Richie Kotzen Debuts New Album at The Rose

Richie Kotzen debuted his new album, Salting Earth, at The Rose on April 22. The majority of Salting Earth is the result of Kotzen’s one-man production machine, with the exception of Julia Lage adding background vocals to “Make It Easy,” a tasty, sing-along groove stew.

“The new music led me down the path of playing more piano,” said Kotzen. “It’s a constant evolution – you keep changing and growing.”

With his guitar styles ranging from rock, blues, jazz and fusion to pop and soul, Kotzen has built a remarkably diverse 20 year career as a guitarist, singer and songwriter. Kotzen and his band will be performing seven out of ten new songs on the album.

“‘This is Life’ is my favorite track on the album [Salting Earth] but it’s hard to choose one – they’re all very strong, in my opinion,” he said.

Kotzen toured with his trio extensively outside the United States, building a loyal fan base and selling out shows throughout Europe, Latin America, and Japan. With hundreds of concerts under his belt, Kotzen focuses on making each performance unique and harnessing the power of live music.

“It’s very easy to fall into the trap of playing the same music night after night,” he said. “We have the ability to swap out sets and we also do a lot of improvisation – that keeps things fresh and interesting night after night.”

He always looks forward to sharing his new music with audiences. Kotzen explains that successful concerts rely on forming a connection – first among the musicians and then between the band and the audience.

“You make this music and it’s so close to you emotionally – you want to share it with people and get it out there,” he said.

Richie Kotzen performed on Saturday, April 22 at 9:00 p.m. at The Rose at 245 East Green Street. Call 888-645-5006 or visit http://roseconcerts.com/ for more information.