A well-respected studio musician long based in Los Angeles, Emil Richards has been on a countless number of sessions, contributing his vibes mostly anonymously to recordings in all genres of music. Born Emilio Radocchia in Hartford, CT (September 2, 1932), he started playing xylophone when he was six and, while still in tenth grade, Richards played with the Hartford Symphony Orchestra. After graduating from the Hartt School of Music and Hilliard College (1949-1952), he played in an Army band in Japan (working with Toshiko Akiyoshi). Richards later worked with Charles Mingus, Willie Ruff, Ed Shaughnessy, Ed Thigpen, George Shearing's Quintet (1956-58), Paul Horn (1960 64), Jimmy Witherspoon, Shorty Rogers and many others.

In the early-to-mid 1960's, Richards co-led the Hindustani Jazz Sextet with Don Ellis, mixing together Indian music with jazz. He was also a member of Stan Kenton's Neophonic Orchestra, the Roger Kellaway Cello Quartet and toured with both Frank Sinatra and Frank Zappa in the 1970's. In 1974, he performed with George Harrison and Ravi Shankar on a North American concert tour and later recorded with Harrison.

Emil Richards, who recorded as a leader for Impulse (1965-1966) and Interworld (two CDs in 1994-1995), owned over 350 percussion instruments and has long been interested in ethnic folk music although he considered his main influence to be Lionel Hampton.

Emil Richards passed away in December 13, 2019

—Scott Yanow (All Music Guide)