Ricky Riccardi & The Goodfellas

It's hard to find good, swinging jazz music on the jersey shore, but Ricky Riccardi has been trying to provide it since the summer of 1999. Beginning as a trio of high school students just trying to have a good time and spread the sounds of the music they love, Ricky Riccardi And The Goodfellas (original name: Ricky Riccardi And His Orchestra) have become one of the most exciting jazz bands in south Jersey. Jon Kahnt, who once played with Ricky in 1999, has emerged from a five-year sabbatical in Virgina to resume his position as the master of the upright bass. Drummer Dennis "The Asian Flash" is a tour de force of drumming and showmanship, a crowdpleaser and a swinger all the way. The newest member of the band is Angelo Basilone, a veteran singer of the north Jersey scene who brings his impeccable voice to the memorable songs of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Bobby Darin and other greats.As for Riccardi, he has been playing the piano for 18 years. After being turned on to jazz music through the sounds of Louis Armstrong, Riccardi has devoted his life to being an ambassador of the music. He has had his own jazz radio show at Ocean County College, written weekly jazz columns for college newspapers, delivered lectures at the Institute of Jazz Studies, taught Jazz History to undergraduates at Rutgers and received a Master's degree in Jazz History and Research from Rutgers Newark. Leading the Goodfellas is his way to spread his love of the music in a more personal way. Realizing that it's hard to find the fun, straight-ahead swinging kind of music once featured in every New York jazz club on 52nd Street in the 1930s and 1940s, Ricky Riccardi & The Goodfellas has managed to convey the essence of these sounds in their live performances. Scorching uptempo numbers like "Caravan" are juxtaposed with beautiful ballads such as "Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams" or "Solitude" which could easily be followed by a foot-tapping, stomping blues, an instrumental version of a Sinatra classic like "Come Fly With Me" or one of the obscure pop songs Riccardi enjoys digging up, forgotten numbers like "I Can Dream, Can't I," "Lounging At The Waldorf" and "When I Grow To Old To Dream." And at any time, Basilone can step up to the mic and floor the crowd with his renditions of favorites such as "That's Life" or "My Way."Playing coffeehouses, restaurants, clubs, flower shops, cocktail hours, anniversary parties, college campuses and all gigs in between, Ricky Riccardi & The Goodfellas have always left their audiences smiling and revelling in the power of pure swing. See you at their next gig!