Randy Klein

Last updated

Randy Klein
Born (1949-09-09) September 9, 1949 (age 73)
Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S.
Genres Piano, pop, rock, R&B, jazz, musical theatre, choral music, educational, new age
Occupation(s)Musician, composer, pianist, author, educator
Instrument(s)Piano, Keyboard
Years active1964 –present
LabelsJazzheads
Website randyklein.com

Randy Klein (born September 9, 1949) is an American musician, composer, pianist, author, and educator. [1]

Contents

Music career

Klein was born in Jersey City, New Jersey, and grew up in Union City and Fort Lee. At 14, he performed with local rock group The Good Things and played in the Fort Lee High School marching band. [2] He attended Berklee College of Music in Boston from 1967 to 1971. He taught at Berklee from 1971 to 1973 under the supervision of John LaPorta. [3] He performed with singer-songwriter Ralph Graham until 1976.

In 1977, he moved to New York City and played keyboard for legendary R&B performer Millie Jackson. Klein toured with Jackson until 1980, contributing songs for her albums including Feelin' Bitchy, Get It Out'cha System, Live & Uncensored, E.S.P. (Extra Sexual Persuasion), For Men Only. [4] Since 1981, he has contributed songs to albums by Sarah Dash, Candi Staton, IRT, Memphis Bleek, JX, Black Sheep, Lil Kim, and PBS television programs Ticktock Minutes and Sesame Street. [5] [6]

In 1992, Klein founded Jazzheads, an independent music label based in New York City. To date, the label has a catalog of 100+ titles with Grammy nominations, Downbeat Critics awards, and Jazz Journalist awards. [7] He has released multiple solo piano improvisation recordings, and two albums consisting of duo performances with saxophonist Oleg Kireyev, trombonist Chris Washburne, electric bass guitarist Boris Koslov, and guitarist Alex Skolnick. [8] [9]

He is the winner of Gold Records for songs recorded by Polydor recording artist Millie Jackson. He has won four Southern Regional Emmy Awards - "Outstanding Achievement: Individual Excellence - Composer" for his original score to the PBS film-documentary Richard Wright (Black Boy), and three "Outstanding Collaborative Achievement - Composer" awards for his work on Ticktock Minutes (PBS). [10] Ticktock Minutes also won the 1998 National Emmy Award for Best Public Service Announcement. [11]

In 2017, his composition Fanfare For Jerusalem premiered at The Metropolitan Opera. [12] He is the composer of For My People, a song cycle featuring the poetry of American author Margaret Walker. [13] His compositions, Facing It (based on the poetry of Yusef Komunyakaa) and Dear John, Dear Coltrane (based on the poetry of Michael Harper) premiered at the 2014 Furious Flower Poetry Conference featuring the combined James Madison University and Morgan State Chorales. [14]

His documentary film scores include: National Emmy Award winner Free To Dance (PBS Great Performances) and National Emmy Award winner Beyond Tara – The Extraordinary Life Of Hattie McDaniel (American Movie Classics) and Richard Wright – Black Boy (PBS/BBC production). [15] His music can be heard at the Burial Ground Museum in lower Manhattan and at the Civil Rights Museum in Greensboro, NC.

His musical theater works include composing music for Fancy Nancy ‘Splendiferous’ Christmas (based on the popular Fancy Nancy book series by Jane O'Connor, illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser) at the Vital Musical Theatre, NYC 2014 – 2016, Music for Twinkle Tames A Dragon at the Vital Musical Theatre (based on the children's book series by Katharine Holabird), NYC 2016 – 2017. [16] He wrote music to Flambe Dreams, which has been performed in readings and workshops since 2006, and Ever Happily After – 2013 New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF). [17]

In 2017, Klein authored The Quickstart Guide to Writing a Song, an educational manual on songwriting. [18] He has also been published by American Songwriter Magazine (The Star Spangled Banner Is Not A Song, Or Is It?), and Music Alive magazine (Can You Ear It?). [19]

Discography

Selected credits

Related Research Articles

Jamshied Sharifi is an American composer and musician. He was born in Topeka, Kansas to an Iranian father and an American mother. At an early age, Sharifi was exposed to Jazz and Middle Eastern music by his father and to European classical and church music by his mother. He began to study classical piano at age five and quickly developed a thirst for musical instruction and a desire to improvise. At age nine he began studying guitar and drums, and at age ten added flute.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burt Bacharach</span> American pianist, composer, songwriter and producer (1928–2023)

Burt Freeman Bacharach was an American composer, songwriter, record producer, and pianist who is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential figures of 20th-century popular music. Starting in the 1950s, he composed hundreds of pop songs, many in collaboration with lyricist Hal David. Bacharach's music is characterized by unusual chord progressions and time signature changes, influenced by his background in jazz, and uncommon selections of instruments for small orchestras. He arranged, conducted, and produced much of his recorded output.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jon Faddis</span> American jazz trumpeter, composer, and conductor

Jon Faddis is an American jazz trumpet player, conductor, composer, and educator, renowned for both his playing and for his expertise in the field of music education. Upon his first appearance on the scene, he became known for his ability to closely mirror the sound of trumpet icon Dizzy Gillespie, who was his mentor along with pianist Stan Kenton and trumpeter Bill Catalano.

Alf Heiberg Clausen is an American film and television composer. He is best known for his work scoring many episodes of The Simpsons, for which he was the sole composer between 1990 and 2017. Clausen has scored or orchestrated music for more than 30 films and television shows, including Moonlighting, The Naked Gun, ALF and Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Clausen received an Honorary Doctorate of Music from Berklee College of Music in 1996.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Candi Staton</span> American singer–songwriter (born 1940)

Canzetta Maria "Candi" Staton is an American singer–songwriter, best known in the United States for her 1970 remake of Tammy Wynette's "Stand by Your Man" and her 1976 disco chart-topper "Young Hearts Run Free". In Europe, Staton's biggest selling record is the anthemic "You Got the Love" from 1986, released in collaboration with the Source. Staton was inducted into the Christian Music Hall of Fame and is a four-time Grammy Award nominee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ryan Shore</span> Composer, Songwriter, Music Producer, Music Director, Conductor

Ryan Shore is a Canadian composer, songwriter, conductor, music producer, and music director for film, television, virtual reality, records, games, concerts, and theater. He is often known from his scores for Star Wars, Scooby-Doo!, Elmo, and Go! Go! Cory Carson. He is the nephew of Academy Award winning film composer Howard Shore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marty Paich</span> American musician

Martin Louis Paich was an American pianist, composer, arranger, record producer, music director, and conductor. As a musician and arranger he worked with jazz musicians Peggy Lee, Ella Fitzgerald, Stan Kenton, Art Pepper, Buddy Rich, Ray Brown, Shorty Rogers, Pete Rugolo, Ray Charles and Mel Tormé. His long association with Tormé included one of the singer's earliest albums, Mel Tormé and the Marty Paich Dek-Tette. Over the next three decades he worked with pop singers such as Andy Williams and Jack Jones and for film and television. He is the father of David Paich, a founding member of the rock band Toto.

Robert Kraft is an American songwriter, film composer, recording artist and record producer. As president of Fox Music from 1994 to 2012, he supervised the music for more than 300 Fox feature films, as well as dozens of TV shows. He co-produced the 2016 Score: A Film Music Documentary about film composers and the evolution of Hollywood film music.

Robert Cleanth Kai-Nen "D. D." Jackson is a Canadian–American jazz pianist and composer. His work as a leader or co-leader appears on 13 CDs. He won the Juno Award for Best Contemporary Jazz Album – Instrumental in 2000 for his solo piano disc ...So Far. Jackson has composed operas and has won two Emmy Awards for his work writing for television gaining 5 nominations in all.

Rob Mathes is an American record producer, music arranger, composer, songwriter, and performer. He also writes bluesy spiritual-pop music.

Bobby Sanabria is an American drummer, percussionist, composer, arranger, documentary producer, educator, activist, radio show host, and writer of Puerto Rican descent who specializes in jazz and Latin jazz.

Dave Pierce is a Canadian songwriter, composer, producer and arranger. Pierce was the music director for the opening, closing, and victory ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, for which he received an Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Direction in 2010, arranger for Twyla Tharp's Frank Sinatra musical, Come Fly Away in New York at the Marquis Theatre on Broadway and later that year opening as Sinatra Dance With Me at the Wynn Las Vegas; and music director of the Calgary Stampede Evening Grandstand Show. Pierce was also the musical director of the 2009 Gemini Awards television show in Canada. He is the father of two daughters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daniel Ingram (composer)</span> Canadian composer

Daniel Luke Ingram is a Canadian composer and lyricist, primarily for animated series soundtracks. He has written more than 200 songs for television, in genres ranging from pop and classic rock to large-scale Broadway-style musical theater. His music has been heard in 180 countries. He is mostly known for his work as the songwriter of My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic and the films based on the series. He has written over 80 songs for My Little Pony since 2010.

Ole Mathisen is a Norwegian jazz musician and composer. He is a critically acclaimed saxophonist and active performer on the New York City and the international jazz scene, and known for more than 80 recordings. He has performed with artists such as Paula Cole, Louie Vega, Omar Hakim, Darryl Jones, Hiram Bullock, Tom Coster, Mark Egan, Steve Smith, Mino Cinelu, Peter Erskine, Eddie Gómez, Badal Roy, Rufus Reid, Ron Carter, Grady Tate, Claudio Roditi, Will Lee, LaVerne Baker, Abraham Laboriel, Randy Brecker, Gil Goldstein, Lew Soloff, Tiger Okoshi, Michael Gibbs, Harvie Swartz, Jon Christensen, Gary Husband, Bill Bruford, Kenny Barron, Bob Moses, Jeff Berlin, Hilton Ruiz, Petter Wettre, Adam Nussbaum, Frankie Valli, and Dream Theater, and has composed music for film and television. He is the brother of jazz musicians Per Mathisen (bass), Hans Mathisen (guitar) and Nils Mathisen.

Aaron Robinson is an American composer, conductor, and musicologist. He is the author of Does God Sing? – A Musical Journey. He created the musical work Black Nativity – In Concert: A Gospel Celebration. He also served as conductor and musical director in the PBS documentary On This Island. In 2013, he was nominated for an Emmy Award for composing Maine Public Broadcasting Network's Maine Arts series theme music.

Shawn Michael Patterson is an American composer and songwriter. His most notable work to date is as the songwriter/composer for the song "Everything Is Awesome", written for the Warner Brothers feature film The Lego Movie (2014).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alan and Marilyn Bergman</span> American lyricists and songwriters

Alan Bergman and Marilyn Keith Bergman were an American songwriting duo. Married from 1958 until Marilyn's death, together they wrote music and lyrics for numerous celebrated television, film, and stage productions. The Bergmans enjoyed a successful career, honored with four Emmys, three Oscars, and two Grammys. They are in the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adam Neely</span> American YouTuber and musician (born 1988)

Adam Michael Neely is an American YouTuber, bassist, and composer. His YouTube channel is described as containing "music theory, music cognition, jazz improvisation, musical performance technique, musicology and memes". He also creates "Gig Vlogs", which give insight into his life as a professional musician in New York City. As a musician, he performs as a solo artist, as a session musician, and as a member of a number of New York City-based ensembles, including the electro-jazz duo Sungazer, and the jazz bands Adam Neely's Jazz School and Aberdeen.

Wayne K. Garfield was an American composer, collaborating songwriter, vocalist, social entrepreneur, community activist, and producer, who was born in 1952 in New York City. He co-founded of the music collective Change, which launched the career of Luther Vandross with the hit song "The Glow of Love" which became #1 on the Billboard Dance/Disco Chart in the summer of 1980.In addition, Garfield’s songs appear on Platinum-Plus recordings by Luther Vandross, J. Cole, Now! 7, and Janet Jackson. Garfield was an active participant in the National Basketball Association (NBA), and internationally as a player representative. Among his successful clients were NBA Summer League standout, Chedney Gray and Jimmy Baxter, who in 2006 was the recipient of the France basketball league’s Sixth Man of the Year and Newcomer of the Year.

References

  1. ↑ "Randy Klein Music". randyklein.com.
  2. ↑ Reich, Ronni. "New York Musical Theatre Festival: Three Jersey artists offer something different", The Star-Ledger , July 7, 2013. Accessed August 29, 2018. "Randy Klein, who grew up in Union City and Fort Lee, appeared at the festival last year with Flambé Dreams, a kitchen comedy.... Klein honed his musicianship in the Fort Lee High School marching band and got a taste for theater from Broadway shows he would see with his mother, including Fiddler on the Roof with Zero Mostel and Hello, Dolly! with Carol Channing."
  3. ↑ "Alum Notes | Berklee College of Music". www.berklee.edu. Retrieved October 17, 2017.
  4. ↑ "Millie Jackson : Songwriter Interviews". www.songfacts.com. Retrieved October 17, 2017.
  5. ↑ Waring, Charles. "Call Me 'Mr ECLECTIC' - versatile pianist/composer RANDY KLEIN talks to SJF". www.soulandjazzandfunk.com. Retrieved October 17, 2017.
  6. ↑ "Bio". Randy Klein. Retrieved October 17, 2017.
  7. ↑ "Jazzheads, Independent Record Label". jazzheads.com. Retrieved October 17, 2017.
  8. ↑ "Randy Klein Writes His Way, One Genre at a Time". BMI.com. September 21, 2011. Retrieved October 17, 2017.
  9. ↑ Jazz, All About (October 30, 2012). "Randy Klein's Two Duos: What's Next?". All About Jazz. Retrieved October 17, 2017.
  10. ↑ "ETV'S "Dr. Ticktock" captures Emmy award. (Southern Scrapbook). - Free Online Library". www.thefreelibrary.com. Retrieved October 17, 2017.
  11. ↑ Ticktock Minutes, Latoryah Alexander, Michael Earl, retrieved October 17, 2017{{citation}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  12. ↑ "Metropolitan Opera | HaZamir: The International Jewish High School Choir". www.metopera.org. Retrieved October 17, 2017.
  13. ↑ "Composer and pianist Randy Klein will bring For My People: The Margaret Walker Song Cycle to JSU for Birthday Celebration. | Jackson State Newsroom". www.jsumsnews.com. Retrieved October 17, 2017.
  14. ↑ Mott, Karen Risch. "Furious Flower Poetry Conference". www.jmu.edu. Retrieved October 17, 2017.
  15. ↑ "Composer & Musician Randy Klein Awarded Simons Fellowship - JazzTimes". JazzTimes. Retrieved October 17, 2017.
  16. ↑ Graeber, Laurel (December 19, 2014). "Spare Times for Children for Dec. 19-25". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved October 17, 2017.
  17. ↑ "Musical Theatre". Randy Klein. Retrieved October 17, 2017.
  18. ↑ "Quickstart Guide To Songwriting". youcanwriteasong.net. Retrieved October 17, 2017.
  19. ↑ "The Star Spangled Banner Is Not A Song, or Is It? « American Songwriter". American Songwriter. July 3, 2013. Retrieved October 17, 2017.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.