Music Outpost

Consisting of Richard Leo Johnson, one of the most innovative and inspired acoustic guitarists on the American music scene, and two classically-trained musicians formerly with the late Savannah Symphony Orchestra, keyboardist/synth/reed player Andrew Ripley, and violinist/theremin player Ricardo Ochoa, the Richard Leo Johnson Trio was formed in Savannah, GA in 2003. The trio, who perform live in the Savannah area, recorded a studio album, Poetry of Appliance, and are currently working on a second. In Poetry of Appliance, released on Cuneiform, they bring new focus and an expanded palette to Johnson's instrumental poetry, orchestrating Johnson's guitar-centric compositions with a mixture of classical and rock instrumentation.  While perhaps defined as a new, instrumental Americana, their music transcends single genres and combines folk Americana, bluegrass, rock, classical, and progressive music. 

For bio information on Richard Leo Johnson, see his Music Outpost entry under "Artists", here: (http://www.richardleojohnson.com/)

Andrew Ripley is a skilled multi-instrumentalist who often performs on wind synthesizer, melodica, oboe and English horn. In his recordings with the Richard Leo Johnson Trio, he plays the Yamaha WX5, Medlodica, and Frostwave Resonator. Both of his parents played bagpipies, and he began his music studies on bagpipes and oboe. He later attended the Juilliard School, studying under oboist John Ferrillo and conductor Otto Werner-Mueller. In 2000, Ripley moved to Savannah to accept a position with the Savannah Symphony. After it disbanded in 2003, he helped create the Savannah Soundshorts series, an education series for composition, arranging and improvisation, and co-founded the contemporary chamber ensemble ARTillery Punch with Ricardo Ochoa. Currently living in Indiana, Ripley works as an oboist, English horn player and wind synth player. He has recorded two solo albums and performed on several albums released by Antal Dorati and other musicians. In addition, he rcorded a duo album with Ricardo Ochoa. (http://www.andrewripley.com/index.htm)

Ricardo Ochoa is a classically trained violinist who also plays viola and theremin; he played electric and acoustic violin and theremin with the Richard Leo Johnson Trio. Ochoa began his music training early in life, influenced by his father, Antonio Jose Ochoa, a classically trained guitarist. Studying under Edgar Aponte, Margaret Pardee, Daniel Phillips and Charles Stegman, he recived a degree in performance from the Aaron Copland Achoool of Music and an MA from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh.  Ochoa was a member of the Pittsburgh Opera and Ballett Orchestra and the Savannah Symphony, for which he moved to Savannah in 2000. Subsequently principal second in the Savannah Philharmonic, he is currently Director of Education and Production at the Savannah Music Festival; one of the owners of New Arts Ensembles, a booking agency; and extremely active as a violinist in Savannah, performing in a wide range of ensembles.  Besides the Richard Leo Johnson Trio,  he plays with such jazz and fusion combos as ARTillery Punch, the Roger Moss Quintet, and the Jazz & Tango Kings,  and the experimental art-rock projects GAM and Blackwurm. (https://twitter.com/RicardoOchoa)