Biography

(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

Biography:

For whatever reason, the city of Copenhagen in Denmark has always been a haven for expatriate American saxophonists. The tradition of honing a distinctive sound in the Danish capital that began with Ben Webster and Dexter Gordon continues with Bobby Ricketts aka BB Rixx.

Bobby Ricketts plays a sensual, earthy saxophone, backed by lush, jazzy harmonies and urban beats spiced with world influences. The ex-pat American sax star is one of the most prolific producers and musicians in Scandinavia, as well as the most featured instrumentalist on Danish television.

Bobby began his career in and around greater Boston, Mass. USA. An impressive collection of music competition awards led to a Berklee College of Music scholarship. While at Berklee, Bobby rose to the top, playing in the prestigious Berklee Recording Band under the leadership of the legendary Herb Pomeroy, and the International Dues Band, led by master trombonist Phil Wilson. There was ample time to jam with the future big names of jazz, and cross paths with players such as Kevin Eubanks, Branford Marsalis, 'Smitty' Smith, Tommy Campbell, and many others.

The international atmosphere of Berklee led to contact with students representing a myriad of world cultures. What started with tours of Norway and Sweden with fellow students during school breaks turned into the basis for an amazing music career.

After completing Berklee's 4-year degree program with honors, Bobby packed his saxophones and flew to Copenhagen. The rest is Danish music history. Across a wide spectrum of music genres, Bobby Ricketts has performed with cream of the Scandinavian music industry, in the mean time logging credits as a studio musician and/or producer on several hundred albums, soundtracks and commercials.

During the last 25 years, Bobby Ricketts has performed on a record-breaking number of television broadcasts in Denmark, appearing with such names as: Jocelyn Brown, Randy Crawford, Al Jarreau, Curtis Stigers, Toots Thielemanns, Fred Wesley, and more. A day gig as music director for the most popular shows in Danish entertainment has made Bobby a household name, and the most recognised face of any instrumentalist in the country.