Ricky Ford (born March 4, 1954) is an American jazz tenor saxophonist.
Ford was born in Boston and studied at the New England Conservatory. In 1974 he recorded with Gunther Schuller and then played in the Duke Ellington Orchestra under Mercer Ellington from 1974 to 1976. After this he played with Charles Mingus (1976–77), Dannie Richmond (1978–81), Lionel Hampton (1980–82), and then in the Mingus Dynasty (1982). He also played with Abdullah Ibrahim (1983–90) and Mal Waldron (1989–94), and has recorded with many other notable musicians including Yusef Lateef, Sonny Stitt, McCoy Tyner, Freddie Hubbard, Amina Claudine Myers, Sathima Bea Benjamin, Steve Lacy, and others.
Ford has recorded extensively as a leader for Muse and Candid.
He settled in Paris, France, in the 1990s. He taught at Istanbul Bilgi University from 2001 to 2006.
In 2009 he founded the Toucy Jazz Festival in Yonne, (France), and invited musicians including Rhoda Scott (2009) and Ravi Coltrane (2011).
New World Records1977: Loxodonta Africana with Oliver Beener, Charles Sullivan, Bob Neloms, Richard Davis, Dannie RichmondMuse Records1978: Manhattan Plaza with Oliver Beener, Jaki Byard, David Friesen, Dannie Richmond1980: Flying Colors with John Hicks, Walter Booker, Jimmy Cobb1981: Tenor of the Times with Albert Dailey, Rufus Reid, Jimmy Cobb1982: Interpretations with John Hicks, Walter Booker, Jimmy Cobb, Robert Watson, Wallace Roney1983: Future's Gold with Albert Dailey, Larry Coryell, Ray Drummond, Jimmy Cobb1984: Shorter Ideas with Jimmy Knepper, James Spaulding, Kirk Lightsey, Rufus Reid, Jimmy Cobb1986: Looking Ahead1987: Saxotic Stomp with James Spaulding, Charles Davis, Kirk Lightsey, Ray Drummond, Jimmy Cobb1989: Hard Groovin' with Roy Hargrove, Geoff Keezer, Robert Hurst, Jeff "Tain" Watts1992: Tenor Madness Too with Antoine Roney, Donald Brown, Peter Washington, Louis HayesCandid Records1989: Manhattan Blues with Jaki Byard, Milt Hinton, Ben Riley1990: Ebony Rhapsody U.S. Jazz No. 131991: Hot Brass with Lew Soloff, Claudio Roditi, Steve Turre, Danilo Pérez, Christian McBride, Carl Allen1991: American-African Blues with Jaki Byard, Milt Hinton, Ben RileyOther labels1994: Tenors of Yusef Lateef & Ricky Ford with Yusef Lateef, Avery Sharpe, Kamal Sabir1999: Balaena with George Cables, Cecil McBee, Ed Thigpen2002: Songs for My Mother2003: Reeds and Keys with Kirk Lightsey2009: Very Saxy with Rhoda Scott2010: 7095 with Ricky Ford & Ze Big Band2013: Sacred Concert with Ricky Ford & Ze Big BandWith Ran Blake
Short Life of Barbara Monk (Soul Note, 1986)With Jaki Byard
July in Paris (Fariplay, 1998)With Abdullah Ibrahim
Water from an Ancient Well (Tiptoe, 1986)With Steve Lacy
Vespers (Soul Note, 1993)With Ronnie Mathews
Legacy (Bee Hive, 1979)With Dannie Richmond
Dannie Richmond Plays Charles Mingus (Timeless, 1981)With Mal Waldron
Crowd Scene (Soul Note, 1989)Where Are You? (Soul Note, 1989)
