Richie Summa hails from Stamford, Connecticut, where he studied guitar with Sal Salvador, one of the jazz greats.  Richie has performed with jazz luminaries such as Scotty Barnhart, Longineu Parsons, and Leon Anderson, Jr.  As a leader, Summa has produced two CDs, “Alone Together,” (solo guitar & vocals), and “Tear It Down” (with his jazz quartet).  On “Tear It Down,” Richie pays tribute to some of the jazz greats, covering tunes by Wes Montgomery and Pat Martino along with some of his original compositions.  On “Alone Together,” Richie sings from the “Great American Songbook,” displaying the influence of Joe Pass on guitar and the vocal stylings of Chet Baker.  Most recently, Richie was a featured artist at the 2022 Bainbridge Jazz and Blues Festival.  

During his career, Summa has performed with every variety of musician and entertainer imaginable.  He has played guitar with Julie Andrews, Englebert Humperdinck, Della Reese, Rita Moreno, Connie Francis, Bobby Vinton, and many more.  He has performed with the Fifth Dimension and The Drifters.

         Richie has performed on Broadway with the production of “La Cage aux Folles.”  He has backed Anthony Quinn in “Zorba the Greek,” Joel Grey in “Cabaret,” and Donna McKechnie in “A Chorus Line.”  Richie has backed comedians Bob Hope, Rich Little, Milton Berle and Henny Youngman. 

         In his “other job,” Summa is a criminal appeals attorney, representing indigent defendants in Florida and federal courts.  Summa has argued numerous cases in the Florida Supreme Court and the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta.  In January of 2020, Mr. Summa argued a case before the Supreme Court of the United States.