Richard Underhill is a Canadian jazz saxophonist. A founding member of the jazz fusion group The Shuffle Demons, he has toured Europe and Canada to critical acclaim for over 27 years. Underhill won a 2003 Juno Award for his jazz solo debut Tales from the Blue Lounge, and was nominated for the Prix du Jazz at the 2003 Montreal Jazz Festival. He followed up with the Juno nominated Moment in Time in 2005, Juno nominated Kensington Suite in 2007 and the CD/DVD Free Spirit in 2010.
Richard has performed and recorded with The Neville Brothers/Meters, Han Bennink, Julius Hemphill, Dr. John, The Joe Huron Trio, Kathleen Edwards, Taj Mahal, Maria Muldaur, Rob McConnell, Molly Johnson, Blue Rodeo, Andy Stochansky, Don Thompson, Terry Clarke, Dave Young, Ron Westray, Holly Cole, Hawksley Workman, The Sadies, Luke Doucet, Bob Wiseman, Soul Rebels, Mighty PoPo, Paul Cram, Kevin Breit, the Hemispheres Orchestra, NOMA and Toronto jazz stalwarts like Reg Schwager, Jake Langley, Steve Koven, Ron Davis, Wayne Cass, Tyler Yarema, Tory Cassis and George Koller.
In demand as a session player and sideman, he has written horn and string arrangements for Kathleen Edwards, Molly Johnson, Andy Stochansky, Hawksley Workman, Blue Rodeo, Bob Wiseman, Big Rude Jake and Lorraine Segato.
The founding member of Toronto's outrageous Sun Ra influenced Shuffle Demons, Underhill took this ground breaking Bop Rap ensemble from the streets of Toronto across Canada and to Europe. This audacious group played jazz, folk, world and rock festivals from Halifax to Vancouver and from Italy to Estonia from 1986 – 1997, touring across Canada 15 times and through Europe 15 times. The Shuffle Demons featured a fusion of hard bop and rap combined with exotic costumes and a no-holds-barred performance style. Over the course of 15 European tours they were a hit at several Jazz festivals including the North Sea Jazz, Molde Jazz, London’s Outside In Jazz festival, the Edinburgh Jazz festival, the Sfinks festival, and Jazz a Vienne. They celebrated their 20th Anniversary with a cross Canada tour and by breaking the Guinness Book World Record for most sax players performing a song. (900). The Shuffle Demons continue to tour and performed at festivals in India, China and Europe in 2006 and in Thailand, South Korea and the USA in 2010 with great success. The band is currently working on a new album and toured Australia and New Zealand in 2011.
He leads several diverse groups including his jazz quintet, the Funk Explosion and the improvising electronic groove ensemble Astrogroove. He also leads an improvising/free-jazz group, whose members vary but are mostly horn players called, The Kensington Community Orchestra. They most often play in Toronto's Kensington Market to celebrate car-free Sundays, and annually on December 21 for the solstice party Festival of Lights.
Rich can often be found out and about in the Kensington Market area of Toronto's downtown district.
He performed Van Morrison's Into the Mystic at the state funeral for Jack Layton, deceased leader of the New Democratic Party, on August 27, 2011.