Ric Sandler
Ventnor City, New Jersey, United States | INDIE
Music
Press
VENTNOR - Ric Sandler thinks "adult contemporary" is more than the songs of Michael Bolton, Celine Dion and James Taylor. And the multi-talented musician is trying to do something about it.
Sandler - a singer, composer and keyboardist - recently released a 13-track CD titled "Rhythmunderground" that ranges from the danceable funk with horns of the title track, to the reggae-feel of "Big Boy," to the Irish-influenced "Rubies," to the punk rock of "You Don't Know Me," to the bluesy "I Feel You Inside," to the Cajun-feel of "Later," to the gospel-rap of "Back2ThaRhythm." The variety of sounds is startling, as well as refreshing.
- Vincent Jackson
"Ric clearly has a lot of talent. "Big Boy" and "Rubies" are solid R&B/funk
songs that should be heard." - Impact Press
"... a marriage of music that should not be overlooked." - Mark Laspina
"Ric Sandler is so eclectic and far-reaching... and through it all, the New
Jersey resident doesn't sound confused, unfocused, or disoriented... one
hopes that Rhythmunderground will receive the attention that it deserves. "
- Alex Henderson
"New Jersey based Ric Sandler singer/songwriter- producer programmer delves
into a world of musical creativity. It's what you could call the music of
America, a grass-roots variety of songs that you can sing along with and
have a great time." - Irene Wadkins
"... an amazing amalgam of musical instruments and styles...
Adventureous, yet accessible, Rhythmunderground is an all around triumph...
a shimmering soundscape from musical virtuoso Ric Sandler." - Liquid Audio
"Warning: This is not a progressive rock album full of lushly orchestrated epics, ethereal lyrics
and overly serious musicians. Rather, Rhythmunderground, the latest album from veteran
singer, songwriter and multi instrumentalist Ric Sandler, is a self-produced progressive
rock album in the sense that it actually strives to expand the indie-rock genre.
By sounding like Peter Gabriel on the title track and then like Jimmy Buffet on
"Tired of Knockin'," Sandler creates a credible yet carefree vibe for the whole record - one
that keeps listeners anticipating each song. Much like ex-Spock's Beard singer, songwriter
and multi-instrumentalist Neal Morse, Sandler infuses his music with emotion, poignancy
and wit. He seems like the kind of guy you wouldn't mind hanging out with while drinking
beers on the back porch at dusk.
At least one track from Rhythmunderground ("2 Different Worlds') sounds as if it could
have landed on Morse's second solo album, its Not Too Late, while "Big Boy" boasts a touch
of reggae and 'I Feel You Inside' takes a bluesy turn.
Then there's You Don't Know Me, a two minute and 20 second punk song that's easily the
album's heaviest and most raucous tune. On "Rubies," a catchy pop song about a woman who watches her life slip by (which also happened to be one of 2002's most-played singles on R&R
radio stations, if you can believe Sandier's web site), Sandler displays his colorful writing
style with lines like "The girls thought she was brazen/The boys said she was stacked/The
Envy of her school/The prettiest in fact/Til the actress in the lunchroom didn't know where
she was at."
Open-minded rock and metal fans might even dig closing track Back2tharhythm,
a hip-hop song that should feel out of place here but doesn't.
There is so much variety on Rhythm underground that it's tough to slot the record neatly
into any solid category. But if your tastes can veer away from the lofty, the heavy or the
hard - even for 50 minutes - I can almost guarantee you this disc will make you feel better
than you did an hour ago."
4 1/2 out of 5 stars
- Mike Popke
Discography
AS ARTIST:
RHYTHMUNDERGROUND-CD-2002-Rich Id Records
Misc. tracks on Mp3.com
HEY GOOD LOOKIN-Soundtrack-Warner Bros./Ralph Bakshi animated film
AS SONGWRITER
Songs recorded by DIONNE WARWICK (My Everlasting Love), Anne Murray (I'm Just A Lonely Soul), Jermaine Jackson (Enemy Line), & THE DIXIE HUMMINGBIRDS (Slow Moving Train)
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
Writer, arranger, performer, keyboardist, programmer, producer and arranger Ric Sandler; is a man permeated with talent and accomplishment. Sixty-three instruments are presented in his latest CD RHYTHMUNDERGROUND, which remains accessible yet identifiable in a totally lush soundscape.
A musical wunderkind, Ric grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania performing the classics with distinct professionalism before he was seven. In his early teens, he was already writing and performing original ‘serious’ works for his high school and a local playhouse.
But, this prodigious classical talent had a large pop component as well. Ric had his own rock band by age eleven, and by fifteen, he and his band was backing up the legendary R&B master Lloyd Price and opening shows for The Soul Survivors and The Rascals. By the time he graduated high school, Sandler had already been signed to an exclusive publishing contract that led him to Los Angeles and all it implies.
Writing prolifically for the next fifteen years for various publishers such as Sony Music and Warner Chappell, Ric wrote and recorded for himself as well. He collaborated with John Lilley of the Hooters and was also an in-demand session player, working with such legends as Hal Blaine, Jim Gordon, Larry Carlton, Lee Sklar, and the Porcaro brothers, as well as doing lead vocals on some studio group hits during the seventies.
While superstars like Dionne Warwick, Jermaine Jackson and Anne Murray were recording his songs, he was also scoring TV shows and films, including Ralph Bakshi’s Warner Bros. film “Hey Good Lookin”, touring with Tanya Tucker, playing with Chuck Berry, and working the club circuit, as well. In 2000 The Dixie Hummingbirds did one of Ric's songs on their Grammy nominated album, "Music in the Air."
In 2002, this master of multiple genres used his wealth of experience to create a vibrant new sound The resulting album, a multi-textured wonder called RHYTHMUNDERGROUND— a distinctive and highly charged fusion of American rock, soul, and jazz. His unique pop music style reveals many musical layers and surprises. Released on his own RICH ID label, RHYTHMUNDERGROUND yielded two Top 20 radio hits, RUBIES and I’LL LET YA KNOW.
Ric is currently singing his inspirational songs and spreading his unique sound and message in chuches up and down the east coast with his group as well as appearing with groups like the BLIND BOYS OF MISSISSIPPI and THE SOUL STIRRERS. His new CD, 1 GOD 1 PLANET, is being released in July 2006.
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