RICHIE KOTZEN

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Discography

(52 albums so far)

- Solo Albums -

• (1989) Richie Kotzen
• (1990) Fever Dream
• (1991) Electric Joy
• (1994) Mother Head's Family Reunion
• (1995) Inner Galactic Fusion Experience
• (1996) Wave of Emotion
• (1996) Times Gonna Tell (EP)
• (1997) Something to Say
• (1998) What Is
• (1999) Bipolar Blues
• (1999) Break It All Down
• (2001) Slow
• (2003) Acoustic Cuts
• (2003) Change
• (2004) Get Up
• (2004) The Best of Richie Kotzen
• (2006) Instrumental Collection: The Shrapnel Years
• (2006) Aisenshi ZxR (covers of songs from the Gundam series)
• (2006) Into The Black
• (2007) Return Of The Mother Head's Family Reunion (Japan & Europe)
• (2007) Go Faster (US only)
• (2011) I'm Coming Out 

- With Greg Howe -

• (1995) Tilt
• (1997) Kotzen/Howe Project

- Former Bands -

Arthurs Museum

• (1988) Gallery Closed

Poison

• (1993) Native Tongue

Mr. Big

• (1999) Get Over It
• (2000) Deep Cuts
• (2001) Actual Size
• (2002) In Japan
• (2004) Influences & Connections - Vol. 1

Vertú

• (1999) Vertú (project with Stanley Clarke and Lenny White)

Forty Deuce

• (2005) Nothing to Lose

- Collaborations -

• (1996) Sticky Wicked (with TM Stevens)
• (1996) Ground Zero (with TM Stevens)
• (1996) Only You (with TM Stevens)
• (1999) Not So Innocent (with Jesse's Powertrip)
• (2000) Mikazuki in Rock (with Mikazuki Tekkodan)
• (2000) Submarine (with Gregg Bissonette)
• (2003) All That I'd Be (with Steve Saluto)
• (2004) Nowhere To Go (with Takayoshi Omura)
• (2006) Rough Beat (with Steve Saluto)
• (2006) Avalon (with Richie Zito)
• (2007) Live For Tomorrow (with Marco Mendoza)

- Various Artists Albums -

• (1991) Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey: Music from the Motion Picture
• (1992) L.A. Blues Authority-"L.A. Blues Authority"
• (1992) The Guitars That Rule The World - Vol. 1
• (1994) L.A. Blues Authority Volume V: Cream Of The Crop
• (1996) Crossfire - (A Tribute to Stevie Ray Vaughn)
• (2000) Bat Head Soup: A Tribute to Ozzy
• (2001) Stone Cold Queen: A Tribute to Queen
• (2002) One Way Street: A Tribute To Aerosmith CD
• (2002) An All Star Lineup Performing The Songs Of Pink Floyd
• (2004) Spirit Lives On: The Music Of Jimi Hendrix Revisited Vol. 1
• (2005) Numbers From The Beast - An All Stars Salute To Iron Maiden

Videography

• (1989) Rock Chops
• (1993) Seven Days Live (Live shot concert with Poison)(re-released 2006)
• (1994) Mother Head's family Reunion (Videoclip from the Mother Head's family Reunion Album)
• (1996) Wave of Emotion (Videoclip from the Wave of Emotion Album)
• (1997) Something To Say (Videoclip from the Something To Say Album)
• (2001) Don't Wanna Lie (Videoclip from the Slow Album)
• (2001) Shine (Videoclip from Mr. Big's Actual Size Album)
• (2002) Hi-Tech Rock Guitar
• (2005) Live In South America

Ричи Котцен родился 3 февраля 1973 года в городе Ридинг, штат Пенсильвания. С музыкой он познакомился очень рано и в пять лет уже осваивал пианино. Когда парню стукнуло семь, ему на глаза попался постер "Kiss", и под влиянием импульса Ричи взялся за гитару. С завидным упорством он терзал шестиструнный инструмент, и это, в конце концов, принесло свои плоды. К своим семнадцати годам парень уже исколесил Штаты вдоль и поперек, причем ему доверяли открывать свои концерты такие артисты как "Fabulous Thunderbirds", Грег Оллмэн и "Smithereens". В 1989-м Ричи вышел на Майка Варни, и тот предложил молодому гитаристу сделать несколько альбомов для своего лейбла "Shrapnel Records". Для записи дебюта Варни выделил Котцену в помощь таких известных музыкантов как Стив Смит (ударные) и Стю Хэмм (бас).

"Richie Kotzen" имел большой успех, и фото гитариста попало на обложки нескольких журналов включая "Guitar World". Если первая работа была сделана в чисто металлическом ключе, то уже на втором альбоме Ричи добавил в свою музыку изрядную порцию фанка, блюза и соула.

Завершил "инструментальный" период творчества Котцена диск "Electirc joy". Пластинка была записана Ричи практически в одиночку и вызвала неоднозначные отклики. С альбомом "Electric joy" гитарист исполнил свои обязательства перед "Shrapnel" и собрался было поработать на "Interscope", намереваясь вплотную заняться еще и вокалом. Однако как раз в это время глэм-металлеры "Poison" выгнали любившего понаркоманить Си Си Девилля и предложили Котцену занять освободившееся место. Ричи, недолго думая, согласился и в 1993 году вместе со своими партнерами стала обладателем платинового диска "Native tongue". Два хит-сингла, сопровождавшие альбом ("Stand" и "Until You Suffer Some (Fire and Ice)") принадлежали перу Котцена.

Однако в рядах "Poison" гитарист долго не задержался. После того как он увел девушку барабанщика Рикки Рокетта, разгорелся скандал, и Ричи оказался за дверью. С 1994 года артист возобновил сольную карьеру, слоняясь от блюза к хард-року и от соула к джаз-фьюжну, попутно совершенствуя не только гитарную технику, но и вокальные данные.

В середине 90-х Котцен также вошел в кооперацию с другим гитарным маэстро, Грегом Хоу, и сделал с ним пару совместных альбомов, "Tilt" и "Project". Щедрым на события для Ричи стал 1999 год. Помимо выпуска собственного альбома "Bi-Polar Blues" Котцен вошел в проект легендарного джазового бас-гитариста Стэнли Кларка, "Vertu", а после был приглашен в "Mr. Big", где сменил Пола Гилберта. "Мистер Большой" в то время были безумно популярны в Японии, там же где наибольший успех снискал себе и Котцен. Поэтому альянс мелодик-рокеров с новым гитаристом принес им огромные продажи диска "Get over it" в Стране Восходящего Солнца. Последующие гастроли группы в азиатском регионе были также очень успешными.

В 2001 году вышел новый альбом "больших", "Actual size". Одна из песен, "Shine", написанная для него Котценом, дебютировала в японских радиочартах под номером один. После распада "Mr. Big" Ричи осел в Лос-Анджелесе, обзавелся собственной студией и параллельно с продюсированием других артистов продолжил выпускать сольные альбомы. В 2004-м Котцен записал сборник акустических версий своих любимых вещей, а на следующий год организовал проект "Forty-Deuce".

english wikipedia.org

Richie Kotzen (born February 3, 1970 in Reading, Pennsylvania) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter.

At a young age, Richie Kotzen was taken by music and first began playing piano at the age of five. At the age of seven he was inspired by New York City band KISS to learn the electric guitar. Relentlessly developing chops and his own unique voice on the guitar, he started his career in a band named Arthurs Museum. Kotzen was eventually discovered by Shrapnel Records' Mike Varney, and he recorded his first album by the age of 19. During that same year, he also graced the cover of several publications including Guitar World Magazine. He created the video Rock Chops for REH video in 1989, highlighting many of his formative techniques, including using wide-intervals and fluid sweeping.

In 1991, Kotzen made his big break when he joined the rock band Poison at age 21, co-writing and performing on the album Native Tongue. This album produced two top twenty singles which Richie wrote, Stand and Until You Suffer Some(Fire & Ice). Kotzen was subsequently fired from the band when it was discovered that he had been romantically involved with Deanna Eve, the ex-fiance of Poison drummer Rikki Rockett. Kotzen and Eve later married and divorced. In 1999 Kotzen replaced Paul Gilbert as guitarist in the mainstream rock band Mr. Big. Kotzen maintained the band's enormous success, performing on the Mr. Big record Get Over It, which sold more than 175,000 copies in its first two weeks in Japan, eventually reaching platinum status. Kotzen also contributed guitars to Mr. Big's subsequent release Actual Size. The record included the Kotzen song Shine, which debuted at number one on Japanese radio charts. Following the disbanding of Mr. Big, Kotzen released the solo album Change, in 2003. The title track, and the song Get A Life were featured in TV commercials throughout Japan.

In 2002 Kotzen bought a commercial building in Los Angeles and established a recording Studio/Production company. He has since been producing acclaimed solo albums and collaborating with various figures in rock, jazz, and fusion including jazz legend Stanley Clarke.

In mid 2006 Kotzen was the opening act in Japan for the Rolling Stones on their Bigger Bang tour.

Guitar playing style

Richie has a unique style, which he has described as a mix of rock, blues, jazz, fusion, pop and soul music. Of his albums, he claims he is most proud of Vertú. Kotzen utilizes a heavy amount of legato, tapping and sweeping in his playing.

Instruments and equipment

Richie Kotzen has used Fender electric guitars for most of his career. His most notable instruments are his signature model Telecasters and Stratocasters, as well as other custom made models. Currently, there are two Richie Kotzen signature models, made by Fender Japan - a Stratocaster (STR-145RK) and a Telecaster (TLR-155RK). Both guitars feature ash bodies with flame laminated maple caps, maple necks and one piece maple fretboards with 22 super jumbo frets. The Telecaster model features a DiMarzio Chopper T pickup in the bridge position (single spaced humbucker) and a DiMarzio Twang King in the neck position. The Stratocaster is fit with three custom made DiMarzio single coil pickups.

At the beginning of his career, Richie Kotzen used Ibanez guitars and Laney amplifiers, later moving on to Fender guitars and Marshall amplifiers in the early 1990's. He used Marshall Super Lead, JCM800 and JCM900 models.

In 2005, Cornford Amplification issued a Richie Kotzen signature model - RK100, a single channel tube amp head developed and designed in collaboration with Kotzen to suit his expansive playing style. There is also a matching signature model speaker cabinet, equipped with four Celestion Vintage 30 12" speakers. Both the amplifier head and the speaker cabinet are the only Cornford models fit with Kotzen-style black tolex covering. However, if on tour, Kotzen will use amplifiers supplied by the venue, as requested, most likely Cornford models or Marshall JCM900 master volume heads.

Kotzen prefers not to use many pedals (effects in general) when playing live. Therefore, currently he only uses a Boss TU-2 pedal tuner and a footswitch to control the gain level of his Cornford amplifier. However, during his career, he has used Sobbat DriveBreaker distortion pedals (DB-1, DB-2 and DB-3), a Guyatone Wah-Rocker, a Dunlop Crybaby and Rotovibe pedal, a Boss DD-3 delay, Boss OC-2 octave and Boss CE-5 chorus pedals, etc.

Further information

Richie is now living in Los Angeles, California. Besides playing the guitar, his hobbies include exercise and sports, especially basketball. Richie has said that if he hadn't become a professional musician, he would have liked to play professional basketball.