Rick Howard Reviews

marconews.com On the Menu: Jazz at the beach on the Marco Beach Ocean Resort Terrace By Tom Williams Marco news: originally published — 7:00 a.m., April 11, 2007

With a sultry gulf breeze caressing from the open water, and the Rick Howard Jazz Quartet crooning on the terrace, the Marco Beach Ocean Resort was alive with springtime as the Marco Island Chamber of Commerce celebrated a 30-year anniversary with a cocktail party, dinner, and jazz at the beach. Everyone attending appeared to be from Hollywood as sunglasses glinted in the light and ladies hats shaded pretty faces. Swelling with the breeze, the dynamic jazz moved over the milling crowd and out onto the open beach. Rick Howard and his jazz quartet were pulling all the stops as they played classic jazz standards dedicated to intoxicate the soul and cast a memorable spell. The atmosphere under the wooden vaulted ceilings and above the cobbled court could not have been more festive.

The Rick Howard Quartet is composed of Rick Howard on a customized Heritage hollowed-bodied electric guitar, Stu Shelton on electric piano, Lou Califano on tenor saxophone, and Ron Hefner on the Jazz drum kit. Leading the group with lively riffs from his guitar, Rick Howard ventures out with evocative vocals as Califano weaves the tenor sax between strong bass lines and supporting melodies provided by Stu Shelton on the Yamaha electric piano.

The Rick Howard Jazz Quartet regularly performs throughout Southwest Florida. An up and coming Web address for jazz lovers is www.rickhowardguitar.com. For an evening of true talent, and to experience true jazz and rhythm and blues, the Rick Howard group is a special treat not to be missed. 

© 2007 Marco Daily News and NDN Productions. Published in Marco Island, Florida, USA by the E.W. Scripps Co.