A Florida native who landed in North Carolina in 2002, Rich Willey (rhymes with “Billy”) has been around the block, including playing in the 24th Infantry Division Band in the U.S. Army, attending North Texas State University from 1978–1981, then three years cutting his teeth in the jazz clubs in Philadelphia prior to three years in Atlantic City and then seven years in northern New Jersey across the river from New York City.

Rich started calling his bands Boptism in 1986 in New Jersey and in New York, playing in such venues as Birdland, The West End Gate, The Angry Squire and The New York Brass Conference. After going back to school from 1995 through 2001, getting a bachelors from the University of South Florida in Tampa and then a masters at the Manhattan School of Music, Rich worked again in New York City until going on the road for a tour with Maynard Ferguson right after 9/11/2001.

Rich, who has performed with many great musicians, including Maynard Ferguson, Lionel Hampton, Hank Mobley, Don Patterson, Buddy Morrow, Bob Haggart, Dick Hyman, Claudio Roditi, Chris Potter, Conrad Herwig, John Swana, Bob Mintzer, Kenny Drew Jr., and both Brad Mehldau and Mel Tormé, now brings us his new holiday album, the just-released Boptism Christmas (out November 8th, 2024 via Boptism Music).

1. Merry Gentlemen Kings (medley, traditional) (4:30)
2. White Christmas (Irving Berlin) (6:22)
3. Silver Bells (Evans & Livingston) (4:52)
4. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas (Martin & Blane) (5:39)
5. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer* (Johnny Marks) (3:47)
6. Little Drummer Boyz† (Katherine Kennicott Davis) (5:26)
7. The Christmas Song (Tormé & Wells) (5:07)
8. What Child Is This? (tune: Greensleeves, traditional) (5:31)
9. O Come, O Come, Emmanuel (traditional) (4:32)

Recorded January 15th, 2024 at Seclusion Hill Studio, Asheville, NC, this vibrantly harmonious new holiday set opens on the triumphantly joyous Merry Gentlemen Kings and then brings us the lavishly sculpted White Christmas, a decidedly perky Silver Bells (and a rendition quite like I have ever heard before) and then the languishing Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas is unveiled.

Along next is the vocalized, gentle hop, skip and bounce of Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer and the spirited Little Drummer Boyz and they are in turn followed by the free flowing The Christmas Song, the album rounding out on the late night, low slung blues jazz of What Child Is This? (Greensleeves), closing on the genuine toe-tapper O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.

Musicians:
Rich Willey (rhymes with “Billy”), trumpet
Dylan Hannan, alto sax
Ashley Pritchard, tenor sax
Bill Reichenbach, trombone, bass trumpet
Alex Taub, piano, organ
Andy Page, guitar
Zack Page, upright & electric bass
Justin Watt, drums
Russ Wilson, vocal* and drum†

Official Website

Official Rich Willey / Boptism Instagram Page