Greene, Richard

From Los Angeles.
An influential fiddler who worked with Bill Monroe (1966-67) and the short-lived Muleskinner band with Clarence White, Bill Keith and Peter Rowan (1973).
While working with Monroe, he invented “the fiddle chop” which is a bowing technique similar to the mandolin chop that is used to play rhythm.
First band: The Dry City Scat Band (1963). Others: The Pine Valley Boys (1964), The Greenbriar Boys (1965), Jim Kweskin’s Jug Band (1968), Seatrain (1969), The Great American Music Band (early 1970’s, with David Grisman).
First solo project: Duets (Rounder) in 1977, featuring Tony Rice, Tony Trischka, J.D. Crowe and others.
Has recorded and toured with Bruce Springsteen, Henry Mancini, Loggins and Messina, Maria Muldaur, Burt Bacharach, Peter Rowan, others.
He is an award-winning photographer. Some of his photos are on display in the Smithsonian Photo Gallery in Washington, D.C.
1985, formed the Greene String Quartet (a jazz ensemble).
1991, released The Greene Fiddler album (Sierra Records).
1993, formed The Grass is Greener, a bluegrass band that at the time included a 12-year-old Chris Thile.
2005, teamed up with The Brothers Barton (Paul and Loren Barton of Bakersfield, California) to released Shufflin’album (no label).