Ramon Ricker

Biography

Ramon Ricker is Senior Associate Dean of Professional Studies, Director of the Institute for Music Leadership, and Professor of Saxophone at the Eastman School. In addition to a career as performing artist and studio teacher, he also directs the Catherine Filene Shouse Arts Leadership Program, is Editor-in-Chief of Polyphonic.org, an Eastman sponsored website, and an Affiliate Faculty: Jazz Studies and Contemporary Media.

Dr. Ricker received a bachelor of music education degree in clarinet from the University of Denver, a master of music degree in woodwind performance from Michigan State University, and a doctor of musical arts degree in music education and clarinet from the Eastman School. He has been a full-time Eastman faculty member since 1971, and for nine years served as the chair of the Department of Winds, Brass and Percussion (1989-98). His association with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) first began as a clarinet soloist in 1972 and in 1973 he won a position in the RPO as a member of the clarinet section. He continues to play in, and occasionally conduct, the orchestra today. From 1996-2005 he also has served on its board of directors. For eight summers (1993-2000) he was music adviser to the Schlossfestspiele in Heidelberg, Germany, where he directed the participation of the Eastman School Philharmonia in its five-week residency at this well-known German music festival.

Ray first began his musical studies on the clarinet. At age 16, while continuing to study the clarinet, his interest in jazz led him to begin saxophone lessons. Throughout his professional career he has continued to perform on both instruments. Today he often is a featured saxophone and clarinet soloist and chamber musician in venues throughout Europe and North America. He is a Conn-Selmer Artist. His books on jazz improvisation and saxophone technique as well as many of his compositions are viewed as standards in the field with over 140,000 copies sold worldwide and translations in French and Japanese. As a professional musician and music contractor he has performed on hundreds of television commercials and program themes including national accounts for NBC, ABC, Cinemax, HBO and Arts and Entertainment. As a composer and arranger he has been honored by grants from the National Endowment, New York State Council on the Arts, Creative Artist Public Service, Meet the Composer, and ASCAP. His arrangements have been commissioned by the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, and the American, Atlanta, Cincinnati and North Carolina Symphonies, and his works are published by Advance Music (Germany), Alphonse Leduc (Paris), Warner/Chappel (USA) and Jamey Aebersold (USA). His latest book, Lessons From a Street-Wise Professor; What You Won’t Learn at Most Music Schools (2011, Soundown, Inc.) is fast becoming a must read for music students and was honored Award-Winning Finalist in the Business: Entrepreneurship and Small Business category of The USA “Best Books 2011″ Awards, sponsored by USA Book News. (There was no music category.)

Works / Publications

Published Books

• The Ramon Ricker Improvisation Series (books and CDs) Advance Music (Germany)
  Vol. 1: The Beginning Improviser
  Vol. 2: Blues
  Vol. 3: The II-V-I Progression, Standard Tunes and Rhythm Changes
  Vol. 4: The Developing Improviser; the Melodic Minor Scale
• The Ramon Ricker Saxophone Series Alphonse LEDUC, (Paris)
  Book 1: Etudes sur la gamme diminuée (Etudes on the Diminished Scale)
  Book 2: Etudes sur les accords complexes (Advanced Chord studies)
  Book 3: Etudes jazz sur la gamme pentatonique (Etudes on the Pentatonic Scale)
  Book 4: Douze études jazz virtuoses (Twelve Challenging Jazz Etudes)
• Pentatonic Scales for Jazz Improvisation Warner/Chappel
• Technique Development in Fourths for Jazz Improvisation Warner/Chappel
• New Concepts in Linear Improvisation Warner/Chappel
• New Concepts in Linear Improvisation Warner/Chappel
  (Cassette and Booklet)
• Coltrane: A Player’s Guide to His Harmony Jamey Aebersold
  (co-authored w/Walt Weiskopf)
• The Augmented Scale in Jazz Jamey Aebersold
  (co-authored w/Walt Weiskopf)

Published Music (non jazz)

• Ten Duets for the Twentieth Century Clarinetist Autograph Editions, NY
• Mein Junge Leben Hat Ein End’, J.P. Sweelinck, trans. for wind ens. G. Schirmer
• ‘Cello Suites 1, 2, 3, 4 of J.S. Bach for Solo Saxophone Dorn Publications
• When I’m Sixty-Four, by Lennon and McCartney, arr. for sax quartet Kendor
• Variations on a Theme of Sweelinck for saxophone quartet Kendor
• The Girl with the Flaxen Hair (Debussy) for clarinet quartet ADVANCE Music
• The Girl with the Flaxen Hair (Debussy) for clarinet ADVANCE Music
• The Girl with the Flaxen Hair (Debussy) for saxophone quartet ADVANCE Music

Published Music (jazz oriented)

• Jazz Sonata (saxophone and piano) ADVANCE Music
• Solar Chariots (soprano saxophone and piano) Dorn Publications

Jazz Ensemble

• Skuffle; Mission Music
• Genesis; Mission Music
• Tap-Toe; Mission Music
• Snapper; Mission Music
• Special K; Mission Music
• Forecast for Tonight Is Darkness; Mission Music
• All the Things You Are, Jerome Kern, arr. Ricker; Warner/Chappell
• Notte a Roma, Tyzik/Severinsen, arr.Ricker; Bella Musica
• Suspended Animation; Advance Music
• First Flight; Advance Music

Saxology (5 saxes and rhythm section)

• Black Narcissus, Joe Henderson arr. Ricker Advance Music
• Creature Feature, Gerry Bergonzi arr. Ricker Advance Music
• Gaviota, Clare Fischer arr. Ricker Advance Music
• Jones, Gerry Bergonzi arr. Ricker Advance Music
• Times Lie, Chick Corea arr. Ricker Advance Music
• Witch Hunt, Wayne Shorter arr. Ricker Advance Music
• Viper Cipher Advance Music
• Passing Glances Advance Music
• Morning Star Advance Music
• Passion Flower Advance Music

Recordings (as leader and/or producer)

• Ramon Ricker: Double Play Open Loop Records 1988
• Eastman American Music Series Vol. 2 Albany Records 1997
  Heaven to clear when day did close David Maslanka (tenor saxophone and string quartet)
  (Contemporary classical music)
• Jazz Sonata, Eastman American Music Series Vol. 8, Ramon Ricker and Bill Dobbins, piano, Albany Records 1999
• New Music Mix, Eastman American Music Series Vol. 9, Albany Records 2000
  (Contemporary classical music)
• Saxology; Mark Records 1984
• My First Concert, Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra 1984
  (Cited in the New York Times top gifts for children, Christmas 1984)
• Saxology featuring Jerry Bergonzi Advance Music 1994
• Saxology featuring Bob Mintzer Advance Music 1996

Media

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Jazz Sonata

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Viper Cipher