Ricky Ford

Ford and Mercer Ellington (right), 1975

Ricky Ford (born March 4, 1954) is an American jazz tenor saxophonist.

Ford was born in Boston and studied at the New England Conservatory.^[1] In 1974 he recorded with Gunther Schuller and then played in the Duke Ellington Orchestra under Mercer Ellington from 1974 to 1976. After this he played with Charles Mingus (1976–77), Dannie Richmond (1978–1981), Lionel Hampton, and then in the Mingus Dynasty (1982). In 1985 he played with Abdullah Ibrahim. He has recorded extensively as a leader for Muse and Candid.

He had taught at Istanbul Bilgi University from 2001 to 2006.

He founded in 2009 the Toucy Jazz Festival^[2] in Yonne (France), and invited musicians like Rhoda Scott (2009) and Ravi Coltrane (2011).

Discography

As leader

New World Records

• 1977: Loxodonta Africana with Oliver Beener, Charles Sullivan, Bob Neloms, Richard Davis, Dannie Richmond

Muse Records

• 1978: Manhattan Plaza with Oliver Beener, Jaki Byard, David Friesen, Dannie Richmond
• 1980: Flying Colors with John Hicks, Walter Booker, Jimmy Cobb
• 1981: Tenor of the Times with Albert Dailey, Rufus Reid, Jimmy Cobb
• 1982: Interpretations with John Hicks, Walter Booker, Jimmy Cobb, Robert Watson, Wallace Roney
• 1983: Future's Gold with Albert Dailey, Larry Coryell, Ray Drummond, Jimmy Cobb
• 1984: Shorter Ideas with Jimmy Knepper, James Spaulding, Kirk Lightsey, Rufus Reid, Jimmy Cobb
• 1986: Looking Ahead
• 1987: Saxotic Stomp with James Spaulding, Charles Davis, Kirk Lightsey, Ray Drummond, Jimmy Cobb
• 1989: Hard Groovin' with Roy Hargrove, Geoff Keezer, Robert Hurst, Jeff "Tain" Watts
• 1992: Tenor Madness Too with Antoine Roney, Donald Brown, Peter Washington, Louis Hayes

Candid Records

• 1989: Manhattan Blues with Jaki Byard, Milt Hinton, Ben Riley
• 1990: Ebony Rhapsody U.S. Jazz No. 13^[3]
• 1991: Hot Brass with Lew Soloff, Claudio Roditi, Steve Turre, Danilo Pérez, Christian McBride, Carl Allen
• 1991: American African Blues with Jaki Byard, Milt Hinton, Ben Riley

Other labels

• 1994: Tenors of Yusef Lateef & Ricky Ford with Yusef Lateef, Avery Sharpe, Kamal Sabir
• 1999: Balaena with George Cables, Cecil McBee, Ed Thigpen
• 2002: Songs for My Mother
• 2003: Reeds and Keys with Kirk Lightsey
• 2009: Very Saxy with Rhoda Scott
• 2010: 7095 with Ricky Ford & Ze Big Band^[4]
• 2013: Sacred Concert with Ricky Ford & Ze Big Band^[4]

As sideman

With Ran Blake

• Short Life of Barbara Monk (Soul Note, 1986)

With Abdullah Ibrahim

• Water from an Ancient Well (Tiptoe, 1986)

With Steve Lacy

• Vespers (Soul Note, 1993)

With Dannie Richmond

• Dannie Richmond Plays Charles Mingus (Timeless, 1981)

With Mal Waldron

• Crowd Scene (Soul Note, 1989)
• Where Are You? (Soul Note, 1989)

References