The ETHEREAL JAZZ QUARTET, led by RICHARD  on tenor sax, has been very active in the jazz scene of New York, and currently perform at most of the leading jazz clubs and restaurants in New York City. His musical career started out at age five, singing and entertaining family and friends. He won much acclaim from his J.H.S teachers for singing the Wonderbread commercial for the school talent show. He was one of the lead singers in his Martin Van Buren H.S. vocal group called the Debonairs. Vocalist ARTIE REYNOLDS got him started as an electric bass player and he later became electric bass player and vocalist with the rhythm and blues group known as "CHAKA".  In 1969,  "WISHING WELL", written by R. FELLS, accompanied by GILBERT MOSES and CORDELL REAGON,was recorded and released by Columbia Records. He also became an apprentice actor and bassist with the FREE SOUTHERN THEATER, based in New Orleans Lousiana. This led to a tour of southern states such as Texas, Lousiana, Mississippi, and Tennesee, during the struggle for civil rights. Focusing on the suburban areas, plays relevant to the African American experience were performed at no charge. This was during one of the most turbulent times in American history.  He toured Europe performing in a play written by LeROI JONES (aka IMAMU AMIRI BARAKA), and directed by the late GILBERT MOSES, called "SLAVE SHIP", which had recently won the "O B" (Off Broadway) award for best play, after the completion of the southern tour.
RICHARD, known as "DOC" to many, and "POPS" to many others, performed and recorded with CARLTON SMITH aka "NAPOLEON SOULO" in a rhythm and blues/rock band that went by the name "THRILL CYCLE", for a short period of time, but the love for jazz, instilled in him by his Uncle O'NEIL MACKEY,  took him away from that scene. RICHARD is a "late bloomer",  and started his journey in jazz in 1993, under the private tutelage of the late DAVID GROSS. In 1997 Richard asked pianist  ALLEN PENA, bassist EUGENE COOPER and drummer SADIQ, to join him, and they became the first members of the ETHEREAL JAZZ QUARTET. He has had the opportunity to learn from and play with some of the great innovators of jazz, such as WYNTON MARSALIS,  ARCHIE SHEPP, BOBBY PORCELLI, RUDY STEVENSON, BEAVER HARRIS, HAROLD VICK, CHARLES DAVIS, CAL MASSEY, ED CHERRY, PATIENCE HIGGINS and BERNARD PURDY, just to name a few. RICHARD has performed on the East and West coasts. His first CD titled "FOOTPRINTS" was released in 2003.

For bio information on other band mates, click on "links" above.