Mike Renzi

b. Providence, Rhode Island, USA. An immensely talented musician, Renzi was influenced in his early years as a pianist by Bill Evans. After living and working in and around Providence, he graduated from the Boston Conservatory of Music in 1973 and Berklee College Of Music the following year. During these years of study he worked with local bands and as accompanist to visiting artists. Among these was Sylvia Sims and it was as a direct result of this engagement that he was hired to work with Mel Tormé. In 1976 he moved to New York City and from the late 70s onwards through the next two decades and into the early years of the twenty-first century, he appeared on scores of albums, sometimes only as pianist but most often also as arranger. Renzi also plays keyboards and occasionally guitar. Developing his own, hard bop style, Renzi also became a much sought after arranger. As a brief listing of the numerous artists with whom he has worked will show, many of them are singers with whom he established a special rapport, and in some cases has acted as musical director: Ruth Brown, Laverne Butler, Ann Hampton Callaway, Diahann Carroll, Freddy Cole, Cynthia Crane, Meredith D’Ambrosio, Blossom Dearie, Scott Hamilton, Lena Horne, Etta Jones, Jack Jones, Eartha Kitt, Steve LaSpina, Cleo Laine, Peggy Lee, Jay Leonhart, Gloria Lynne, Maureen McGovern, Liza Minnelli, Gerry Mulligan, Mark Murphy, Houston Person, John Pizzarelli, Annie Ross, George Shearing, an eight-week tour with Frank Sinatra, Carol Sloane, Grady Tate. Although most often heard on albums by others, Renzi has also made a small number of fine albums as leader. He has also been musical director for many years on Sesame Street, writing most of the incidental music. Another long-term television project has been his work as one of four resident composers on All My Children. Highly respected by his peers, Renzi brings to all that he does high standards of musical excellence.
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