Bands

Richard Hastings

Richard Hastings started 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. His styles include classical, jazz, pop, island, rock, and flamenco.

Richard has earned two degrees in music from USC including his B.A. (classical guitar) and a Masters in studio/jazz guitar. He is also a graduate of the famed Musicians Institute (Hollywood, CA). Richard has had the privilege of private instruction and/or master classes with such greats as Pepe Romero, Andres Segovia, Christopher Parkening, Adam Del Monte, Joe Pass, Joe Diorio, Ted Greene, Pat Metheny, Lee Ritenour, Larry Carlton, and many others. Richard has also been an instructor at Reed College, USC, El Camino College, Harbor College, Cerritos College, and others.

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. Besides private and corporate events, Richard has maintained a steady flow of long term engagements at such prestigious Southern California resorts as The Bonaventure, Ritz Carlton, Langham, Hotel Bel Air, Resort at Pelican Hill, Beverly Hills Hotel, Casa Del Mar, Le Meridian, Montage, and many others. He also has performed on the luxury cruise ship Mariner (Regent) touring through out South America, and has had two tours in Tahiti for the Bora Bora Lagoon Resort.

As a recording artist and composer, Richard has released seven CD’s ranging from smooth Jazz to world beat to solo guitar. He has been backed by such jazz greats as Dave Benoit, Richard Elliott, Snooky Young, and many of LA’s top studio musicians.

As a studio musician, he has recorded jingles for companies ranging from Taco Bell to ABC and has worked on numerous CD’s for a dozens of music libraries and artists.