Richard Derrick

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Richard Derrick was born in Torrance, California in 1961, and is a lifelong resident of nearby San Pedro. He began playing music at an early age, starting with piano at age four, guitar at age ten, then learning both drums and bass guitar at 15. Attempts to find like-minded musicians in and around San Pedro became frustrating, and by 1982 Derrick began spending more time in Los Angeles, performing in various musical settings.

Meanwhile back in San Pedro, in 1984 Derrick became roommates with Minutemen singer/guitarist D. Boon, and they began playing together informally with Crane, who played trumpet and sang on a few Minutemen records. The trio called themselves Cosmic Joke, but public performance was limited to two private parties.

Derrick and Crane continued performing together, and in 1987, after several attempts with different musicians, they began working as a duo under the name Another Umbrella, which utilized extended delay guitar loops, pre-recorded instruments, slide shows, and a strong emphasis on improvisation. This went against the grain of what was popular in Los Angeles clubs at the time, but they did perform regularly around town and on radio, most notably at The Museum Of Contemporary Art in downtown Los Angeles. Other musicians who performed with Another Umbrella include keyboardist Paul Roessler and flutist/vocalist Emily Hay.

In 1997, two weeks after the final Another Umbrella show, Derrick began performing with drummer Bob Lee and a core of revolving musicians (including Nels Cline and Joe Baiza) under the name Solo Career, a side-project which continues to the present, although not very prolifically (eight shows between 1997 and 2002).

In 1998 and 2000 Derrick organized and financed two California mini-tours with British singer/songwriter Kevin Ayers, eventually releasing the best of this material on the Alive In California CD through his own Box-O-Plenty Records. He has also released the best of the home recordings with Boon as D. Boon and Friends, as well as the debut album by Solo Career, Season Finale, which features artwork by British artist Paul Whitehead (best known for his art on the Genesis albums Foxtrot, Trespass and Nursery Cryme).

Derrick continues to stay active on the Los Angeles music scene, although on more of a behind-the-scenes level with his label, with plans for producing new music and presenting archival material.