Ralph Sharon
Among the fifty players in jazz journalist Gene Rizzo's ranking of the greatest jazz pianists, Ralph Sharon lands at number 46 — a placement that honors one of the great accompanists in American popular song. For much of his career Sharon was the pianist and musical director behind Tony Bennett, and it was Sharon who fished a forgotten song called "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" out of a drawer and persuaded Bennett to record it. His own trio playing was gentler and less heralded, but no less musical.
This profile covers who Ralph Sharon was, how a London-born pianist became the definitive Great American Songbook accompanist, what set his playing apart, and the recordings — plus scores — to start with today.
The short answer: Ralph Sharon (1923–2015) was an English-American jazz pianist and arranger, best known as Tony Bennett's longtime pianist and musical director, and admired for an encyclopedic command of the standard repertoire.
Life and career
Sharon was born in London in 1923 and studied piano with his mother, an accomplished American pianist. He made his professional debut in 1946 with Ted Heath's dance band, alternated with George Shearing on Kenny Baker's BBC broadcasts, and led a sextet at London's Stork Club featuring a teenage Victor Feldman. After winning four straight Melody Maker polls, he emigrated to the United States in 1953.
In New York he became a first-call session pianist and arranger for the Bethlehem label, working with singers such as Johnny Hartman, Chris Connor and Mel Tormé. In 1956 he began his long association with Tony Bennett, running through 1968 and then resuming from 1980. He also accompanied Peggy Lee, Robert Goulet and Rosemary Clooney. After announcing a semi-retirement in the late 1990s, he turned to solo recording and settled in Colorado, where he died in 2015 at the age of 91.
Style and influence
Sharon's genius was for service — knowing exactly which chord, fill or introduction would fit the story a singer was telling. Rizzo, marveling at the breadth of his repertoire, jokes that Sharon "knows more standards than a busload of Shriners," and that deep well let him find the perfect phrase for any lyric on the spot.
His own trio playing blended Teddy Wilson's feathery touch with the mercurial harmony of Bud Powell, and in later years it took on the lush, Bill-Evans-flavored voicings of a more modern era. If his solo work was overshadowed by his decades behind singers, it was because he was so good at the supporting role — the accompanist's art of making someone else sound their best.
Essential recordings
Sharon's discography spans first-rate trio dates and a distinguished songwriter-tribute series:
| Recording | Label / year | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| The Ralph Sharon Trio | Bethlehem, mid-1950s | An early leader date blending Wilson's touch with Powell's harmony |
| The Ralph Sharon Trio Swings the Sammy Cahn Songbook | DRG, 1995 | Launch of his blue-chip songwriter-tribute series, with guest Gerry Mulligan |
| Tony Bennett recordings (as accompanist / director) | Columbia, 1956–68 and 1980s onward | The body of work that defines him — including "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" |
Play Ralph Sharon's music
Sharon was an interpreter and accompanist, so the way into his art is through the songbook he served so well. Start with "I Left My Heart in San Francisco," the standard he rescued for Tony Bennett, then try classics like "Fly Me to the Moon" or "The Way You Look Tonight" to hear how a great accompanist frames a melody. A few of those pieces are open on MuseScore below, in arrangements from approachable to advanced.
Where Ralph Sharon ranks among jazz pianists
Rizzo places Sharon at number 46, a ranking that recognizes a supreme craftsman of accompaniment. See the full list in our guide to the best jazz pianists of all time, and compare Sharon with fellow English-born stylist Derek Smith and with pioneering pianist-composer Mary Lou Williams. To understand the harmony that underlies these standards, our guide to jazz chord progressions is a good starting point.
Frequently asked questions
Who was Ralph Sharon best known for accompanying?
Tony Bennett. Sharon was Bennett's pianist and musical director from 1956 to 1968 and again from 1980, one of the most durable singer-pianist partnerships in American popular music.
Did Ralph Sharon really discover "I Left My Heart in San Francisco"?
He championed it. Sharon had kept the little-known song and brought it to Tony Bennett, who recorded it in 1962. It became Bennett's signature hit and an enduring standard.
What should I listen to first?
Start with Tony Bennett's early-1960s recordings to hear Sharon's accompaniment, then explore The Ralph Sharon Trio Swings the Sammy Cahn Songbook (1995) for his own trio playing.