Ri’chards’: The ideal room for an extended set and the chance to give an intimate performance to a crowd that came to dine and hear our writer / artist tell thir storys! People come for the food and stay for the music and great home made desserts. This is a premier venue where performers give it their all. It’s a family establishment and performers play for all ages. Jazz, country, Americana, bluegrass, Alt rock, Folk…..you get it all. Ri’chards’ is an all original only venue. Violators will be prosecuted. Richard Trest is a New Orleans native who grew up on the Mississippi Gulf coast. His 1st garage band (at 16) played all the 60's rock covers they could figure out the chords to. He wailed on guitar, bass, lead and harmony vocals, later harmonica. But he knew he was college bound and soon studies and odd jobs to pay for school led him to only play some accoustic tunes with friends. After college a corporate call landed him a carrer job in Baton Rouge and he settled in with a wife and a son. But Richard (Ri'chard stuck as a nickname in Baton rouge) still found time to play at clubs and festival in Louisiana , Michigan and Texas some nights and weekends. He finally started writting in the late 1990's and moved to Nashville as his writing started getting attention. He now has four children, mostly grown, and 14 acres just north of Nashville with horses and lots of pets. His wife Debbie has been supportive of his writing passion and non-traditional workdays. Ri'chard has become one of the Nashville songmachine cogs, writing and co-writing with some hit writers, producing, and supporting other songwriters and emerging artists. He and Debbie always held a couple killer parties at their place each year where his creole cooking was raved about .... so.... In late 2005 he opened Ri’Chard’s Louisiana Café in an historic building that he renovated. You feel like you are in New Orleans just 10 minutes north of downtown Nashville! A friendly place where customers come for the jambalaya, creole or gumbo and hang out for the evening listening to the music of visiting songwriters. As work in the kitchen permits, Richard visits with his guests or, better yet, he and his chefs take to the stage in white hat and smocks to play and sing their own works. Ask him to tell you about the shrimp creole he has simmering on the stove and Richard’s face lights up with pleasure. Ditto for his music. He’s a man with dual passions, but which is he first: a restaurateur or a songwriter? “I’m a chef,” Richard answers with no hesitation whatsoever. “The dictionary says the chef is the chief of the kitchen. That’s what I am. But the music,” he adds, “feeds my songwriter’s soul.” Fortunately, both the food and the music sate the souls of those who tarry at Ri’Chard’s Louisiana Café. A Chistian Country release of Richard's co-write with Tammy Vice, "Paper Cup" , is planned for this fall, thanks to Godschild Records. Richards songs can be heard on many websites including: www.richardscafe.com www.myspace.com/richardslouisianacafe Or live at Ri'chard's Cafe'.