Richard Elliot - Yaquala

“The funny part of how Rock Steady (2010) took shape is that I had the whole retro-soul idea in place when I started to write and record Metro Blue, Richard says. But because I dont like to limit the way the creative flow is going, that album took on a decidedly European flavor, which turned out so well that we kept going with it. So we got a bit sidetracked but in a good way, and Rock Steady gets back to that original idea. I see all of my solo albums as if they are vocal albums but using the sax as the voice, and once again, I had fun challenging myself as a writer and player, offering the latest step of my evolution in these areas. When formulas work in the past, many artists have a tendency to do the same thing again and again. But it’s more exciting to forge ahead and try new ideas that fit into my natural growth as an artist.“ Beyond working with his longtime core touring band members Ron Reinhardt (keyboards), Dwight Sills (guitar), Nate Phillips (bass) and Ricky Lawson (drums),