Origin Artist

Paul Ricci's sound world has obviously made a significant impression on the rest of this stellar cast...
Raul Da Gama, Latin Jazz Net

Paul Ricci was born in New York in March 1958. He has performed and studied various styles of music that have led to an enduring career as a guitarist, arranger and producer in the USA and Brazil. A graduate of New England Conservatory (1980), he has performed at some of the most prestigious jazz clubs in NYC in the 1980's and 1990's sharing the stage with many great names on the international scene such as Dom Um Romao, Edison Machado, Jaki Byard, Dennis Irwin, Alex Blake, David Kikoski, Victor Jones, Santi DeBriano, Mino Cinelu, Gil Goldstein, Hugo Fattoruso, Cyro Baptista, Steve Thornton, Mike Clark, Bakithi Kumalo, Larry Willis and many others in clubs such as Fat Tuesday's, Visiones, Birdland, Zanzibar, Iridium e the Blue Note. It was at the Blue Note in November 1986 that Paul's performance alongside the pianist Jaki Byard earned him a special mention in the New York Times by the noted jazz critic John S. Wilson who singled out Ricci's "...fascinating unaccompanied performance of ''Lover Man" He has also worked with many Brazilian artists in NYC from the mid 1980's to the mid 1990's, in particular Bebel Gilberto and also Astrud Gilberto with whom he also performed with on tour in Asia and Europe in the role of guitarist, arranger and composer. In 1991 in a tribute concert to Stan Getz at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, Paul accompanied Astrud Gilberto with an all star band comprised of Roy Haynes, Gary Burton, Kenny Barron and George Mraz. In July 1993 he played in the famed NY Public Theater`s "Shakespeare In The Park" production of "Measure For Measure" starring Kevin Kline where he performed on stage in a Latin and Caribbean musical adaptation of the play. This experience resulted in a series of shows with the noted Latin drummer Bobby Sanabria and his band ''Ascension'' which has received multiple Grammy nominations for best Latin Jazz album. Ricci's continued musical curiosity led him from Brazilian and Latin music to African music. From 1993-1997 he was part of the "African Blue Note" band led by veteran drummer Jo-Jo Kuo which in addition to being a fixture in NY's jazz clubs also accompanied noted African recording artists such as Coumba Sidibe and Sekouba Kandia Kouyate in their NY Concerts. His experience with Carribean and African music led to an important 1995 European tour with singer and activist Harry Belafonte.

RECORDINGS FEATURING Paul Ricci

Paul Ricci

The Path

Origin 82942