Pat Riccio Saxophonist, flutist, arranger and composer Pat Riccio was born in Port Arthur (now Thunder Bay) in 1918. He moved to Toronto as a young man, studied music underJohn Weinzeig and Gordon Delamont, and began his career as a musician on the eve of World War II. In 1941 he enlisted in the RCAF, where he served as the musical director of the Streamliners, a 15-piece dance band that played for the BBC and, alongside Glen Miller's Allied Expeditionary Force band, at the Queensbury Club in London. After the war, Riccio played with or wrote arrangements for the dance bands of Bert Niosi, Mart Kenney and Art Hallman, as well as pop singers like Wally Koster, Patti Lewis, Norma Locke and Billy O'Connor. He also toured with the United Nations Emergency Force Show, did some work on CBC radio and television programs, led big bands and small jazz combos in the Toronto area, performed at CBC concert parties in Europe and the Middle East, and released albums on Arc, Quality and the Canadian Talent Library. Riccio passed away in Toronto on August 23rd, 1982. This album includes instrumental versions of '60's hits like "Alfie", "Michelle" and "Something Stupid", but it was the Riccio originals I enjoyed the most, supplemented as they are by an uncredited female singer. "It's A Quiet Place" is a gently swinging number with solo turns on saxophone and organ, while "Why Does He Stay In My Mind" and "In The Words Of A Lover" are more contemporary ballads with a subtle nod to Motown and girl-group pop. It's A Quiet Place Why Does He Stay In My Mind? In The Words Of A Lover Another great Pat Riccio album, also on Arc Records. It's similar to the others, all great instrumental jazz with a very romantic vibe. To quote the liner notes: "Take this album, sit back and prepare to be relaxed, with thirty minutes of engrossing artistry with Pat Riccio on clarinet and sax, George Kadwell on the organ, Jerry Summers on drums, and Tony Mattachione on guitar. It's an experience you'll enjoy over and over." Days of Wine and Roses I'll Get By Moontide Love Letters, another Arc LP, was recorded at Bay Studios in Toronto by producers Bill Gilliland (one of Arc's co-founders) and Brian Ahern (also the musical director of Singalong Jubilee). The album is almost entirely instrumental, but the one song with vocals is the keeper; a smooth cover of "Groovin'" by The Rascals with ghostly-sounding backup singers floating in and out of the mix. Groovin'