Bobby Ricketts

(Smoothjazz.com album review)

BOBBY RICKETTS: Skin to Skin (Third Wave Entertainment)

Smooth just got a little hipper with the delivery of Bobby Ricketts' SKIN TO SKIN. Nu jazz meets urban grooves to create a stylish Smooth Jazz vibe. Warm, exotic, deep. This is one of the most scintillating albums of 2008! The American saxophonist makes Scandinavia his home. Copenhagen, Denmark has always been a haven for expatriate musicians... "sax players in particular," according to Bobby. Jazz legends Ben Webster and Dexter Gordon are two examples of artists who honed their craft in the Danish capital. Ricketts continues this tradition. He's actually become a TV icon, having performed on more major prime time television shows than any musician in Denmark. Working as music director during the past ten years on some of the most popular TV shows in Danish broadcasting has made Bobby Ricketts a household name. Due to such a demanding schedule, SKIN TO SKIN is the gifted performer's first solo release in many years. This outstanding recording is jam packed with ten solid tracks, each one offering up the 'Wow Factor'... from stunning originals to sensational covers like Coltrane's "Naima," Leon Russell's "A Song For You," and the OutKast smash "The Way You Move," and featuring guest performances by world-class musicians including Delmar Brown (Sting, Gil Evans), Chris Minh Doky (Michael Brecker, Mike Stern) and some of the finest players in Northern Europe including several from his own TV band. SKIN TO SKIN... superb nu jazz, elegant craftsmanship and fresh ideas!

~SANDY SHORE, Smoothjazz.com



Copenhagen, Denmark has always been a haven for expatriate American musicians, sax players in particular. The tradition of honing a distinctive sound in the Danish capital that began with jazz legends such as Ben Webster and Dexter Gordon continues with saxophonist Bobby Ricketts.

Bobby started his career in Boston, Mass. Distancing himself musically from the rest of the pack at an early age and winning numerous awards at school-to-school jazz band competitions, Bobby was voted 'Musician of the Year' by the Massachusetts Music Educators Association during his senior year in high school. Later that year, he was chosen as one of the finest musicians on the entire eastern coast of the United States, and participated in the All-Eastern Music Conference in Washington, D.C.

The success continued. Bobby was awarded a college scholarship by the Boston Jazz Society, the first-ever recipient of this award. The next stop was Berklee College of Music. Bobby quickly rose to the top, playing in the prestigious Berklee Recording Band under the leadership of gifted bandleader/trumpetist Herb Pomeroy, as well as the International Dues Band, led by master trombonist Phil Wilson. There was ample time to jam with the future big names of jazz, and Bobby crossed paths with players such as Kevin Eubanks, Branford Marsalis, 'Smitty' Smith, Tommy Campbell and Victor Bailey, among others.

The international atmosphere of Boston in general, and Berklee College in particular, led to networking opportunities with students representing a myriad of world cultures. What started with tours of Norway and Sweden with fellow Berklee students during school breaks turned into the basis for an unparalleled music career. After completing Berklee's 4-year degree program as an honor student, Bobby packed his saxophones and a suitcase, then flew to Copenhagen. The rest is Danish music history.

Amongst peers, colleagues, fans, and the industry itself, saxophonist/producer/music director Bobby Ricketts is praised for his consistent, unusually high standards of musical & artistic integrity -and admired for the courage it takes to maintain such standards. On his home court in Scandinavia, Bobby is referred to as a TV-icon, having demonstrated his musical abilities on more major prime time television shows than any musician in Denmark, often performing with some of the biggest names in the global music industry. Being seen as music director during the past 10 years for some of the most popular TV shows in Danish entertainment has made Bobby a household name. After well over 150+ program episodes as a music director (multiple re-runs excluded) he is, quite simply, one of the most recognised names and faces of any instrumentalist in the country. Even absolute strangers greet him with 'hi, Bob'.

Being seen is one thing, being remembered is something else altogether, and the sensual, earthy, soulful saxophone stylings of Bobby Ricketts leave a lasting impression. In the words of a colleague, "Bobby plays a REAL mean saxophone!". Playing a mean saxophone has led to studio musician credits on several hundred albums, soundtracks, commercials, and live appearances with such names as Jocelyn Brown, Randy Crawford, Al Jarreau, Kele LeRoc, Suzi Quatro, Vonda Shepard, Curtis Stigers, Toots Thielemanns, Fred Wesley, Roger Whitaker, Bonnie Tyler, Paul Young and many others.

The musical integrity, artistry, heart and soul of saxophonist Bobby Ricketts can now be heard on the album "Skin To Skin" - his first solo recording in a number of years. "I've always been so busy fulfilling commitments to play or produce for other artists or clients, and it never entered my mind to record a solo album. I've always felt that I was expressing myself and being true to my heart musically, even in projects I've done for commercial situations. I've been quite privileged in that way. But over the past few years, the desire to express myself entirely within my own personal musical universe has inflamed into a burning passion..."

The fire is already beginning to spread, as radio stations around the world begin to add tracks from the album to their playing lists. "Skin To Skin" features guest performances by world-class musicians such as Chris Minh Doky (Michael Brecker Quartet, Mike Stern Group), Delmar Brown (Sting, Gil Evans Orchestra), George Whitty (Brecker Brothers) and Bobby’s own TV band, which includes some of the top musicians in Scandinavia. For more info: www.myspace.com/bobbyricketts

Radio Broadcasters can preview and download tracks in broadcast quality at www.AirplayDirect.com/BobbyRicketts


© 2008 Third Wave Entertainment
http://www.wavemediagroup.com
music@wavemediagroup.com (read less)

(Smoothjazz.com album review)

BOBBY RICKETTS: Skin to Skin (Third Wave Entertainment)

Smooth just got a little hipper with the delivery of Bobby Ricketts' SKIN TO SKIN. Nu jazz meets urban grooves to create a stylish Smooth Jazz vibe. Warm, exotic, deep. This is one of the most scintillating albums of 2008! The American saxophonist makes Scandinavia his home. Copenhagen, Denmark has always been a haven for expatriate musicians... "sax players in particular," according to Bobby. Jazz legends... (read more)