Emil Richards
b. Emilio Joseph Radocchia, 2 September 1932, Hartford, Connecticut, USA. After playing the xylophone as a small child Richards attended the Julius Hart School of Music, the Hartford School of Music, and Hilliard College, developing his skills as a percussionist. His early professional career included performances with symphony orchestras and studio bands and he also worked with Bobby Hackett and Flip Phillips. After military service in 1952/3 he moved to New York where he played with Charles Mingus and others, and in 1955 began a four-year spell with George Shearing. From 1959 he worked in Los Angeles with Paul Horn and Shorty Rogers and was on numerous studio sessions with Nelson Riddle, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan and others. In 1962 he toured internationally with Sinatra on a round of benefit concerts for underprivileged children instigated by President John F. Kennedy.
Listen to Emil Richards
at Finetune.
Albums
- (2003) Calamari Live At Rocco's
- (2003) Emil Richards With The Jazz Knights
- (2003) Luntana
- (2003) Wonderful World Of Percussion
Top Tracks
- All Blues
- Meet the Flintstones
- Alive in Five
- Amos
- Bells of Hollywood
Related Artists
- Dizzy Gillespie
- Art Blakey
- Art Pepper
- Bill Evans Trio
- Charlie Parker
- Count Basie
- Dave Weckl Band
- Dexter Gordon
- Duke Ellington & His Orchestra
- Ella Fitzgerald
- GRP All-Star Big Band
- Hanna-Barbera
- Herbie Hancock
- Lester Young
- Miles Davis
- Nat King Cole
- Oscar Peterson
- Robbie Williams
- Sonny Rollins
- The Dirty Dozen Brass Band