Ricky Ford - Ricky's Choice (1999)

This is a compilation of tracks picked out by Ricky Ford from his releases on the Muse jazz label released between 1980 - 1984.

Ricky has certainly chosen some wonderful tracks for the compilation. Half the tunes are his own compositions, two from Wayne Shorter and the rest well-known Jazz standards. He is joined by a solid cast of players, that include some great horn players; Wallace Roney, Jimmy Knepper, Bobby Watson, James Spaulding, pianists; John Hicks, Albert Dailey, Kirk Lightsey, guitarist; Larry Coryell and bassists; Walter Booker, Ray Drummond, Rufus Reid with the perpetual drummer Jimmy Cobb as a mainstay. This CD is just pure entertainment, Enjoy!

#1,2 - Flying Colors - Muse Records [MR 5227] (1980)
#4,9,10 - Future's Gold - Muse [MR 5296] (1983)
#3,8 - Interpretations - Muse Records [MR 5275] (1982)
#6,7 - Shorter Ideas - Muse Records [MR 5314] (1984)
#5 - Tenor For The Times - Muse Records [MR 5250] (1981) 

32 Jazz, 32172, 1999 

Musicians:
Ricky Ford - Tenor Saxophone
Wallace Roney - Trumpet (#3)
Jimmy Knepper - Trombone (#6,7)
Bobby Watson - Alto Saxophone (#3)
James Spaulding - Alto Saxophone (#6,7)
John Hicks - Piano (#1,2,3,8)
Albert Dailey - Piano (#4,5,9,10)
Kirk Lightsey - Piano (#6,7)
Larry Coryell - Guitar (#4,9,10)
Walter Booker - Bass (#1,2,3,8)
Ray Drummond - Bass (#4,9,10)
Rufus Reid - Bass (#5,6,7)
Jimmy Cobb - Drums 

Tracks:
01. Jordanian Walk {Ricky Ford} (8:37)
02. Take The Coltrane {Duke Ellington} (4:42)
03. Interpretations Opus 5 {Ricky Ford} (7:08)
04. You Don't Know What Love Is {Gene DePaul, Don Raye} (6:07)
05. This Our Love [Esse Nosso Amor] {Ricky Ford} (7:31)
06. Yes Or No {Wayne Shorter} (5:41)
07. Miyako {Wayne Shorter} (4:51)
08. Moon Mist {Mercer Ellington} (5:43)
09. A-Flat Now {Ricky Ford} (4:40)
10. Samba De Caribe {Ricky Ford} (4:34) 

Total Time: 59:34

Notes:
See Tracks [Personnel].txt for further details.
Ripped to WAV > Trimmed > Optimised > FLAC

Ted Curson - Live In Paris - Plays The Music Of Charles Mingus (2008)

A live recording performed by veteran trumpeter Ted Curson's sextet in Paris in 2008. A spotlight is on the music of jazz giant Charles Mingus, with whom he was a band member in the 1960s and was deeply influenced by Mingus' music. In this regard four Mingus tunes are showcased and Ted includes two of his own to round off the program. This ensemble is enriched with three horns; Ted on trumpets and flugelhorn along with Ricky Ford's tenor saxophone and Sarah Morrow's trombone; on piano is Tom McClung and the rhythm section is made up of bassist Peter Giron and drummer Doug Sides. With consistent effort and expertise on behalf of all players the music of Charles Mingus is brought back to life. 

Elabeth Records, ELA621063, 2012
Recorded 27^th October, 2008 in Paris, France 

Musicians:
Ted Curson - Trumpet, Trumpet [Piccolo], Flugelhorn
Sarah Morrow - Trombone
Ricky Ford - Tenor Saxophone
Tom McClung - Piano
Peter Giron - Bass
Doug Sides - Drums 

Tracks:
1. Playhouse March {Ted Curson} (10:21)
2. Tears For Dolphy {Ted Curson} (13:20)
3. Fables Of Faubus {Charles Mingus} (9:34)
4. Nostalgia In Time Square {Charles Mingus} (11:32)
5. Goodbye Pork Pie Hat {Charles Mingus} (10:55)
6. Better Git Hit In Your Soul {Charles Mingus} (15:09)

Total Time: 70:51 

Note:
Excess applause was edited out where possible.
Album also contains a Hidden Track (1:21) not included in playlist.
Ted talks about the passing of Eric Dolphy;
he was prompted to write "Tears For Dolphy". 

Credits:
Producer - Jean Szlamowicz, Jérôme Partage
Executive Producer - Didier Drussant
Recording Engineer - Jérémy Bénichou
Mastering - Guillaume Billaud
Design - René Oghia
Liner Notes - Ira Gitler

Ricky Ford - American-African Blues (1991)

Ricky Ford means business on this pulsating album, originally released in 1991, his first passionate, bursting solo draws its inspirational roots all the way from Hawkins to Coltrane via Al Sears and Roland Kirk. On this and the other six Ford originals in this set, Ricky organized the tune structures to allow for the insertion of free improvised passages for himself and the other players. Throughout the date Ricky's fellow musicians - Jaki Byard (piano), Milt Hinton (bass), Ben Riley (drums) - are able to indulge in classic interplay, to be free yet to function as a whole. ~ wowhd.co.uk.

Always enjoyed Ricky Ford. Stumbled on this live album of his on Spotify. Great rhythm section really pushes Ricky along. He played music that may have been more in vogue in the '50s and '60s, but he played it well. Good example of a live "late hard bop" tenor quartet recording. ~ Tom Spitzer, AMG.

Candid Records, CCD79528, 1993

Recorded 16^th September, 1991 Live At Birdland, New York City

Musicians:

Ricky Ford - Tenor Saxophone

Jaki Byard - Piano

Milt Hinton - Bass

Ben Riley - Drums

Tracks:

1. American-African Blue [1st Version] (10:47)

2. Environ (7:06)

3. Of (8:23)

4. Complex Harmony (6:48)

5. Descent (8:41)

6. Mostly Arco (5:52)

7. Encore (8:46)

8. American-African Blues [2nd Version] (7:10)

All Compositions by Ricky Ford

Credits:

Producer - Mark Morganelli

Executive Producer - Alan Bates

Engineer - Malcolm Addey

Editing - Bob Auger

Design - Malcolm Walker

Photography - Jimmy Katz

Liner Notes - Ricky Ford, Gerry Attrick

Red Rodney - The 3 R's (1979) [vinyl>true flac]

Personally, I never tire of listening to Red Rodney and this particular album is a favourite. With Red joined by such excellent musicians this LP is destined to entertain. It’s sound today is just as potent when it was launched in 1982. The 3 R’s refer to Red, Richie & Ricky, in fact there is a 4^th in Roland. Add to the mix a fine rhythm section, the only regret is that this ensemble did not go on to produce more great music together, even Scottie is impressed, Enjoy!

Three of the Muse label's top artists of the time teamed up for this album: trumpeter Red Rodney, altoist Richie Cole and tenor saxophonist Ricky Ford. Actually, Ford is only on three of the six selections, but the talented Turk Mauro (doubling on tenor and baritone) fills in well, and the rhythm section (keyboardist Roland Hanna, bassist George Duvivier and drummer Grady Tate) was fully capable of playing anything. The music is mostly post-bop, with recent originals by Cole, Jack Walrath and Rodney alternating with Kenny Dorham's "Dead End," Art Farmer's "Blueport" and the standard "For Heaven's Sake." Excellent straight-ahead performances, with all of the musicians in fine form. ~ Scott Yanow, AMG.

Muse Records, MR 5290, 1982

Recorded 13^th & 14^th March, 1979 At Nola Studio, New York City

Musicians:

Red Rodney - Trumpet, Flugelhorn

Richie Cole - Alto Saxophone

Ricky Ford - Tenor Saxophone (#A1,A2,B2)

Turk Mauro - Tenor & Baritone Saxophones

Roland Hanna - Keyboards

George Duvivier - Bass

Grady Tate - Drums

Tracks:

A1. The Mack Man {Red Rodney, Gerry LaFurn} (7:38)

A2. For Heavens Sake {Donald Meyer, Elise Bretton, Sherman Edwards} (4:32)

A3. Dead End {Kenny Dorham} (6:56)

B1. Waiting For Waits {Richie Cole} (5:56)

B2. Samba De Vida {Jack Walrath} (7:06)

B3. Blueport {Art Farmer} (4:50)

Credits:

Producer - Bob Porter

Recording Engineer - Malcolm Addey

Mastering Engineer - Joe Brescio, The Master Cutting Room, NYC

Cover Photo - Joe Rosen

Liner Photos - Charles Reilly

Art Direction - W. Dale Cramer

Liner Notes - Howard Mandel

Note:

deGallo posted this LP in late 2001 at the muse blog, but unfortunately it fails audiochecker on many tracks. This newer rip addresses those issues.

Ricky Ford - Shorter Ideas (1984) [vinyl>flac]

Ricky Ford explores the music and ideas of Wayne Shorter - a perfect fit for Ford's deeply soulful style of blowing the tenor! The set's actually got a more tightly arranged feel than you might expect - which makes for a nicely fresh take on some of Shorter's greatest numbers from earlier years, and creates some extremely inventive playing between group members that include Jimmy Knepper, James Spaulding, Kirk Lightsey, Rufus Reid, and Jimmy Cobb. Titles include Shorter tunes "Yes Or No", "Miyako", "Dance Cadaverous", and "Pinnochio" – and Ford originals "Wolf Trap" and "Tabloid Blues". © Dusty Groove, Inc.

Ford, who has usually recorded with small groups, here heads an all-star sextet with altoist James Spaulding and trombonist Jimmy Knepper -- an inspired idea that works. They perform four Wayne Shorter numbers, a couple of Ford's originals, and Duke Ellington's "Happy Reunion." Ford takes the lion's share of the solo space and is clearly up to the task, making these sometimes complex compositions seem accessible and logical. Ford has long been underrated (too old to be a Young Lion and too young to be an elder statesman), but based on the evidence of this recording alone he clearly deserves much greater acclaim. ~ by Scott Yanow, AMG.

Muse Records, MR 5314, 1985

Recorded 28^th August, 1984 at Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey

Personnel:

Ricky Ford - Tenor Saxophone

James Spaulding - Alto Saxophone, Flute

Jimmy Knepper - Trombone

Kirk Lightsey - Piano

Rufus Reid - Bass

Jimmy Cobb - Drums

Track Listing:

A1. Yes Or No {Wayne Shorter} (5:33)

A2. Miyako {Wayne Shorter} (4:44)

A3. Dance Cadaverous {Wayne Shorter} (6:08)

B1. Pinnochio {Wayne Shorter} (3:30)

B2. Tabloid Blues {Ricky Ford} (4:03)

B3. Wolf Trap {Ricky Ford} (5:05)

B4. Happy Reunion {Duke Ellington} (4:14)

Credits:

Producer, Liner Notes - Michael Cuscuna

Arranger - Ricky Ford

Recording & Mastering - Rudy van Gelder

Cover Photo - Clarence Eastmond

Back Liner Photos - J. Flint

Art Direction - Dick Smith

Ronnie Mathews - Legacy (1979) [vinyl>flac]

New link now available. Ripped from a mint LP in flac with scans.
Aside from the songs on Johnny Hartman's LP "Once In Every Life" that were featured on the "Bridges of Madison County" soundtrack, none of the material released on the Beehive label has been reissued. The man who owns the catalog has resisted repeated urgings to reissue the music himself or to let someone else do it for him. Sad.

Review by Scott Yanow:
Pianist Ronnie Mathews assembled an all-star group (tenor saxophonist Ricky Ford, trumpeter Bill Hardman, bassist Walter Booker, Jr. and drummer Jimmy Cobb) for this hard bop set. Mathews had long been a distinctive but underrated player and is heard in prime form on a varied program including two of his songs, a pair of Tex Allen originals, "Suicide Is Painless," "A Child Is Born" and "Once I Loved." The musicians all live up to their potential, making one wish that the Bee Hive releases of the late 1970s were available on CD.

01 - Legacy
02 - A Child Is Born
03 - Once I Loved
04 - Ichi Ban
05 - Theme From Mash
06 - Loose Suite
07 - Four For Nothing

Ronnie Mathews (p) Ricky Ford (ts) Bill Hardman (t) Walter Booker Jr (b) Jimmy Cobb (d)
Rec: NYC, Setember 21, 1979

Incidentally, 'Ichi Ban' composed by Mathews, is revisited here, having first been released on the marvellous 1963 Prestige recording 'Doin' The Thang', which featured Freddie Hubbard.

Ricky Ford - Manhattan Plaza [new LP rip}

An old friend has requested this and in the course of doing a new rip, I've discovered that I have an exceptionally good copy! After a little aggressive cleaning...a damn near perfect record! On top of that it really is an enjoyable album.

Ricky Ford - Manhattan Plaza
Muse 5188, 1978, Vinyl LP
Bass – David Friesen, Drums – Dannie Richmond, Trumpet – Oliver Beener, Piano – Jaki Byard, Saxophone [Tenor] – Ricky Ford
Engineer – Rudy Van Gelder, Producer – Richard Seidel

A1 Fadism
A2 Afternoon In New York
A3 Diane's Melody
A4 Ceal's Place
B1 On The Plaza
B2 If You Could See Me Now
B3 Olean Visit

Manhattan Plaza isn't just the name of an album, it refers to an apartment building in Manhattan, not far from Birdland and the Greenwich Village Jazz clubs. It features subsidized housing in a moderately luxurious building for musicians and artists. Mingus lived there (Sue Mingus still does), members of the Mingus band and the Ellington band (Ford qualifies on both counts) have long lived there, and of course Ricky Ford lives there. Sienfeld creator Larry David used to live there and the building community had a major influence in the developement of the show, in particular the character Kramer who was apparently modeled on a neighbor at Manhattan Plaza. Others residents include or have included Dexter Gordon, Jack Walrath, Mike LeDonne, Ray Mantilla, Woody Shaw and many more. The attraction for the musicians is the the rent is a scaled 30% of income no matter what that might be; helps the musicians through the lean times, helps the building when times are good. Are you beginning to see why Ricky named his first Muse date after the place?

The album is a fine straight ahead hard bop session featuring Mingus band mates Jaki Byard and Dannie Richmond, a relatively unknown then Dave Friesen on bass and obscure trumpeter and fellow Manhattan Plaza resident Oscar Beener. Aside from Tad Dameron's If You Could See Me Now, all the tunes are originals from either Ford or Jaki Byard, who plays a strong part in the album. This was the first of ten excellent albums that Ricky did for Muse that still represent some of his strongest work. Somehow the level of success one would have expected from this strong start has never quite materialized..