Not in any particular order (and really just some of them, but)...
Traditional: John Coltrane, Joe Henderson, Ben Webster, Paul Gonsalves, Sonny Rollins, Stan Getz, Monk, Warne Marsh, Miles, Ellington, Beethoven, Mahler, Rachmaninoff, Stravinsky...
Modern: Branford Marsalis, Joe Lovano, Michael Brecker, Donald Brown, Bunky Green, Wayne Shorter, Kenny Garrett, Mark Turner, Chris Potter, Joshua Redman, Jerry Bergonzi, Pat Metheny, Pat Martino, Arvo Part, Peter Gabriel, Bjork, Stevie Wonder, Sting, Prince and anyone else who leaves me mesmerized, borderline catatonic or temporarily dysfunctional after listening to them for even one minute...
Sounds Like
"…Ricci is a convincing voice in the increasingly overcrowded world of jazz saxophone. His integrity and passion toward the advancement of his musical vision is evident throughout…”
--John Barron, All About Jazz
"Ricci’s tenor sound is complex. His playing is bold, robust, energetic but not devoid of warmth. His sound is unique and completely his own. Comparisons can be made to contemporaries such as Chris Potter, Seamus Blake, Eric Alexander or even Joe Lovano..."
--Skip Spratt, SaxShed.com
"...Holding Time showcases Ricci's impressive mastery of his horn and his well-schooled compositional ability….will have even the most undemonstrative listener head bopping and
toe tapping…”
--Brad Walseth, jazzchicago.net
“...John Ricci is one of the new voices of the saxophone that deserves much more recognition. Once you hear this CD, I’m sure you will agree…”
--Donald Brown, Renown Pianist/Composer and Former Jazz Messenger
The first born American and youngest member of a musical family, John Ricci had an eclectic musical upbringing. His family comes out of an Italian and Argentine background, his mother having performed opera in the Teatro Colon in Argentina when she was only a teenager, brothers that could play or sing any music they heard and a father who also sang and enjoyed anything and everything conducted by Arturo Toscannini. Starting on piano at age 7, John added saxophone at age 11 and was already improvising with everything from Jobim to Beatles records soon after.
John attended the exclusive jazz studies program at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. There, he was mentored directly by world renown jazz pedagogue and saxophonist Jerry Coker. He also had the opportunity study closely with internationally recognized pianist-composer and former Jazz Messenger Donald Brown. He was awarded a teaching assistantship at the Florida State University School of Music jazz studies and contemporary media program. In that time he performed with Blue Note recording artist trumpeter Marcus Printup, performed at Preservation Hall in New Orleans, received outstanding soloist awards at the 1994 and 1995 Mobile National Jazz Festival, won an outstanding performance in the Notre Dame Collegiate Jazz Festival, and won the combo division of the 1995 Down Beat Collegiate Music Awards.
John’s new CD Holding Time is a debut release of some of his own very inspired compositions and arrangements. The musicians accompanying him on this album are of the finest in the southeast. All grads from the award winning UNF Jazz Program that have since paved their own ways: pianist and composer Joshua Bowlus, bassist Billy Thornton and drummer Peter Miles (Miles can also be heard recording and touring for Marsalis Music guitarist-singer and composer Doug Wamble). This project has already been receiving some very high praise and critical acclaim. And in January 2009, John was named winner of the jazz song category of the 8th Annual Independent Music Awards with the opening track of the CD entitled "Mode Time".
He has taught at the prestigious University of North Florida jazz program as a visiting professor assisting the saxophone teaching load for the legendary Bunky Green, recorded and arranged for Latin bassist and composer Angel Roman on the Mambo Blue CD Con Fuego, and recorded on violinist-singer composer Rebecca Zapen’s first CD release, Hummingbird. He was recently invited to perform with pianist Donald Brown in the Donald Brown Quintet (The Forces of Inspiration). He has also been directing and building a jazz program at Jacksonville University and performing regionally for festivals and jazz club bookings with his professional quartet for several years now.
Hello again! We know a good thing when we hear it, so we are using HOLDING TIME as our next song-of-the-day on our profile page. Thanks for letting us borrow it!
Hello John! Thanks for the great music you have posted here...We have used one for our song-of-the-day on our profile page! Be sure to let us know about your gigs in FLA so we can add them to our listings! Best! Charlie
Mode Time possibly has the most badass groove I've heard in months. Seriously. Especially how it switches to latin at the beginning. So killin. Love your stuff.
Way to go, John! Great song! Between you and two other people I know there have been three major music awards in the last year so I must be listening/talking with the right people! :-)
Hello John, it is good here in your beautiful Space! Thanks so much for your comment. All the best for you and your very, very nice music! Greetings from Berlin Jobinho Minas
Hi John! I am truly mesmerized by your talent. Your sound and playing are amazing!!!! Your bio is very interesting. Nice to meet you, and keep that GREAT music coming!!!!! Best Wishes from NYC!!! Tony
Wow!!Thanks John. However none of the tunes on my page are mine, except the arrangement of Monk's Mood. I plan on putting some of my own up there at some point. Your stuff sounds wonderful of course.
