Randy Ingram, Drew Gress, Billy Hart
Biographie Randy Ingram, Drew Gress, Billy Hart
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). Ingram’s artistry as a pianist and composer is on full display on his upcoming trio release 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 will be released this fall on Sounderscore Records.
Previously, Ingram has 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). Play Favorites has received an incredible critical reception upon its release, prompting Ingram and Johnson towards a duo tour of Japan and opening performances in support of Jamie Cullum and Madeleine Peyroux.
Ingram’s working trio features bassist Drew Gress and drummer Jochen Rueckert, who are featured on his 2019 release, The Means of Response, an intricate, virtuosic and powerful protest record. As a new 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 residency at New Hampshire’s legendary MacDowell Colony 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. Following the release of The Means of Response, the trio has presented Ingram’s compositions at venues such as Birdland in NYC and Sunset/Sunside in Paris.
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.” Ingram and Gress have toured Europe twice since the release of The Wandering, playing venues including the Unterfahrt in Munich, the Jazz Dock in Prague, and Copenhagen’s famous Jazzhus Montmartre. Ingram also presented the music from The Wandering in Japan in 2018 on a duo tour with bassist Matt Brewer.
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. A move to Brooklyn followed, where he lives today. 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.” Ingram has been a key faculty member of the Drew University Music Department since January 2020.
Randy Ingram has performed and recorded with leading musicians including John Patitucci, Jeff Tain Watts, Ari Hoenig, Mike Clark, Ben Monder, Tierney Sutton, Joe Locke, Joel Frahm, Marcus Gilmore, Jon Irabagon, Ingrid Jensen, Joe LaBarbera, Kendrick Scott, Lage Lund, Matt Penman, 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 Samantha Ronson (Roc-a-Fella), Kristina Train (Blue Note), Nikki Yanofksy (Decca/Universal), Brenna Whitaker (Verve), and Tony Award-winning composer Duncan Sheik (Universal). He is a member of the Jimmy Chamberlin Complex, the jazz project led by the drummer of the Smashing Pumpkins, and is featured on their release The Parable and Honor (Make Records).
Ingram’s sophomore release, Sky/Lift (Sunnyside Records, 2014), features his quartet 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.” Sky/Lift has received tremendous critical acclaim worldwide, propelling Ingram’s quartet to perform at venues such as the Jazz A Domergue Festival in Cannes, France, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
In Sweden’s highest-grossing film of 2013, Waltz for Monica (Monica Z), a biopic about the Scandinavian jazz singer Monica Zetterlund (which won four Swedish Academy Awards and was nominated for eight more), Ingram performed as one of his heroes, pianist Bill Evans.
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.”
