Richard
Richard Brooks
Richard Brooks plays bluegrass, western swing, and swing jazz fiddle styles. His Rhythm Roundup band opened the 2014 Good Old Fashioned Bluegrass Festival. He was president of the San Jose-based Santa Clara Valley Fiddlers Association from 2008-2016.
The major influences contributing to his unique fiddling style are bluegrass fiddlers Richard Greene and Byron Berline (both former Bluegrass Boys), western swing fiddler Johnny Gimble, and swing jazz Danish violinist Svend Asmussen about whom he published a biography in the Spring 2005 issue of Fiddler Magazine that is also available online. Richard also plays 5-string banjo. In an earlier version of Fresh Picked he played both fiddle and banjo. His banjo style is based on the wizardry of Earl Scruggs, Doug Dillard, and Bill Keith.
Here are some Banjo songs played by Richard solo:
