For someone who entered the music field quite late, Ric Fierabracci has done well for himself — he is a multiple Grammy nominee and has performed and recorded for a number of artistes such as British jazz and rock drummer Gary Husband, American jazz fusion and blues guitarist Scott Henderson, former guitarist of The Police Andy Summers (with Sting as a special guest), Stevie Wonder, and others.
In the city to host a five-day workshop in association with Swarnabhoomi Academy of Music (SAM), Ric says his experience at the academy has been fantastic, “I feel that the environment is friendly and inviting for both beginners and advanced students.”
Ric’s tryst with music started when he was 14: “I had a friend who was a bass player and I bought his old bass when he upgraded.” When he turned 16, he accompanied a friend to the University of Miami: Frost School of Music where he was offered a four-year scholarship in their Studio Music and Jazz programme. In 2003, Ric moved to New York and started playing with The Chick Corea Elektric Band. Five years later, he debuted with an album called Hemispheres that was nominated for a Grammy.
Ric has since played with Dave Weckl, Chick Corea, Virgil Donati and others. “When I was playing with Corea, Stevie (Wonder) came down and sat in one night. It was great to hear him blend in with our band. Corea is one of my favourite musicians. Gary Husband is a musical genius and my friend and I always look forward to any musical journey he is involved with.”
This is Ric’s first visit to India and he says that he has listened to Indian percussionist and composer Trilok Gurtu’s work. “His concept of time is a special thing. I hope to have a chance to play with him in the near future.” Talking about Indian music in America, Ric says that it’s highly regarded “especially in the rhythmic sense and in the use of 1/4 step intervals. I played a handful of concerts around 2000 with L. Subramaniam. He and his wife are wonderful musicians. Those were fun gigs,” he explains.
Ric cites Michel Petrucciani, Michael Brecker, Allan Holdsworth, Vinnie Colaiuta, Phil Turcio, Brett Garsed, Aretha Franklin, Ella Fitzgerald as some of his influences and says that he enjoys Chennai and has made some new friends as well.
