Richard Sanders (born 8 December 1952) is an English violinist who has played in jazz-rock,

folk rock Folk rock is a fusion genre of rock music with heavy influences from pop, English and American folk music. It arose in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom in the mid-1960s. In the U.S., folk rock emerged from the folk music re ...

and folk groups, including

Soft Machine Soft Machine are an English Rock music, rock band from Canterbury, Kent. The band were formed in 1966 by Mike Ratledge, Robert Wyatt, Kevin Ayers, Daevid Allen and Larry Nowlin. Soft Machine were central in the Canterbury scene; they became o ...

and

Fairport Convention Fairport Convention are an English British folk rock, folk rock band, formed in 1967 by guitarists Richard Thompson (musician), Richard Thompson and Simon Nicol, bassist Ashley Hutchings and drummer Shaun Frater (with Frater replaced by Marti ...

Biography

Sanders' first experience with a professional band was in the summer of 1972, touring Europe with classical/rock percussionist

Stomu Yamash'ta Stomu Yamashta (or Yamash'ta), born , is a Japanese percussionist, keyboardist and composer. He is best known for pioneering and popularising a fusion of traditional Japanese percussive music with Western progressive rock music in the 1960s and 1 ...

's Red Buddha Theatre. He later went on to play with jazz pianists Johnny Patrick and Michael Garrick. In the late 1970s, he briefly toured as a member of the jazz-rock group

and followed with a stint in

The Albion Band The Albion Band, also known as The Albion Country Band, The Albion Dance Band, and The Albion Christmas Band, is a British folk rock band, originally brought together and led by musician Ashley Hutchings. An important grouping in the genre, ...

. In 1981, he co-founded a recording studio, Morgreen Studios, with which he remained active for a few years. In 1984, he joined Fairport Convention and recorded his first album with them, ''Gladys' Leap'', the following year.''Fairport Confusion - The Line Ups''
from th
Fairport un-Convention-al
website Since 2002, in addition to his work with Fairport, he has also been working regularly with his trio, known as the Ric Sanders Trio, which features Vo Fletcher on guitar and Michael Gregory on drums and percussion.

Professional associations

Over the years Sanders has worked with

Rick Wakeman Richard Christopher Wakeman (born 18 May 1949) is an English keyboardist and composer best known as a member of the progressive rock band Yes across five tenures between 1971 and 2004, and for his prolific solo career. AllMusic describes Wakema ...

Dave Cousins Dave Cousins (born David Joseph Hindson; 7 January 1945) is an English musician who has been the leader, singer and most-active songwriter of Strawbs, since 1967. Cousins is a founding member of Strawbs, which started out as the Strawberry H ...

Strawbs The Strawbs are an English rock band founded in 1964 as the Strawberry Hill Boys. The band started out as a bluegrass group, but eventually moved on to other styles such as folk rock and progressive rock. They are best known for their hi ...

, Jethro Tull,

Robert Plant Robert Anthony Plant (born 20 August 1948) is an English singer and songwriter. He was the lead singer and lyricist of the rock band Led Zeppelin from its founding in 1968 until their breakup in 1980. Since then, he has had a successful solo ca ...

, Roy Harper,

Gary Brooker Gary Brooker (29 May 1945 – 19 February 2022) was an English singer and pianist, and the founder and lead singer of the rock band Procol Harum. Early life Born in Hackney Hospital, East London, on 29 May 1945, Brooker grew up in Hackney ...

Procol Harum Procol Harum () were an English rock music, rock band formed in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, in 1967. Their best-known recording is the 1967 hit single "A Whiter Shade of Pale", one of the few singles to have sold more than List of best-selling si ...

, Pentangle,

Gordon Giltrap Gordon Giltrap, MBE (born 6 April 1948) is an English guitarist and composer. His music crosses several genres. He has been described as "one of the most revered guitarists of his generation", and has drawn praise from fellow musicians including ...

, Andrew Cronshaw,

June Tabor June Tabor (born 31 December 1947 in Warwick, England) is an English folk singer known for her solo work and her earlier collaborations with Maddy Prior and with Oysterband. Early life June Tabor was born and grew up in Warwick, England. ...

Martin Simpson Martin Stewart Simpson (born 5 May 1953) is an English folk singer, guitarist and songwriter. His music reflects a wide variety of influences and styles, rooted in Britain, Ireland, America and beyond. He builds a purposeful, often upbeat voi ...

, Charlie Landsborough,

All About Eve ''All About Eve'' is a 1950 American Drama (film and television), drama film written and directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, and produced by Darryl F. Zanuck. It is based on the 1946 short story (and subsequent 1949 radio drama) "The Wisdom of E ...

, The Mission,

Fred Thelonious Baker Fred Thelonious Baker (born 4 June 1960) is an English guitarist and jazz bass guitarist from Tibshelf, Derbyshire. He is known for playing in Phil Miller's Canterbury scene band In Cahoots. Baker played the guitar until his mid-teens, at which ...

, Catherine Howe and

John Etheridge John Michael Glyn Etheridge (born 12 January 1948) is an English jazz fusion guitarist, composer, bandleader and educator known for his eclecticism and broad range of associations in jazz, classical, and contemporary music. He is best known fo ...

(guitarist with Soft Machine and

Stéphane Grappelli Stéphane Grappelli (; 26 January 1908 – 1 December 1997) was a French jazz violinist. He is best known as a founder of the Quintette du Hot Club de France with guitarist Django Reinhardt in 1934. It was one of the first all-string jazz bands. ...

) with whom he co-led the group

2nd Vision 2nd Vision was a British jazz-rock band notable for including guitarist John Etheridge and violinist Ric Sanders, both former members of Soft Machine. It released the album ''First Steps'', which has been re-released on Blueprint Records (Voicep ...

Discography

As leader

* ''Second Vision'' with

(1980) * ''String Time'' (1983) * ''Whenever'' (1984) * ''One to One'' with

(1989) * ''Neither Time or Distance'' (1991) * ''Parable: Music for the Anjali Dance Company'' (2003) * ''In Lincoln Cathedral'' (2004) * ''Still Waters'' (2008) * ''Standin' on the Corner'' (2015) * ''Headspace'' (2019)

As co-leader or sideman

With

* '' Rise Up Like the Sun'' (1978) With

* '' Gladys' Leap'' (1985) * ''Expletive Delighted!'' (1986) * ''In Real Time'' (1987) * ''Red and Gold'' (1989) * ''The Five Seasons'' (1990) * '' Jewel in the Crown'' (1995) * ''Old, New, Borrowed, Blue'' (1996) * ''Who Knows Where the Time Goes?'' (1997) * ''The Wood and the Wire'' (1999) * ''XXXV'' (2001) * '' Over the Next Hill'' (2004) * '' Sense of Occasion'' (2007) * ''

Festival Bell ''Festival Bell'' is a 2011 album by British folk rock band Fairport Convention, recorded at The Bowman's Retreat, Oxfordshire in 2010, and released in January 2011 on the band's own Matty Grooves Records label. The band have released over 30 a ...

'' (2011) * '' By Popular Request'' (2012) * ''

Myths and Heroes ''Myths and Heroes'' is a 2015 album by British folk rock band Fairport Convention, released in January 2015 on the band's own Matty Grooves Records label. The band have released over 30 albums since their debut, ''Fairport Convention (album), Fa ...

'' (2015) * '' 50:50@50'' (2017) * '' Shuffle and Go'' (2020) With

* '' Alive & Well: Recorded in Paris'' (1978)

As guest

With

'' * ''

'' (1988) * ''

Scarlet and Other Stories Scarlet may refer to: * Scarlet (cloth), a type of woollen cloth common in medieval England * Scarlet (color), a bright tone of red that is slightly toward orange, named after the cloth * Scarlet (dye), the dye used to give the cloth its color * ...

'' (1989) With Andrew Cronshaw * ''The Andrew Cronshaw CD'' (1989) * ''The Language of Snakes'' (1993) * ''Till the Beasts' Returning'' (1987) * ''Wade in the Flood'' (1978) With English Air * ''English Air'' (1983) * ''The Space Inbetween'' (1985) With

* ''A Midnight Clear'' (1987) * ''One to One'' (1989) * ''Peacock Party'' (1979) With Ashley Hutchings * ''Songs from the Shows'' (1990) * ''The Guv'nor's Big Birthday Bash'' (1995) With others * Mick Stevens: ''The Englishman'' (1979) *

: ''

Special Agent In the United States, a special agent is an official title used to refer to certain investigators or detectives of federal, military, tribal, or state agencies who primarily serve in criminal investigatory positions. Additionally, some special ...

'' (1981) *

Pete York Peter York (born 15 August 1942 in Middlesbrough, Yorkshire, England) is an English rock drummer who has been performing since the 1960s. Biography Born in Middlesbrough but growing up in Redcar, York attended the Nottingham High School an ...

: ''String Time in New York'' (1983) *

Loudon Wainwright III Loudon Snowden Wainwright III (born September 5, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter and occasional actor. He has released twenty-six studio albums, four live albums, and six compilations. Some of his best-known songs include "The Swimmin ...

: '' I'm Alright'' (1984) *

Phenomena A phenomenon ( phenomena), sometimes spelled phaenomenon, is an observable Event (philosophy), event. The term came into its modern Philosophy, philosophical usage through Immanuel Kant, who contrasted it with the noumenon, which ''cannot'' be ...

: ''

'' (1985) * Mark Geronimo: ''London Moon & Barnyard Remedy'' (1986) * The Bodhi-Beat Poets: ''White Light'' (1987) * Jethro Tull: '' Crest of a Knave'' (1987) * Simon Nicol: ''Before Your Time...'' (1987) *

Gerry Rafferty Gerald Rafferty (16 April 1947– 4 January 2011) was a Scottish singer, songwriter, musician and record producer. He was a founding member of Stealers Wheel, whose biggest hit was "Stuck in the Middle with You" in 1973. His solo hits in the ...

: '' North and South'' (1988) *

: ''

Aqaba Aqaba ( , ; , ) is the only coastal city in Jordan and the largest and most populous city on the Gulf of Aqaba. Situated in southernmost Jordan, Aqaba is the administrative center of the Aqaba Governorate. The city had a population of 148, ...

'' (1988) * The Mission: ''

Masque The masque was a form of festive courtly entertainment that flourished in 16th- and early 17th-century Europe, though it was developed earlier in Italy, in forms including the intermedio (a public version of the masque was the pageant). A mas ...

'' (1992) *

Martin Barre Martin Lancelot Barre (; born 17 November 1946) is an English guitarist best known for his longtime role as lead guitarist of British rock band Jethro Tull, with whom he recorded and toured from 1968 until the band's initial dissolution in 201 ...

: ''A Trick of Memory'' (1994) * The Albion Band: ''Live at the Cambridge Folk Festival'' (1996) * Judy Dunlop & Ashley Hutchings: ''Sway with Me'' (1996) * Roy Harper: '' The Dream Society'' (1998) *

Jerry Donahue Jerry Donahue (born September 24, 1946, Manhattan, New York City) is an American guitarist and producer primarily known for his work in the British folk rock scene as a member of Fotheringay and Fairport Convention as well as being a member of ...

: ''Telecasting Recast'' (1999) * Bob Fox: ''Dreams Never Leave You'' (2000) *

: ''The Complete Strawbs: Live at Chiswick House'' (2000) * Richard Greene & Beryl Marriott: ''Hands Across the Pond'' (2001) *

and

: ''

Hummingbird Hummingbirds are birds native to the Americas and comprise the Family (biology), biological family Trochilidae. With approximately 366 species and 113 genus, genera, they occur from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, but most species are found in Cen ...

'' (2002) *

Chris Leslie Christopher Michael Leslie (born 28 June 1972) is a British business executive and former politician who served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Shipley from 1997 to 2005 and Nottingham East from 2010 to 2019. A former member of the La ...

: '' Dancing Days'' (2004) * P. J. Wright: ''Hedge of Sound'' (2005) * Rainbow Chasers: ''Fortune Never Sleeps'' (2006) * Durbervilles: ''Alternative Route to All Destinations'' (2007) *

Aquarium An aquarium (: aquariums or aquaria) is a vivarium of any size having at least one transparent side in which aquatic plants or animals are kept and displayed. fishkeeping, Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, aquati ...

: ''Loshad' Belaya (White Horse)'' (2008) * Tiny Tin Lady: ''Ridiculous Bohemia'' (2008) * Red Shoes: ''All The Good Friends'' (2012) *

Nik Kershaw Nicholas David Kershaw (born 1 March 1958) is an English singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He came to prominence in 1984 as a solo artist. He released eight singles that entered the top 40 of the UK Singles Chart during the decade, i ...

: ''Ei8ght'' (2012) * TangleMist: ''Butterflies & Bees'' (2020) * Rosalie Cunningham: ''Two Piece Puzzle'' (2022) * Matt’s His Name: ''Chapter'' (2025)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sanders, Ric 1952 births Living people Musicians from Birmingham, West Midlands Canterbury scene British jazz violinists Folk violinists English male violinists Fairport Convention members Soft Machine members English session musicians English folk rock musicians English fiddlers British mandolinists 21st-century English violinists 21st-century English male musicians English male jazz musicians The Albion Band members 2nd Vision members