Pianist, Composer, Arranger, Conductor, and Producer James Argiro received his training at The Hartford Conservatory of Music, The University of Southern California at Los Angeles, (UCLA), The Institute of Audio Research in New York and film scoring with Albert Harris. He is currently on the music faculty at Westfield State College. His professional career began at age 14 and at age 16, led a popular R&B/Blues band during the latter half of the 1950's, providing backup for many of the top groups of the period: The Moonglows, The Caddilacs, Lavern Baker, The Drifters, and Ruth Brown, among others. With vast experience in all phases and aspects of music creation, production, and the performing arts, he has been affiliated with dozens of stars in all media.
As Music Director and arranger, he has been associated with many celebrities such as: Bernadette Peters, Leslie Uggams, Frank Sinatra Jr., Carole Channing, Mickey Rooney, Joan Rivers and Juliet Prowse. As a jazz pianist and arranger, he has performed with Mel Torme, Marlena Shaw, Ernie Andrews, Lionel Hampton, "Cat" Anderson, Red Rodney, Ernie Watts, Jeff Hamilton, Shelly Manne and Louis Bellson, among many others. His big band credits include Harry James, Tommy Dorsey, Bill Holman, Count Basie, Richard Maltby and Alvino Rey.Musical Collaborations with Nelson Riddle, Neal Hefti, Henry Mancini, Fred Karlin, Anthony Newley, David Rose, Peter Matz;
Other Accolades include: Former Chairman and host for Monday Night Jazz, the longest running continuous jazz series in the nation; Nationally published arranger; Arranger and Jazz/Pop pianist for the Hartford Symphony; Arranger and pianist with The Hartford Symphony Classical Jazz Quartet; Former board member of The American Society of Music Arrangers; Music Director/Arranger for Dave Brubeck's, The Real Ambassadors, featuring Jon Hendricks and Kurt Elling; Jazz In July-University of Massachusetts; Jazz Vocal instructor, Jane Hanson's Summer Vocal Music Academy. James is a composer and publisher member of the American Society of Composers, Authors & Publishers (ASCAP).
Jazz Times - James Argiro
Imdb.com - James Argiro
Two Guys and a Girl (Sitcom) - Music by James Argiro