Richard Terrill, tenor sax, has been performing with Larry McDonough since December 2001. He also has performed with guitarist Jim McGuire and with Chaz Draper's Uptown Jazz Quartet. He teaches creative writing at Minnesota State University, Mankato.
He is the author of the poetry compilation “Coming Late to Rachmaninoff” (University of Tampa Press, 2003), for which he received the 2004 Minnesota Book Award for Poetry. The 16th Annual Minnesota Book Awards were presented on Sunday, April 25, 2004 at Landmark Center in downtown St. Paul. The awards presentation will be broadcast on May 2 at 8:00 pm on TPT 17.
You can hear Terrill reading from the book on Backstage Pass with Karl Gehrke on WCAL 89.3 FM Radio. You can hear the whole show on the internet by going to:
The interview is 16:35 minutes into the show.
Reviews:
“The poet's Midwestern roots and rich perspectives enrich this first collection by a widely published poet and prize-winning author of creative nonfiction. Terrill has an eye for the ironic and the beautiful, an ear for music and the music of language. As poet Peggy Shumaker says, these are ‘edgy’ and ‘tender’ poems of ‘music, family, grief, the possibility of love—they're all here.’” University of Tampa Press.
“Masterful use of language and subject matter keeps readers engaged and emotionally invested. Blends traditional style with innovation.” Minnesota Book Award Judges’ Comments.
“Coming Late to Rachmaninoff” is available from Terrill, as well as from the University of Tampa Press:
Hardback, $20.00, Terrill also wrote Fakebook: Improvisations on a Journey Back to Jazz (New York: Limelight Editions, 2000), a memoir of his experiences as a musician. His upcoming work is a book for children, a biography of Duke Ellington.
As a college student, Terrill was a member of the award winning University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Jazz Ensemble, and performed with later-to-be Pat Metheny keyboardist Lyle Mays in the Lyle Mays Quartet, winner of small group honors at the Midwest College Jazz Festival. He has also worked with pianist Geoff Keezer.
Email Richard Terrill at richard.terrill@mnsu.edu.
