Ricardo Pons is a Puerto Rican flutist, saxophonist, arranger and composer. He has had a wide performance experience with artists such as Chick Corea,Tito Puente, Eddie Palmieri, Mario Bauzá, Willie Colón, Celia Cruz, Jimmy Heath, Ron Carter, Los Pleneros de la 21, Teatro Pregones and others and has performed in the prestigious Chicago Jazz Festival and the Charlie Parker Festival in New York. Ricardo went to school at the City College of New York and has a Master’s Degree in Jazz Performance and Composition from the Aaron Copland Conservatory at Queens College where he studied with master saxophonist/composer Jimmy Heath. At the present time he teaches Jazz Composition, Harmony and Saxophone at the Universidad Interamericana de Puerto Rico. This young Puerto Rican talent is committed to developing music stemming from Puerto Rican folk music such as Bomba, Plena and Danzas. One of his compositions, Vieques si, has been included in the “All Jazz Real Book” (SHER MUSIC), being the first young Puerto Rican composer to be included in such a publication. His debut as a producer in 1998, “De Puerto Rico al Mundo” with his band Viento de Agua is a fusion of traditional Bomba and Plena with a spice of Jazz and was acclaimed by the New York Times as one of the 10 best recordings made in New York in 1998. His most recent recording, Ricardo Pons y Plena del Sol, produced by his own label, Musaboricua, was greatly acclaimed by the public. As a leader of his own quartet, Causacomún he has just released his first Jazz recording ; Segundapiel. Recorgings he has participated in; Album Name Artist Company Year Transcend Paoli Mejías Paoli Mejias Records 2006 Baiana Ana Baiana Baiana Records 2006 Auténtico Gilberto Santa Rosa Sony 2004 Mi tambor Paoli Mejías Paoli Mejias Records 2004 Baila con Ella Clara Salsa Branda 2004 Evolution Jeff Niess Mambo Maniacs 2004 Ricardo Pons y Ricardo Pons Musaboricua 2003 Plena del Sol VAGABUNDO Yuri Buenaventura Universal 2003 Pienso así Milly Quezada Sony Discos 2003 Es tiempo Ralph Irizarry & Timbalaye 2003 Timbalaye Live Tipica 73 AJ Records 2002 Cantos de la niñez Rafael Hernández Universidad 2002 Interamericana Feeling Good Again Charlie Sepúlveda Metrix/Universal 2002 100 Años: Live Andy Montañez AJ Records 2002 Afro-Cuban Dream: Bobby Sanabria Arabesque 2001 Live & in Clave! Best Kept Secret Ralph Irizarry & Shanachie 2000 Timbalaye Acércate más Eugenia León Mercury/Universal 2000 Inconfundible Víctor Manuelle Sony Discos 1999 Salsa Dura Jimmy Bosch Rykodisc 1999 De Puerto Rico Viento de Agüa Qbadisc 1998 al Mundo Portfolio Wendell Rivera WPR 1998 Salvo Soy José Lantigua Penvel 1996 & Testimonio Productions Madera Fina Madera Fina JR Productions 1994 Tallando la salsa Madera Fina JR Productions 1992