Ricardo Scales

Ricardo Scales carries the nickname "The Black Liberace," yet that label captures only a fraction of his journey. Onstage he dons glittering outfits while delivering performances that highlight his wide-ranging command of the keyboard, much as the original Liberace did. The moniker also omits the unyielding resolve that propelled him forward—an inner steel he drew upon repeatedly before ever reaching an audience. His fluid execution and flamboyant presentation give the impression that the instrument yields effortlessly to him, yet behind that ease lies a story of persistence few listeners suspect.

Mastery did not arrive early. At nineteen an accident left his left hand paralyzed, the severed tendons forcing three fingers to curl inward. Physicians and physical therapists declared his long-held ambition of a concert career finished, insisting the piano would remain beyond his reach despite the training that had begun at age five. Rejecting that verdict, Scales invented his own regimen, patiently guiding his left hand with his right to restore motion and precision. Partial progress allowed him to accompany dancers at San Francisco State University, though instructors there advised him to abandon music for house painting. The slight only sharpened his focus; he intensified the private exercises until the left hand regained strength and dexterity equal to the right. Five albums followed, among them Straight from the Heart in 2001. From 1982 onward he held a fourteen-year engagement at the Clift Hotel’s Redwood Room in San Francisco. Along the way he immersed himself in multiple idioms, moving with authority through jazz and classical repertoire as well as gospel, R&B, and funk.

Born with evident talent, Scales received early guidance from his mother, Patience Scales, herself a music instructor. Recognizing his aptitude, she introduced music theory and located a child-sized piano. His first public recital occurred at seven. He continued lessons at her Parade of Youth Music School, then at nine began studies with Sir Jules Haywood. An eleven-year-old performance drew the attention of Lillian Hargehead, founder of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Under her tutelage he earned a scholarship to the conservatory, where Beulah Forbes and Beatrice Beauregard became his teachers. Additional workshops brought him into contact with Milt Jackson, Herbie Hancock, and Bill Evans.