Collection: Radam Schwartz

Radam Schwartz, Jazz Organist and pianist, has built his reputation over the last 40 years playing with such great musicians as Arthur and Red Prysock, Eddie Lockjaw Davis, Al Hibler, David Fathead Newman, Jimmy Ford, Tommy Gryce, Cecil Brooks III. He continues to make music history today playing with renowned artists Russell Malone, the Spirit of Life Ensemble, TK Blue, Conrad Herwig, Iron City Organ Ensemble and many others.

Radam’s prolific career has led to many successful recordings, many making the national charts. In all, he has been on over 40 recordings, 7 as leader and 2 as a co-leader. Some of the artists that he has recorded with are Don Braden, Jay Hogard, Russell Gunn, Ed Cherry, Andy McCloud, Bill Saxton, Bruce Williams, Frank Lacy, Paul Beaudry, Alvester Garnett, Jeff Hackworth, Rodney Jones, Miles Griffith, Clifford Adams, Sonny Fortune etc. His recording Organized (Muse-1996) is listed in the Hammond Organ Bible as one of the top 200
essential Organ recordings of all time. His latest recording, 2 Sides of the Organ Combo on Arabesque Records was released in 2018, made the JazzWeek and NACC Jazz Charts.

In 2009 and 2010 Radam received awards from Sesac for jazz composition. He was also mentioned in the world-famous Downbeat Magazine Critics Poll in August 1997, 2009, 2010, 2015, and 2016, and 2017. He is also known for his work with singers including Della Griffin, Irene Reid, Madame Pat Tandy, Cynthia Holiday, Yvette Glover, Annette St. John, Carrie Jackson, and many others. Radam also has been a jazz educator for many years, formerly as music director at the Jazz Institute of New Jersey (for 20 years), artist-in-residence at Middlesex County Arts program (for 25 years), and an instructor
at Jazz House Kids in Montclair NJ where he teaches jazz improv and directs several ensembles (his advanced ensemble won first place in the 2012 Charles Mingus Competition), and the Jazz Academy at the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank, NJ. He currently is the director of the Rutgers-Newark Mosaic Jazz Ensemble as well. 

In 2012 Radam obtained a Masters degree from the Rutgers Newark Jazz Research and History Department, directed by Dr. Lewis Porter. He is currently working on turning several aspects of his thesis into books.