Episode 072–Richard Hastings “Another Life” and Cousin Tim with Bruce Hilliard

Richard Hastings started his musical journey playing guitar at age seven and has been a professional working musician (guitarist and vocalist) his entire adult life as performer, studio musician, composer, educator, music contractor and recording artist. Although his styles include classical, jazz, pop, country and flamenco, his passion has always been songwriting. Inspired as a young man by his older cousin Tim Hardin (If I were a Carpenter, Reason to Believe, and many more), Richard has returned to his songwriting roots with two new CD’s: Another life (Fate Cuts Like a Knife) and Last Troubadour, The Tim Hardin Legacy.  Armed with a master’s degree in music from USC and a degree from Musicians Institute, Richard has been a mainstay in the LA music scene for many years in a variety of venues and studios. As a recording artist and composer, Richard has released seven CDs ranging from smooth Jazz, to world beat, to solo guitar. He has been backed by such jazz greats as David Benoit, Richard Elliott, Snooky Young, and many of LA's top studio musicians. As a performer, Richard has opened for such diverse artists as Bobby Caldwell, Chuck Mangione, Earl Klugh, Bo Diddly, Stanley Jordan, Strunz and Farah, Stanley Clark, Richard Elliott, The Dave Clark Five, Freddie Fender, Jose Feliciano and many others.  Richard considers his journey one of musical exploration. Returning to his songwriting roots has given him a chance to express the depth of his musical understanding as well as his life experiences. Another life (Fate cuts Like a knife) is a deeply personal expression of his life’s lessons and experiences. His “gentleman country” style is a perfect vehicle to express his lessons of loss, love and life. His tribute to his cousin Tim Hardin (The Last Troubadour) helped him return to the singer/songwriter spirit he saw in watching early performances of Tim. Richard has a deep commitment to promoting Tim’s music. He feels Tim is a forgotten genius whose songs deserve a fresh look. He has produced rich new arrangements of a dozen of Tim’s songs and has utilized the talents of some of Tim’s original band mates including John Sebastian and Mike Mainieri. Which will be featured in his upcoming tribute album, The Last Troubadour. Richard's Website with Store and Video, Everything Richard!