Our Town: John Riger, a musical legend

Most residents of Carbondale have driven by the Crystal River Fish Hatchery hundreds of times. The hatchery always assures us an abundance of fish in our local streams. But how many Carbondale residents know that the man who managed the hatchery from 1978 to 2008 also provides great musical entertainment for the Roaring Fork Valley?
The former hatchery manager, John Riger, is one of the most uniquely talented musicians in Western Colorado. Some Sopris Sun readers may have enjoyed Riger’s music at the Redstone Inn during the holiday season, where he entertained guests and diners. Others may have seen him perform at community festivals or street fairs. Perhaps you saw Riger in a nightclub or at a friend’s wedding. No matter where you might have heard him play, you doubtlessly recognized his talent.
Riger was born in Clarksville, Tennessee. He said that he “has no musical boundaries,” which generally means that he enjoys playing ALL kinds of music, from rock and roll to jazz — and everything in between. He has performed with some of the best active musicians and has assisted with sound management at many music venues. When asked about his primary musical influences, Riger listed familiar names including Ernie Watts, Walt Smith, Dave Schappert, Chuck Lamb and many others.
He said, “I love recording music, playing music, teaching music, learning music and studying music.” The list of musicians that he has worked with is enormous, and can be found on his webpage, www.johnriger.com
Asked how he came to live in Carbondale, Riger attributed it to having seen a photograph of Mt. Sopris. The photo did not provide the name or location of the mountain, but Riger knew that it was where he wanted to settle down. He said he traversed the Rocky Mountains from Canada to Mexico looking for the mountain in the picture. When he finally found Mt. Sopris, he was home. Despite this, Riger has since moved over McClure to live in Somerset.
Riger’s current band is “Good Trouble,” and the feedback I have heard is very, very good. The band members are Patrick Amdahl, Devin Jobson, Paul Valentine and John Riger.