Randy Ingram (pianist/composer) has been hailed as “gifted” (Jazz Times) and “a formidable composer” (The San Francisco Chronicle). “A pianist drawn to contemporary harmony and a sleek rhythmic sensibility… Astute, self-possessed” (The New York Times). “He’s got a crystalline sound, rich and wide open, and knows how to state a melody with spacious chords, veering into logical solos that wander into intriguing lands” (Jazz Weekly). A longtime resident of Brooklyn, NY, Ingram maintains an active international touring presence, appearing on key stages throughout the United States, Europe, Japan and South Korea.
His upcoming recording, Sound Within: A Celebration of Bill Evans, is a deeply personal and heartfelt tribute to one of Ingram’s true heroes. His seventh recording as a bandleader, Sound Within will be released this July on Chill Tone records and features the legendary Rufus Reid on bass and Joe La Barbera on drums, who was the last drummer in Evans’ trio. While a project that celebrates Evans’ profound influence has been a longtime goal of Ingram, he was determined to wait until the right moment in his career to create a heartfelt homage that resonates in meaningful and personal ways. “The thing that’s most important to me about Bill Evans is not a style,” Ingram says. “It's not the way that he plays, or the devices that he uses. It's the sound of the piano, and that's something that comes from deep inside. So I made sure to hone in on my own sound for this album.” Ingram has not only studied Evans’s music, but has embodied the pianist on screen. He portrayed Evans in the 2013 Swedish film Waltz for Monica (aka Monica Z), a biopic of the singer and actress Monica Zetterlund that became the year’s highest grossing film in its home country and garnered several awards.
Ingram’s artistry as a pianist and composer is on full display on his previous recording Aries Dance, a celebration of musical motion and expression that features the legendary drummer Billy Hart alongside Ingram’s trusted bassist, the esteemed Drew Gress. Aries Dance was released on Sounderscore Records in October 2024 to great acclaim, earning a 4.5 star review in Downbeat Magazine.
He has also released four acclaimed recordings on Sunnyside Records in duo, trio and quartet formats. 2022’s Play Favorites is a perfectly matched duo collaboration with vocalist Aubrey Johnson. Play Favorites finds Johnson and Ingram highlighting their musical bond with a gorgeous program of jazz standards, Brazilian compositions, and beloved pop tunes, which showcase Ingram’s “Mastery of the 88’s” (The New York City Jazz Record).
His working trio of bassist Drew Gress and drummer Jochen Rueckert are featured on his 2019 release, The Means of Response, an intricate, virtuosic and powerful protest record. As a father, he channels his concern over the terrifying racism, xenophobia and injustice that have come to define America today, and offers instead a message of solidarity and hope for his son. Largely composed during his composition residency at New Hampshire’s legendary MacDowell following the devastating news of the 2016 election, Ingram uses the musical tools at his disposal to channel his feelings and to engage listeners, hopefully inspiring others to action.
In 2017 Ingram released, The Wandering, an intimate collection of duets with Drew Gress. Born out of a desire to develop and express his pianistic voice, The Wandering is an unencumbered look into his musical identity as an interpreter, improviser and composer. Dr. Jazz Magazine (NL), describes The Wandering as “Crystal clear, open and rich in tone. In terms of feel and atmosphere it reminds me a lot of the LP Intuition, from pianist Bill Evans and Eddie Gomez from 1974. This is equally lyrical, somewhat ethereal piano music. No small praise.”
2014’s Sky/Lift features a quartet lineup of Mike Moreno on guitar, Matt Clohesy on bass and Jochen Rueckert on drums, performing Ingram’s original compositions. “Ingram and his band consistently get it right,” applauds All About Jazz NY. “[They are an impressive] leader and group that one expects will continue to make great music for years.” The Ottawa Citizen proclaims that “Ingram’s material is very strong and personal, and he and his fellow musicians live up to the challenge of making the songs come alive.”
Randy Ingram was born in Anchorage, Alaska. His parents relocated to the warmer climate of Southern California when he was three, settling in Laguna Beach, California, a small town with an outsized appreciation for art and music. A piano student since the age of four, Ingram’s passion for jazz blossomed in high school, when he formed a trio with two musician friends that have gone on to earn Grammy nominations: bassist/producer Billy Mohler (Herbie Hancock/Dolly Parton), and drummer Nate Wood (Kneebody/Donny McCaslin). Ingram earned scholarships to the University of Southern California, where he received his Bachelor’s degree in Jazz Performance, and The New England Conservatory (NEC), where he received his Master’s of Music.
Along the way he was mentored by pianists Alan Pasqua, Danilo Perez and Fred Hersch, as well as legendary composers George Russell and Bob Brookmeyer. Shortly after graduating from NEC, Ingram was selected to attend the Kennedy Center’s Betty Carter Jazz Ahead Program in Washington, D.C., and moved to New York City shortly afterwards. A recipient of the ASCAP Young Jazz Composer’s Award, Ingram has established himself as an integral part of the NYC music community. In the words of his mentor Fred Hersch, “Randy Ingram is among the vanguard of young jazz pianists on the New York scene. He plays with finesse, thoughtfulness and passion.” A dedicated educator, Ingram is currently on faculty at Hofstra University in Hempstead, NY.
Ingram has performed and recorded with leading musicians including John Patitucci, Jeff Tain Watts, Ben Monder, Tierney Sutton, Curtis Stigers, Toninho Horta, Marcus Gilmore, Jon Irabagon, Ingrid Jensen, Kendrick Scott, Lage Lund, Adam Nussbaum, Ari Hoenig, Mike Clark, Will Vinson, Jaleel Shaw and the late Billy Higgins. No stranger to the pop world, he has appeared on national television and performed with recording artists such as Kristina Train (Blue Note), Nikki Yanofsky (Decca/Universal), Brenna Whitaker (Verve) Samantha Ronson (Roc-a-Fella), and Tony Award-winning composer Duncan Sheik (Universal). He is featured on The Parable and Honor (Make Records), two recordings by the Jimmy Chamberlin Complex, the jazz project led by the drummer of the Smashing Pumpkins.
Randy Ingram made his recording debut with The Road Ahead (Brooklyn Jazz Underground Records, 2009). “When Ingram is not playing one of his own superb tunes, he reinvents pop gems like The Beatles’ ‘For No One,’ and standards including ‘Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most’ and ‘So In Love,’” wrote Rochester City Newspaper. “Whatever he plays, Ingram attacks the keyboard with equal shares of flair, taste and dexterity, making every track an evocative journey.” According to The Boston Herald, “[Ingram’s] thoroughly enjoyable debut portends a bright future… The Road Ahead suggests he’ll be hard to stop.”