"Brian Ritchie (born November 21, 1960) is the bass guitarist for the alternative rock band Violent Femmes.
In addition to his bass playing, Ritchie is proficient at the shakuhachi, a Japanese bamboo flute. He acquired a Jun Shihan (shakuhachi teaching license) in March 2003 from James Nyoraku Schlefer, and his professional name is "Tairaku" ("big music" in Japanese).
In 1987, Ritchie released his first solo album, "The Blend." In 1989, he released his second solo album, "Sonic Temple & Court of Babylon." Ritchie's third solo album, "I See A Noise," was released in 1990.
In 2007 Ritchie produced and toured with the Italian punk/folk band The Zen Circus, which subsequently changed its name to The Zen Circus and Brian Ritchie. The first international album of the band, Villa Inferno, was released in 2008 for the Italian record label Unhip Records." - (Wikipedia (en) 15.08.2021)
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