| Don Randi | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Don Schwartz |
| Born | February 25, 1937 New York City, United States |
| Genres | Jazz Pop music Film score |
| Occupations | Pianist, arranger, composer |
| Years active | 1956-present |
| Associated acts | Quest |
Don Randi (born 25 February 1937) is an American keyboard player, bandleader and songwriter. He has performed on innumerable recordings, including many as a session musician and member of "The Wrecking Crew", as well as releasing his own jazz records. He owns The Baked Potato night club in Studio City, California.
Born Don Schwartz[1] in New York City and raised in the Catskill Mountains, he received a training in classical music.[2] After his father's death, he and his mother moved to Los Angeles in 1954, and the following year he started work at a record distribution company where he heard and became influenced by jazz musicians, particularly Horace Silver.[3]
He began his career as a professional pianist and keyboard player in 1956, gradually establishing a reputation as a leading session musician. In the early 1960s, he was a major contributor, as musician and arranger, to producer Phil Spector's "Wall of Sound". He also played piano on "These Boots Are Made For Walkin'," by Nancy Sinatra, and The Beach Boys' "Good Vibrations".[3] He claims to have played on over three hundred hit records, working with musicians such as Linda Ronstadt, Quincy Jones, Cannonball Adderley, Herb Alpert, Sarah Vaughan and Frank Zappa.[3] He appeared on, and wrote for, many motion picture and television soundtracks, commercials and pop albums during the 1960s and 1970s. He also recorded albums of piano jazz music under his own name and as the leader of a trio with Leroy Vinnegar and Mel Lewis.[2] These included Feelin' Like Blues (1960), Where Do We Go From Here (1962), Last Night (1963), and Love Theme From "Romeo And Juliet" (1968).
In 1970, he opened the Baked Potato jazz club, and formed his own group, Don Randi and Quest, as the house band. The band have subsequently recorded over 15 albums and were nominated for a Grammy in 1980 for the album New Baby.[3] In 2008, as a member of the "Wrecking Crew", Randi was inducted into the Hollywood RockWalk.[4][5]
His daughter is musician Leah Randi.