Rick Recht is one of the top-touring musicians in Jewish music, playing over 150 concerts a year in the United States and abroad. Recht is widely recognized for his appeal to youth and family audiences not only as an exceptional musician, singer/songwriter, and entertainer, but as a role model for involvement in Jewish life. He has become an icon for Jewish youth in the United States, elevating the medium of Jewish music as a powerful and effective tool for developing Jewish pride and identity among the masses. “We’re lucky because our fan base ranges in age from little kids to adults which allows us to do all kinds of different concerts,” said Recht. “We have the opportunity to constantly change things up and do what it takes to inspire Jewish youth and adults and make them feel connected to each other and their Jewish heritage. The teen rock concerts are sweaty, loud and exciting. The little kids concerts give us a chance to be goofy, but really educational at the same time. The family concerts are a little bit of everything and the "Shabbat Alive!" services have their own unique, powerfully spiritual feeling. Only in the Jewish world could we experience this wonderful variety of creativity, spirituality, and interaction.”
Highlights over the last several years include performances at the NFTY National Convention, BBYO International Convention, URJ Biennial, USY International Convention, CAJE, Hillel Leaders Assembly, NAA Conference, BBYO International Staff Conference, CCAR Conference (Central Conference of American Rabbis), ACC (American Conference of Cantors), and URJ National Preschool Director’s Conference. Recht has become a regular headliner at major national Jewish Festivals in Los Angeles, Houston, Chicago, Kansas City, and England. Recht has launched unprecedented tours playing at Jewish day and overnight camps from coast to coast including Ramah, URJ, BBYO, JCC and private camps garnering a feverish following among the national Jewish youth movements unseen in previous years. “The stage is definitely our home,” says Recht. “The energy and voices of the audiences, whether they’re little kids, teens or adults, are indescribable. That’s the magic of Jewish music - the interaction, the singing, the dancing, and the powerful community connection. For me, it’s a dream come true to create and share in this extraordinary environment on a daily basis.”
Born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, Recht developed a strong Jewish identity attending Traditional Congregation, a conservative synagogue. In high school, Recht joined NFTY, where he was deeply influenced by Jewish music. After graduating USC (Los Angeles, CA) and Music Institute (Hollywood, CA), Recht hit the road touring nationwide from LA to New York playing at clubs, colleges, and amphitheaters. Recht has shared the stage with national acts such as the Guess Who, Chris Rock, America, Supertramp, Three Dog Night, the Samples, Vertical Horizon, Government Mule (Allman Brothers), and many more. After releasing 2 critically acclaimed secular albums, Good Thing and Reality, Recht returned to his Jewish roots with his debut Jewish album Tov in the summer of 1999. His shift to Jewish music marks the birth of a unique blend of pop, radio-friendly music with Hebrew, Jewish text, and social responsibility. Since then, Recht has released seven CDs of contemporary Jewish music: Shabbat Alive! (2001), Free to Be the Jew in Me (2002), The Hope (2003), Shabbat Alive! Live (2005), Tear Down the Walls (2005), Knockin' Holes in the Darkness (2007), and the most recent Simply Shabbat (2009).
Recht’s songwriting combined with his trademark high-energy live show has drawn comparisons to acts such as Dave Matthews Band, Indigo Girls, Craig Taubman, and David Broza. He serves as the Artist in Residence at United Hebrew Congregation in St. Louis, Missouri, and enjoys spending time with his wife, Elisa, and sons Kobi and Tal.
