The People Behind Rico: A Long Family Tradition

Everyone knows Rico reeds, and everyone knows that virtually every clarinetist or saxophonist has, at one time or another, played with a Rico reed. But what do we know about the origins of today's largest reed manufacturer and distributor? It all started in France with Joseph Rico in 1928. 
 
Born in Italy, Joseph Rico (1876-1957) went to seminary school near Naples, where he showed special talent for music. As a teenager, he and his brother, Libereto, ran away from seminary school one night, embarked on a ship, and fled to America where they heard there was a world of opportunity for eager minds. Joseph was a harpist, pianist, and guitarist, and his brother was a mandolinist and violinist. As a result of their hard work, both musicians became quite well known in Chicago and New York. Joseph Rico started composing and conducting, and went on to Paris where he became a sought-after composer. His Valses lentes are still played today.

In 1926, Joseph's nephew, Frank De Michele, a clarinetist with Walt Disney studios, wrote to him complaining about how hard it was to find good reeds in Los Angeles. He wrote: "Uncle Joe, you are so well established in the musical scene in Paris, I'm sure you could find all kinds of good reeds for me." Joseph easily found reeds to send him, but three weeks later, Frank wrote again: "My friends liked the reeds you sent so much, I have none left for myself. Could you please send me more?" After a series of similar letters, Joseph's reed supplier bowed out, explaining that he could no longer provide reeds because of a shortage of cane. His nephew asked Joseph if he could at least send some cane so that he could try making his own reeds. Joseph had a vacation cottage in the Var region of southern France where he found excellent reed cane. In 1928, Joseph Rico sent the first shipment of 350 kilos of reed cane to America.

To honor his uncle, Frank asked if he could use his uncle's name to launch his first reed line. Soon thereafter, Frank De Michele found partners, including musician and engineer Roy J. Maier to create a reed factory in the U.S. And thus the company name: Rico.

The story behind Roy J. Maier's design and development of the world's most popular reed is an interesting one. It reveals a corollary interest in engineering, music, and reed research starting in the 1920s with his first appearance as a sax and clarinet player. Soon, Maier had worked his way up in America's premier bands, appearing as a member of Paul Whiteman's band, the star-studded ensemble of the '20s and '30s. Following his stint in Whiteman's band, he worked in radio and recording.

Throughout his career, Maier was unable to combine engineering interest with the performing field. He found that combination at Rico. His knowledge of superior playing technique and reed characteristics assisted in the creative design and eventual development of the specialized machinery and methods used in the production of Rico's reeds.

It was far from an overnight process. Maier made thousands of tests to determine the unique combination of measurements for each size and strength of reed. He devised the first equipment to measure the minute details of a reed's cut.

Maier's legacy of ingenuity and attention to detail lives on with today's Rico reeds, inspired by generations of the world's top players.

Today Joseph's grandson Jean-Franois Rico, who served for 30 years as plantation manager in southern France, is an important part of the Rico company.

Where it all begins: Cane (Arundo donax, a Giant Grass)
You may be surprised to learn that it takes usually two to four years of growth before a mature cane plant is harvested. During this period, cane poles that do not meet size requirements are removed by hand. Only acceptable poles remain in the field to mature. All cane harvesting is done by hand during the winter, when the cane is dormant. The harvesting period lasts about 2-3 months. Cane pole processing involves de-husking, sunning, drying, sawing, and storage. Clarinetists and Saxophonists will be glad to know that Rico is in no hurry to produce playable reeds immediately from harvested cane poles. We patiently allow the cane to mature, drying the poles thoroughly to achieve their golden color.

Turning Giant Grass into a Concert Reed
First, cane poles are cut between nodes of the stalk. This is done at all plantation sites. Cane tubes are then bagged according to plantation location and sent to be cut into reed blanks. Each cane tube is carefully inspected and sorted by diameter and symmetrical wall thickness, and is re-cut to Rico specifications. Tubes are split into quarters, re-measured and bagged according to metric thickness. Sides and bottoms of the splits are then cut simultaneously to form an initial reed blank, then sanded and sorted by cane color. Reed blanks are cut to design specifications measured for tip, spine, and rail symmetry. The reed cutting machines are meticulously calibrated to make specific reed brands according to model, strength, and size. In-house quality control musicians monitor and recalibrate (if necessary) the reed-cutting machines many times daily and randomly test play finished reeds from all machines. Reeds which do not pass playability and quality control standards, are not packaged. Before finished reeds are placed in boxes, all reeds, millions of them, are inspected using modern video inspection for possible manufacturing imperfections.

Part Manufacturing, Part Farming, Part Relying on Mother Nature
Technology has changed virtually every facet of human existence over the past century; however, the most advanced science has yet to develop an alternate material capable of matching the uniquely musical properties of reed cane. For clarinetists and saxophonists around the world, reed cane remains indispensable for the creation of music. For Rico International, cultivating reed cane, or Arundo donax, creates a series of daunting challenges, unique to this type of business.

To ensure a steady supply of cane, Rico owns and manages cane plantations in France and Argentina. In managing this unconventional business, Rico must be prepared to deal with frost, drought, floods, and other problems which can affect cane crops. One fact to remember about cane and where it grows is that it loves the same soil and climate as wine grapes.

Rico's production process involves a series of automated machines capable of turning an inconsistent raw material into a product which is cut extremely consistently. Rico International produces different brands: Rico, La Voz, Rico Royal, Plasticover, Frederick Hemke, Mitchell Lurie, Rico Select Jazz and Grand Concert Select. Grand Concert Select clarinet reeds, like its sister professional brands, are created in cooperation with leading woodwind artists.

Keeping Up With the Times
Rico's reed-making machines are computer controlled and monitored by professionals constantly. The company's history includes an impressive number of significant industry firsts. In the 1930s, the company was the first to offer strength-gauged reeds. In 1940, Rico introduced the first plastic-coated reed, Plasticover, which possesses unique tonal qualities and a long-playing life. Other Rico innovations have included the Nova Pak, Graftonite mouthpieces, and the new Reed Vitalizer 2-way humidity control storage units.

Up until the late '70s, Rico relied almost exclusively on wild and cultivated cane from the Var region in the south of France. However, as the area became increasingly developed and farmers sold off land for commercial use, the supply of Arundo donax began to dwindle. Fearing a future shortage of raw materials, Rico invested in its own plantations. Serious efforts were made to locate cane plantations in strategic areas of the world that would minimize any accidents of nature, such as the severe frost that devastated cane production in France in the early '80s. Rico launched an agronomy program, and continues to have the largest and most robust cane plantations in the world.

Agronomists at Work
While Rico's plantations were originally devised as an insurance policy against diminishing supplies of cane, they have become one of the company's greatest assets. Rico was one of the first companies anywhere to grow Arundo donax commercially and therefore developed many of the techniques and science behind cane cultivation. Today, through irrigation and the use of special nutrients in the soil, Rico has learned how to produce the best cane.

Through its research, Rico hopes to understand the real needs of reed cane on an agricultural level, rather than on a basic cultivation level. Rico realizes that the reed cut is only one component of a quality reed, and has a serious commitment to the quality, consistency and reliable source of their raw material.

Always Growing for the Future
From humble beginnings, Rico has grown to become a leader in single reed manufacturing. With the recent acquisition of Rico by D'Addario & Co. Rico is further strengthening its position as the leader in woodwind reeds and accessories.  

At its San Fernando Valley facility, Rico has a state-of-the-art reed research center, and employs the collaboration of agronomists, scientists, and musicians to produce top-quality reeds that include Rico Reserve premium reeds for clarinet and saxophone. Rico reeds are designed to benefit all levels of musicians from the beginner to the seasoned professional. Many of the world's finest clarinetists and saxophonists use Rico brand reeds, such as Jessica Phillips, Jerry Bergonzi, Chris Potter, Benny Golson, Ernie Watts, Bob Sheppard,  Walter Boeykens, Seiji Yokokawa, Philippe Geiss, Diastema Saxophone Quartet, and many more.