Frank Ricotti


Frank E. Ricotti 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, 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, Dave Gelly, Graham Collier, Mike Gibbs, Stan Tracey, Harry Beckett, Norma Winstone, Gordon Beck, 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.

Discography

As leader

Our Point of View First Wind, with Mike de Albuquerque,

As sideman

With AlphavilleAfternoons in Utopia
With Thomas AndersDifferent
With Aztec CameraKnife
With Madeline BellThis is One Girl Madeline
With Blood, Sweat & TearsNo Sweat
With BloodstoneUnreal I Need Time
With Blue ZoneBig Thing
With Teresa BrewerTeresa Brewer In London
With Dee Dee BridgewaterDear Ella
With Elkie BrooksPearls II
With Emma BuntonFree Me
With Paul CarrackOne Good Reason Blue Views These Days
With Mary Chapin CarpenterSongs from the Movie
With Tina CharlesHeart 'n' Soul
With Charlotte ChurchEnchantment
With Climie FisherEverything
With Rosemary ClooneyNice to be Around
With Stephen Dale PetitThe Crave
With Roger DaltreyMcVicar
With Kiki DeePerfect Timing
With Terence Trent D'ArbyIntroducing the Hardline According to Terence Trent D'Arby
With Sheena EastonTake My Time You Could Have Been with Me Madness, Money & Music
With Everything but the GirlBaby, the Stars Shine Bright
With Bryan FerryAs [Time Goes By (Bryan Ferry album)|As Time Goes By] Frantic Dylanesque Olympia The Jazz Age (The [Bryan Ferry Orchestra album)|The Jazz Age] Avonmore Bitter-Sweet
With Julia FordhamSwept
With Peter FramptonWind of Change
With GabrielleAlways
With Gareth GatesWhat My Heart Wants to Say Go Your Own Way
With Gibson BrothersEmily
With Clive GriffinClive Griffin
With Delta GoodremMistaken Identity
With David GrayLife in Slow Motion
With Josh GrobanAwake Bridges
With Daryl HallSoul Alone
With Geri HalliwellPassion
With Albert HammondAlbert Louis Hammond
With Debbie HarryDebravation
With Johnny Hates JazzTurn Back the Clock Tall Stories Magnetized
With Murray HeadNigel Lived
With John IllsleyGlass
With Yusuf IslamKing of a Land
With Elton JohnIce on Fire Leather Jackets
With Grace JonesSlave to the Rhythm
With Joshua KadisonPainted Desert Serenade
With Nick KamenUs
With Katrina and the WavesTurnaround
With Beverley KnightAffirmation
With Mark KnopflerSailing to Philadelphia Kill to Get Crimson
With Nick LacheySoulO
With Lighthouse FamilyOcean Drive
With Meat LoafBad Attitude
With Freddie Mercury and Montserrat CaballéBarcelona (Freddie Mercury and [Montserrat Caballé album)|Barcelona]
With MikaThe Origin of Love
With John MilesPlay On
With Joni MitchellSides Now (Joni Mitchell album)|Both Sides Now]
With Oliver NelsonOliver Edward Nelson in London with Oily Rags
With Robbie NevilRobbie Nevil
With Chris NormanDifferent Shades
With Sally OldfieldWater Bearer Easy Celebration Playing in the Flame Strange Day in Berlin
With The OvertonesHigher
With Pet Shop BoysVery Fundamental
With Anthony PhillipsSides
With Fayette PinkneyOne Degree
With Michel PolnareffBulles
With Gregory PorterNat King Cole & Me
With Gerry RaffertyNight Owl Snakes and Ladders Sleepwalking
With Chris ReaWhatever Happened to Benny Santini?
With Cliff RichardEvery Face Tells a Story Together with Cliff Richard
With RumerBoys Don't Cry
With Leo SayerHave You Ever Been [in Love (album)|Have You Ever Been in Love]
With SealSoul 2
With Chris SpeddingBackwood Progression
With Edwin StarrEdwin Starr
With Status QuoRockin' [All Over the World (album)|Rockin' All Over the World] If You Can't Stand the Heat...
With Amii StewartTime for Fantasy
With Rod StewartA Spanner in the Works
With Bill TarmeyA Gift of Love Time for Love
With Tina TurnerPrivate Dancer Break Every Rule
With Uriah HeepHead First Raging Silence
With Rick WakemanThe [Six Wives of Henry VIII (album)|The Six Wives of Henry VIII] Rick Wakeman's Criminal Record 1984
With Was (Not Was)What Up, Dog?
With Wet Wet Wet10
With Robbie WilliamsSwing When You're Winning Swings Both Ways
With Amy Winehouse

General references