John Paul Riger is a pianist, composer and recording artist from Somerset, Colorado. “Rig” as he’s known by his family and friends has released countless recordings of various genres. Rig's performed live professionally for more than forty years. His influences include the countless musicians with whom he’s worked intimately in live performance, recording studio and/or provided live stage technical expertise and concert sound reinforcement. To name a few they include Stevie and Sherry McCamly, Sammy (Moondog) Homan, Billy (Bones) Keller, Greg (Sgetti) Palazzari, Ron Carter, Joe Lamore, Steve Bamford, Evan Eustis, Dave Hill, Danny Brennan-Combs, Nelson Rangell, Monty Alexander, Jeff Hamilton, Ray Brown, Ray Bryant, Dorothy Donegan, Jay McShann, Ralph Sutton, Rich Chiarluce, Herb Ellis, Johnny Smith, Paul Valentine, Delbert McClinton, Doug Whitney, Bob Montgomery, Paul Romane, Art Hood, Ellyn Rucker, Hazel Miller, EOS (End of Story), Kenny Walker, Lee Martin, Bruno Carr, Cassandra Wilson, Christopher Hollyday, Marlena Shaw, Buddy Defranco, Fred Hess, Ranee Lee, Gigi Rich, Mark Whitfield, Kenny Davern, Oliver Jones, Rene Netto, Charlie Sepulveda, FIA (Fuck It All), Larry Coryell, Wallace Rony, Rob Mullins, Flora Purim, Airto Moreira, Tudie Calderon, Bobby Lyle, McCoy Tyner, Mike Barone, Phil Woods, Herbie Mann, Joe Pass, Roy Hargrove, Mark Dempsey, Russell Malone, Gary Burton, George Weber, Pancho Sanchez, Joe Lukasik, Chuck Lamb, Theano Anifantakis, Jeff Andrews, Clark Terry, Cliff Habian, A.J. Lee, Hugh Masakela, Johnny Frigo, Bill Howarth, Mose Allison, Ahmad Jamal, Spike Robinson, Ron Miles, Les McCann, Steve Turre, Bruce Imig, Chris Bank, Mark Gray, Frank Martin, Tuck and Patti Andress, Leon Redbone, John Sebastian, Dave Hansen, Dave Shappert, Guy Williams, A. Drew Scott, Billy Childs, Frank Morgan, Ernie Watts, Gene Harris, Ingrid Hagelberg, Rich Lamb, his entire family and especially his father, The Dood.
John has a decade-long reputation of performing classical, ragtime, jazz, bossa nova, rhythm and blues, Motown, rock, pop, bluegrass, country, world, samba, gospel and improvisations throughout Colorado, particularly in the Colorado State Capitol district at the Denver Public Library, the Boettcher Auditorium of the Colorado History Museum, and for legislators, lobbyists, and constituent groups at numerous state agency functions.
John served most recently as the music director of the Redstone Art Center (2013-2015). Additionally, you can find him performing as a soloist at various venues throughout the Roaring Fork Valley including the Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park, the Iron Mountain Hot Springs, the Historic Redstone Inn and ANB Bank. John recently completed a six month course in Gospel Piano taught by Vaughn Brathwaite who teaches the same at Berkeley College of Music.
John comes from a long line of Coloradoans. His grandfather Hugh A. Stewart was born in Aspen in 1888. His great grandfather, James T. Stewart was elected the Sheriff of Pitkin County that same year.