Frank Ricotti

Biography

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

Early life and education

Frank E. Ricotti was born in St Pancras, London, England; his father was a drummer. Bill Ashton, founder of the National Youth Jazz Orchestra (NYJO), was an early mentor. 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.

Career

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.
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.
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, 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. 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.

As leader

Our Point of View (CBS Realm Jazz: 52668, 1969)
First Wind (Ricotti & Albuquerque), with Mike de Albuquerque, (Pegasus: PEG 2, 1971)

General references

Simon Adams, "Frank Ricotti" at Grove Jazz.
John Chilton, Who's Who of British Jazz. 2004, Continuum International Publishing, ISBN 978-0826472342