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Frank Ricotti

Frank Ricotti
Birth nameFrank E. Ricotti
Born (1949-01-31) 31 January 1949 (age 75)
St Pancras, London, England
GenresJazz
OccupationMusician
Instrument(s)Vibraphone, percussion

Frank E. Ricotti (born 31 January 1949)[1] is an English jazz vibraphonist and percussionist.

Early life and education

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Frank E. Ricotti was born in St Pancras, London, England;[2] his father was a drummer.[1] Bill Ashton, founder of the National Youth Jazz Orchestra (NYJO), was an early mentor.[1] As a teenager, Ricotti played vibraphone and learned composition and arranging in the NYJO, and later attended Trinity College of Music between 1967 and 1970.[3]

Career

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Ricotti worked with Neil Ardley (1968–71), Dave Gelly, Graham Collier, Mike Gibbs (1969–72), Stan Tracey (1970), Harry Beckett (1970–72), Norma Winstone (1971), Gordon Beck (1973–74), and Hans Zimmer.[4]

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Ricotti led his own jazz quartet. A line-up of the band featuring the guitarist Chris Spedding, bassist Chris Laurence and drummer Bryan Spring recorded the album Our Point of View, released in July 1969. In 1971, in partnership with bassist Mike de Albuquerque, he released the album First Wind, as Ricotti and Albuquerque.[5]

In the 1980s he played with Chris Laurence and John Taylor in the group Paragonne, and played with Beck again in 1984. After this he worked primarily as a studio musician.

Ricotti has recorded with artists such as Status Quo, Freddie Mercury, Pet Shop Boys, Swing Out Sister, Art of Noise,[6] The Style Council, Belle and Sebastian, Clannad, Barclay James Harvest, Meat Loaf, Elkie Brooks, Rick Wakeman, Oasis, Tina Turner, Aztec Camera, Thomas Anders, Alphaville, and Mark Knopfler.

Between 1984 and 1987, Ricotti wrote the soundtrack music for Yorkshire Television's The Beiderbecke Trilogy, in the style of Bix Beiderbecke. The music was performed by his band, the Frank Ricotti All Stars, and featured Kenny Baker on cornet. A soundtrack album was released in 1988. Later, in June 1993, it peaked at No. 73 in the UK Albums Chart.[7] Ricotti and his band made a cameo appearance in the final series, playing in a jazz club.

In 2007 Ricotti played vibes on Mark Knopfler's album, Kill to Get Crimson.[8]

Discography

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Lo and Behold
An audio sample of "Lo and Behold", from the 1971 album First Wind
Problems playing this file? See media help.

As leader

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As sideman

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With Alphaville

With Thomas Anders

With Aztec Camera

With Madeline Bell

  • This is One Girl (Pyre Records, 1976)
  • Madeline (Four Corners, 1993)

With Blood, Sweat & Tears

With Bloodstone

  • Unreal (London, 1973)
  • I Need Time (London, 1974)

With Dee Dee Bridgewater

With Elkie Brooks

With Emma Bunton

With Paul Carrack

With Mary Chapin Carpenter

  • Songs from the Movie (Zoe, 2014)

With Tina Charles

With Charlotte Church

With Climie Fisher

With Rosemary Clooney

With Stephen Dale Petit

With Roger Daltrey

With Kiki Dee

With Terence Trent D'Arby

With Sheena Easton

With Everything but the Girl

With Bryan Ferry

With Julia Fordham

  • Swept (Virgin Records, 1991)

With Peter Frampton

With Gabrielle

With Gareth Gates

With Clive Griffin

  • Clive Griffin (Epic Records, 1993)

With Delta Goodrem

With David Gray

With Josh Groban

  • Awake (Reprise Records, 2006)
  • Bridges (Reprise Records, 2018)

With Daryl Hall

With Geri Halliwell

With Albert Hammond

  • Albert Louis Hammond (Epic Records, 1978)

With Debbie Harry

With Murray Head

With John Illsley

  • Glass (Vertigo, 1988)

With Yusuf Islam

With Elton John

With Grace Jones

With Joshua Kadison

With Nick Kamen

  • Us (WEA, 1988)

With Katrina and the Waves

  • Turnaround (Polydor Records, 1994)

With Beverley Knight

With Mark Knopfler

With Nick Lachey

With Lighthouse Family

With Meat Loaf

With Freddie Mercury and Montserrat Caballé

With Mika

With John Miles

With Joni Mitchell

With Van Morrison

With Oliver Nelson

With Robbie Nevil

With Chris Norman

  • Different Shades (Hansa, 1987)

With Sally Oldfield

  • Water Bearer (Bronze Records, 1978)
  • Easy (Bronze Records, 1979)
  • Celebration (Bronze Records, 1980)
  • Playing in the Flame (Bronze Records, 1981)
  • Strange Day in Berlin (Bronze, 1983)

With Pet Shop Boys

With Anthony Phillips

With Michel Polnareff

With Gregory Porter

With Gerry Rafferty

With Chris Rea

With Cliff Richard

With Rumer

With Leo Sayer

With Seal

  • Soul 2 (Reprise Records, 2011)

With Status Quo

With Amii Stewart

With Rod Stewart

With The Style Council

With Tina Turner

With Uriah Heep

With Rick Wakeman

With Was (Not Was)

With Wet Wet Wet

  • 10 (Mercury, 1997)

With Robbie Williams

With Amy Winehouse

References

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Footnotes

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  1. ^ a b c Colin Larkin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Who's Who of Jazz (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 335. ISBN 0-85112-580-8.
  2. ^ "Ricottii Frank E. Fisher Pancras". freebmd.org.uk. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
  3. ^ "Frank Ricotti". AllMusic. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  4. ^ "Frank Ricotti | Biography & History | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 26 April 2017.
  5. ^ "Ricotti & Albuquerque: First Wind (FOX033)". jazzmessengers.com. Retrieved 10 September 2022.
  6. ^ "THE ART OF NOISE ONLINE www.theartofnoiseonline.com". www.theartofnoiseonline.com.
  7. ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 463. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  8. ^ "Kill To Get Crimson". MarkKnopfler.com. Retrieved 26 April 2017.
  9. ^ "Our Point of View - Frank Ricotti | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
  10. ^ "Ice on Fire - Elton John | Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 21 July 2020.
  11. ^ "Leather Jackets - Elton John | Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 21 July 2020.
  12. ^ "Back to Black - Amy Winehouse | Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 21 July 2020.

General references

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