First Name

Rick

AIM/Yahoo/MSN

rbritto@yahoo.com

College/University:

Wheaton College/University of Massachusetts Dartmouth

I am here for:

Gigs, Job Inquiries, Educational Purposes, Meet Players, Networking

Whom I want to meet:

other jazz educators and musicians

Employment Status

Employed

Occupation:

college/university professor and pro musician

Employer:

Wheaton College/University of Massachusetts Dartmouth

About Me:

Rick Britto is a well known jazz musician from the New England area.

Rick's latest recording projects include: Trine: " +1", "In The Sky" and "Conversations with Erik & I" all released on the new TrineArc Music label!

Previous releases on other labels include: The Lord's Orphans: "Holy City", Trine: "Politics", Andy McWain Ensemble: "Resemblance" ," One O'clock Jump Live"

As a musician, Rick has performed with many artists and groups both nationally and locally including Karl Berger, Santi Debriano, Harold Jones, Freddie Redd, Kate McGarry, One O'clock Jump, Royal Hartigan, Wes Brown, Armsted Christian, Jim Robitaille, Semenya McCord, Marcelle Gauvin, John Harrison, Chris Poudrier, Bruce Gertz, Dave Zinno, Herb King, Kenny Wensel, Lou Columbo, Frank Wilkins, Alon Yavnai and numerous other musicians.

He has been double billed with such jazz notables as Ray Brown, Monty Alexander, Rosemary Clooney, Dick Johnson, Dave McKenna, The Artie Shaw Band, The Buddy Rich Band, and Count Basie's Orchestra.

In the world of popular music, Rick has performed with many R&B recording acts from The Drifters and The Tuneweavers to Tavares and even Queen Latifa to name a few.

Rick Britto is also a well known jazz educator from the New England area. A graduate of Berklee College of Music, he is a faculty member at both the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth and Wheaton College instructing private lessons for saxophone and jazz piano, directing music ensembles and teaching Jazz Theory and African-American Music History. He has taught younger students locally by assisting band directors for both New Bedford and Old Rochester Regional High School Bands for years and currently teaches a few gifted younger students privately in his home. Rick has also adjudicated many concerts, clinics and competitions in school districts in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut.

Rick also owns a recording studio, Saurus Studio, where he has produced numerous projects for radio & television and engineered, recorded or mastered recordings for many artists locally. Latest projects include CD mastering for "Union", Cheryl Conte: "Fortress", "O Caboverdiano" and “Boa Vista” by Cape Verdean guitarist and cavaquinho player, Tazinho, Andy McWain Ensemble: "Resemblance", Trine: "Politics", Trine: " +1", Rick Britto - Matt Richard: "In The Sky" and his latest project Conversations with Erik & I", which be released this June 2011.

In the publishing world, Rick digitally restored and mastered old recordings for "The Music of South India" published by Prof. Matthew Allen of Wheaton College for Oxford University Press and scored music for "Jazz Consciousness Music, Race, and Humanity" by Prof. Paul Asterlitz for Wesleyan University Press.

Rick is also a professional web designer and web master for several artists and musician's websites including musical artists: Harold Jones, Semenya McCord, Marcelle Gauvin, The Dancing Dogs and Cobach Musik plus, psychic medium, Gail Hicks and Cape Verdean artist/photographer, Ron Barboza.

His newest venture is into the world of visual art! He just debuted his first piece of digital art work, "Mind, Body & Soul" a digital self-portrait, at Gallery X in downtown New Bedford as part of the Public Hanging Art Exhibit in August of 2010.

Musical Background & Experience:

Rick is on a new CD release by Andy McWain. The Andy McWain Ensemble: RESEMBLANCE" released this Spring 08. It features eight musicians (including Sofia Koutsovitis, Assif Tsahar, Rick Britto, Chris Poudrier, Jeremy Udden, David Landoni, and Albey Balgochian) in various combinations from solo piano, duos, and trios to sextet.

Rick is on a new CD release called "Politics" by avante garde jazz trio, "Trine" featuring fellow musicians Jim Robitaille on guitar and Chris Poudrier on drums released in November of 2007 on the Fuller Street Music label.

Faculty member at Wheaton College teaching Saxophone, Jazz Piano, Jazz Theory, African American Originals II and The Wheaton Jazz Band.

Faculty member at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth teaching Saxophone-Jazz Studies, UMD Large Jazz Ensemble and The Art & History of Rock & Roll

Own and run Saurus Studio a recording/production facility in New Bedford (multi-track audio digital hard-disk recording).

Producing commercials for radio and television in Southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

Instructing Old Rochester Regional High School Jazz Band in an after school project, sponsored by the music department's band director, Stan Ellis, to develop improvisational skills.

Teaching saxophone, clarinet, jazz piano and jazz improvisation and theory in my home studio. Contact me for lessons via email to make an appointment.

Performing jazz with various local artists (Jim Robitaille, Chris Poudriier, Matt Richard, The Skyliners Big Band, Semenya McCord, Shawn Monteiro, Marcelle Gauvin, Andy McWain, Candida Rose, Kenny Wenzel, Jack Gomes, Dave Zinno and more).

Adjudicator for All-State Jazz auditions for RIMEA– Rhode Island Music Educators Association

Professional Web Design specializing in multimedia design for people in many fields of work including artists, musicians, photographers, doctors, spiritualists and more.

Website:

http://rickbritto.com

Website:

http://saurusstudio.com

Website:

http://soundcloud.com/rick-britto

Why I love jazz:

It is my life!

Music:

Jazz,
Bebop,
Avante Garde,
R&B,
Soul

Top 5 Desert Island Discs:

Coltrane's Love Supreme
Miles Kind of Blue

Books:

The Schillinger System of Musical Composition
Bird Lives

Television:

Star Trek
Stargate
Doctor Who
Ghost Hunters
WWE Wrestling
CNN

Movies:

Ghandi
Star Wars
Roger Rabbit
Star Trek
Fantasia