Ric Sandler

Ric Sandler, an unpredictable singer and songwriter residing along the New Jersey shore, resists easy categorization. Though his foundation rests in pop and rock, he readily fuses those elements with an array of other traditions, shifting without warning from soul, funk, and disco toward Irish-Celtic textures or Louisiana zydeco. The industry veteran has supplied material suited to an Irish artist such as Luka Bloom with the track “Rubies,” while also crafting grooves robust enough for the Dave Matthews Band or the Red Hot Chili Peppers on “Rhythmunderground” and “Back2tharhythm.” His vocal approach carries a David Bowie-like edge, yet his lyrics remain direct and grounded rather than abstract or cerebral. Additional touchstones include Elton John, Billy Joel, Paul Simon, the Beatles, and early-1970s John Lennon, alongside a clear debt to funk pioneers Sly & the Family Stone, George Clinton’s Parliament/Funkadelic, and Tower of Power, as well as blue-eyed soul acts like the Rascals, Rare Earth, and the Spencer Davis Group.

Raised on the East Coast, Sandler began with classical studies in childhood before turning to rock, pop, and R&B during his early teens. Still underage for voting, he assembled his own band, which shared stages in New Jersey with Lloyd Price and the Rascals and also opened for the Soul Survivors, the East Coast blue-eyed soul outfit known for its 1960s hit “Expressway to Your Heart” and sustained regional following around Philadelphia and southern New Jersey. After high school he secured a publishing deal and relocated to Los Angeles, where he collaborated with Warner Chappell Music and Sony’s publishing division throughout the 1970s. Behind the scenes he wrote or co-wrote songs for Jermaine Jackson, Dionne Warwick, and Anne Murray while contributing session performances on acoustic piano, electric keyboards, organ, and percussion. In 1999 the veteran gospel ensemble the Dixie Hummingbirds included his co-written composition “Slow Moving Train” on the album Music in the Air: The 70th Anniversary All-Star Tribute. Live work included a stint as a sideman in country-pop artist Tanya Tucker’s band.

Sandler did not, however, assemble a solo catalog during his California years. Upon returning to New Jersey he released his own eclectic and unpredictable album, Rhythmunderground, in 2002 on the independent Rich Id Records imprint. In addition to producing and arranging the project, he wrote or co-wrote every track and performed on piano, keyboards, organ, percussion, and tambourine.