have been able to do it for as long as I have. It’s all about being honest and truthful in my music and never taking it all for granted.” Elliot provides maximum cruise control on Straight Up Down, an inspired collection of nine tracks, eight of which are originals. The album’s solid and alluring material shine a light on Richard Elliot’s signature soulful and bluesy approach which seamlessly combines his technical prowess and unbridled passion with the finer elements of Jazz, Blues, Pop, R&B and Rock.

“Very Delicious,” is a sumptuous and spirited affair reminiscent of the bluesy soul of John Handy’s 1970s hit “Hard Work.” The selection of “Very Delicious” as an album opener and first single is perfect as Elliot’s supple and agile tenor lines twist and turn to delight elevating the mood and urge you to join in and clap along. “When Jeff Carruthers sent me the track,” he explains, “what I set out to do was come up with a melody that was kind of more hooky. The song is a bit nostalgic, and I love things that are nostalgic. I always feel that it's important to pay homage to what came before us and to choose vibes, grooves and melody lines that speak to where the genre started.”

“Dexter (Gordon) is still my guy. I was around 18 years-old when I went to a club called Concerts By The Sea in Los Angeles. It was truly a life changing moment for me,” shares Richard Elliot. “This big man came out on stage with this low voice and this huge tenor sound. I had already been playing for a few years but when I heard him, I thought to myself ‘I'm doomed. I will never ever come up with a sound anywhere near this guy.’ It really was life changing to hear him play.” Inspired by Dexter and the likes of other tenor legends like Johnny Griffin, Gene Ammons, Coleman Hawkins, Grover Washington Jr. and Michael Brecker, Richard Elliot has managed to carve out this own niche out of his rich caldron of influences. Richard Elliot has scored more than 20 Top 10 Smooth Jazz singles and #1 Contemporary Jazz albums. His debut solo album, Trolltown was released in 1986 and shortly thereafter he began a fruitful relationship with Bruce Lundvall and was signed to Blue Note Records.  A few of his other stand out releases include 2016’s Summer Madness albums including On The Town, Soul Embrace, After Dark, and Jumpin’ Off. His 2013 collaboration with saxophonists Dave Koz Gerald Albright and Mindi Abair, Summer Horns. Elliot’s last recorded Authentic Life was released in 2021 and joined together an A-list line up including Rick Braun, Dave Koz, Jeff Lorber, Chris “Big Dog” Davis, Philippe Saisse and. David Mann

 

The ultimate family man, Richard Elliot confides, “I love spending time with my family. My wife and I have five children and it is a joy watching them pursue their careers and their lives.” He is also a self-proclaimed foodie. He and wife Camella enjoy the pursuit of discovering new places to eat. Richard and his wife also run a foundation that donates to worthy causes that benefit youth and young adults including the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, St. Judes, and the San Diego area dance organization TranscenDANCE. With the release of Straight Up Down Elliot concludes, “If there's a few people out there that enjoy or feel impacted or moved by what I do, then I feel like I've accomplished something. If my music affects them in a positive way, then I am happy.”