Kevin Ricard – The Crossing (Roots of Rhythm Recordings, 2025)
Veteran percussionist Kevin Ricard steps into the spotlight and directs the traffic of rhythm with The Crossing, his outstanding debut solo album after more than four decades as a sought-after sideman. Ricard is a master percussionist with an arsenal of percussion instruments from many parts of the globe. That cross-cultural fluency informs The Crossing, a project conceived as a tribute to the migrations, both forced and voluntary, that have shaped human history and musical expression.
The album reads like a travelogue written in drum language. Ricard leads with feel and craft, interlacing West African grooves, Afro-Cuban ceremony, Brazilian sway, and New Orleans swagger on The Crossing. Every bell, skin, and shaker lands with intent, while arrangements leave air for melodies to breathe. Ricard eloquently shapes conversations: percussion with guitar, brass with chants, groove with song.
“The Bamako Bounce” opens with a joyful second-line lift and a hint of Mali while “Ekué Blues” combines Afro-Cuban jazz with call-and-response chants and plush brass voicings.
The title track rides a stately West African cadence, where electric guitar carves lean, elegant lines beneath earthy vocals. “Legacies” nods to jazz-rock fusion, the talking drum shadowing a spacious pulse as the guitar sears. Meanwhile, “Rosas” turns to savory salsa and Latin jazz with captivating rhythms and a creamy trumpet lead.
Guest star Ibrahim Maalouf all but steals “Moorockish,” his quarter-tone trumpet slaloming through a Middle Eastern mode while Ricard answers with crisp frame drum figures. “Sneakin’ In The Dark” plays like a wink, an under-two-minute, twangy guitar interlude that resets the album’s pace.
“Orun” brings the Cuban batá drums forward against bright piano and superb woody marimba, a compact clinic in balance. “Ofertorio” settles into Afro-Brazilian swing. “Yambú De Liberación” fuses urban yambú with delightful rural guajiro flavor via ringing tres guitar, and “Travelers” layers berimbau and electric guitar over a nimble foundation.
Debuts rarely arrive this assured. The Crossing doubles as résumé and vision statement. Listeners come for the rhythms and stay for the stories, and by the final cut, the alternate mix of the title track, the crossing feels complete and earned.
Ricard, a Santa Mónica native, has spent 45 years recording, touring, and performing on television with a roster that spans genres and generations, including Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Wayne Shorter, Kenny Loggins, and Sergio Mendes.
Known for his stylistic versatility, Ricard draws from a deep well of global rhythms. His influences include percussion icons like Mongo Santamaría (Cuba), Airto Moreira (Brazil), Patato Valdés (Cuba), and Tito Puente (USA).
Ricard’s credits include performances on major film scores (Speed, Addams Family Values, A Bug’s Life, My Favorite Martian) and contributions to albums by Joe Zawinul, B.B. King, Joshua Kadison, Dianne Reeves, and many others. Throughout, he brings a signature blend of precision, soul, and adaptability that now anchors his own artistic vision.
Musicians: Kevin Ricard on percussion, keyboards, vocals, programming, producer; Jonathan Montes on piano, keyboards (2, 5, 8, 11), co-producer; Paul Jackson Jr on guitars (4, 9); Errol Cooney on guitars (3, 12); Grecco Buratto on acoustic guitar, cavaquinho (9); Adama Bilorou on kora, lead and background vocal (3); Anthony Almonte on lead vocal, coro (5); San Miguel Pérez on tres (5, 10); Ibrahim Maalouf on quarter-tone trumpets (6); Jimmy Branly on drums (3, 12); Luis Conte on quinto (10); Jesús Díaz on lead vocal, coro, clave (10); Munyungo Jackson on tambourine (1), tama, bell (11); Marcos Lopez on timbales (5); Will Philips on samba pandeiro (9); Tony Shogren on caixas (9); Ray Monteiro on trumpet (1); Garrett Smith on trombone (2); Lorenzo Ferrero on saxophone (2); Leider Chapottín on flügelhorn, vocal (2), trumpets, flügelhorns (5); Chris Severin on electric bass (1); Carlitos Del Puerto on electric bass (2, 3, 4, 12); Yosmel Montejo on baby bass (5), acoustic bass (10), coro (10); David Delhomme on keyboards (6); Dorian Holley on co-lead vocal (9); Kleber Jorge on co-lead vocal (9); Nayanna Holley on co-lead vocal (9); Juan Cosme on coro (5); Melisa Ocasio on coro (5); Loly Moreno on coro (10).
Buy The Crossing.
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.