Don Randi (born February 25, 1937) is an American keyboard player, bandleader, and songwriter who was a member of the Wrecking Crew.

Career

Don was born February 25, 1937, in New York City.^[1] He was raised in the Catskill Mountains and studied classical music.^[2] In 1954, he moved to Los Angeles and became a studio musician.^[2] During the next year, he began working at record distribution company where he was influenced by jazz musicians, particularly Horace Silver.^[3]

He began his career as a pianist and keyboard player in 1956, gradually establishing a reputation as a leading session musician. In the early 1960s, he was musician and arranger for record producer Phil Spector's Wall of Sound. He played piano on "These Boots Are Made For Walkin'" by Nancy Sinatra and on her albums, as well as being a member of her touring band for decades. He performed on the Beach Boys' "Good Vibrations" and "God Only Knows".^[3] His piano can be heard on the Buffalo Springfield song "Broken Arrow". He claims to have played on over three hundred hit records, working with Linda Ronstadt (the harpsichord on "Different Drum"), Quincy Jones, Cannonball Adderley, Herb Alpert, Sarah Vaughan, Lee Hazlewood and Frank Zappa.^[3] He recorded live albums of piano jazz as a solo performer and as the leader of the Don Randi Trio with Leroy Vinnegar and Mel Lewis.^[2] Randi wrote film scores during the 1970s, including Bloody Mama (1970), Up in the Cellar (1970), J. W. Coop (1972), Stacey (1973), and Santee (1973).

In 1970, he opened The Baked Potato jazz club in Studio City, California, and formed Don Randi and Quest as the house band. The band recorded over 15 albums and was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1980 for the album New Baby.^[3] In 2010, the Baked Potato was named Best Jazz Club by Los Angeles magazine.^[4]

In 2008, as a member of the Wrecking Crew, Randi was inducted into the Hollywood RockWalk.^[5][6]

Discography

As leader

• Feelin' Like Blues (World Pacific, 1960)
• Where Do We Go from Here? (Verve, 1962)
• Last Night/with the Don Randi Trio (Verve, 1962)
• Mexican Pearls (Palomar, 1965)
• Revolver Jazz (Reprise, 1966)
• Live On the Sunset Strip! (Reprise, 1967)
• 3 in the Cellar (American International, 1970)
• At the Baked Potato (Poppy, 1972)
• Don Randi & the Baked Potato Band (JAS, 1975)
• Bermuda Triangle (Dobre, 1978)
• New Baby (Sheffield Lab, 1979)
• California 84 (Bee Pee, 1983)
• Baked Potato Shuffle (Baked Potato, 1988)
• Don't Look Back (Headfirst, 1989)
• Wind and Sea (Headfirst, 1990)

As sideman

With David Axelrod

• Songs of Experience (Capitol, 1969)
• Earth Rot (Capitol, 1970)
• Strange Ladies (MCA, 1977)
• David Axelrod (Mo Wax, 2001)

Notable singles

Based on information from Randi’s book, You’ve Heard These Hands.^[7]

Charting for singles is on the US singles charts.^[8]

Notable albums

A list of notable albums that Randi played on.^[7][11]