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Richard Blanchard
Richard is currently percussionist for both Peter Grant and Joe Longthorne. Over the past three years he has toured extensively with both artists and featured on the DVD’s, ‘Joe Longthorne Live at the London Palladium’, ‘You And Me’ and ‘Joe Sings to the Gods, Live in Cyprus’ as well as recording Joe’s first studio album in ten years, also titled ‘You And Me’. With Peter, Richard has been part of three UK tours including performances at Ronnie Scotts, Pizza on the Park, The Stables & Shepherds Bush Empire and is currently working on material towards Peter’s third album on Universal Records.
On drum kit further credits include The Drifters, Bucks Fizz, Charlie Gracie, Craig Douglas, Georgie Fame, Albert Lee, Danny La Rue & Darius Brubeck; and on percussion, Englebert Humperdinck, the National Festival Orchestra, Welsh National Opera, Black Dyke Mills brass band, Grimethorpe Colliery brass band, Ron Goodwin Concert Orchestra and orchestras under the direction of Sir Neville Marriner, Paul Daniel and John Anderson. Theatre shows include ‘The Rat Pack’, ‘The Elvis Collection’, ‘West Side Story’, ‘Winter Dance Party’, ‘Rave On’ & ‘Legends Reborn’, plus numerous freelance cruise ship contracts, pantomimes, summer seasons and session work for TV and Radio.
Richard is a percussion examiner for Trinity Guildhall and also a keen keyboard player. He is musical director of ‘The Cat Pack’, a 19-piece rhythm’n’blues big band in which he currently involves various percussion instruments in the style of personal hero’s including Lionel Hampton, Cozy Cole and Eric Delaney. The Cat Pack are currently preparing material for their third album on Raucous Records as well as a DVD and short theatre tour in 2010.