b. 31 January 1949, London, England. Ricotti was born into a musical family and followed in his drummer-father's footsteps by taking up percussion. Educational facilities were limited but fortunately Ricotti came to the attention of Bill Ashton, then a teacher in London. With Ashton's encouragement, Ricotti was able to extend his studies (and, inspired by Ricotti, Ashton embarked on a project that eventually became the National Youth Jazz Orchestra). Although adept on most percussion instruments, Ricotti concentrated upon the vibraphone and also developed his talents as a comp...