Randy Weston | |
|---|---|
 Weston in 2007 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Randolph Edward Weston |
| Born | April 6, 1926 Brooklyn, New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Died | September 1, 2018 (aged 92) Brooklyn, New York City, U.S. |
| Genres | Jazz, African jazz, world fusion |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, composer, bandleader |
| Instrument | Piano |
| Years active | 1950s–2018 |
| Labels | Riverside, Antilles, Verve, Motéma |
| Website | randyweston |
Randolph Edward "Randy" Weston (April 6, 1926 – September 1, 2018) was an American jazz pianist and composer whose creativity was inspired by his ancestral African connection.[1]
Weston's piano style owed much to Duke Ellington and Thelonious Monk,[2] whom he cited in a 2018 video as among pianists he counted as influences, as well as Count Basie, Nat King Cole and Earl Hines.[3] Beginning in the 1950s, Weston worked often with trombonist and arranger Melba Liston.[4][5]
Described as "America's African Musical Ambassador", Weston once said: "What I do I do because it's about teaching and informing everyone about our most natural cultural phenomenon. It's really about Africa and her music."[6]
- ^ Kevin Le Gendre, "Randy Weston 06/04/26 – 01/09/18", Jazzwise, September 3, 2018.
- ^ Ian Patterson, on Randy Weston African Rhythms Sextet: The Storyteller, All About Jazz, November 24, 2010.
- ^ "Randy Weston talks about his new solo double CD Sound", YouTube video, March 27, 2018.
- ^ Richard S. Ginell. "Randy Weston". AllMusic. Retrieved August 18, 2018.
- ^ Carney Smith, Jessie, ed. (1995). Notable Black American Women (Book 2). Gale. pp. 413–415. ISBN 0810391775.
- ^ Hakim Abdul-Ali, "Randy Weston: America's African Musical Ambassador"[usurped], Charleston Chronicle, June 15, 2016.