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Rob Mounsey

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Rob Mounsey
Rob Mounsey performing in Oslo in 2018
Rob Mounsey performing in Oslo in 2018
Background information
Born (1952-12-02) December 2, 1952 (age 73)
Berea, Ohio, U.S.
GenresPop, rock, R&B, jazz
OccupationsMusician, composer, arranger, producer
InstrumentKeyboards
Years active1976 – present
Websiterobmounsey.com

Rob Mounsey (born December 2, 1952) is an American musician, composer, and arranger.[1]

Music career

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Mounsey was born in Berea, Ohio, and grew up in Seattle, Washington, spending a few years each in Findlay and Granville, Ohio. At the age of 17, he was awarded a 1970 BMI Student Composer Award for his orchestral work Ilium, New York, Is Divided into Three Parts. He attended Berklee College of Music in Boston from 1971 to 1975.

In 1976, he moved to New York City to become a studio musician, arranger, and producer for a wide range of well-known artists, including Aaron Neville, Aztec Camera, Brian Wilson, Carly Simon, Chaka Khan, Chromeo, Brett Eldredge, Diana Krall, Diana Ross, Donald Fagen, Eric Clapton, James Taylor, Karen Carpenter, Madonna, Michael Franks, Natalie Cole, Paul Simon, Rihanna, Steely Dan, and others. He performed on keyboards in 1981 for Simon and Garfunkel's Concert in the Park.

In 1985, he played keyboards in a New-York-based group called Joe Cool with Will Lee, Jeff Mironov and Christopher Parker. They released one album, Party Animals, on the Pony Canyon label in Japan, followed by a Japanese tour.

Mounsey released three solo albums as a recording artist: Dig (Sona Gaia, 1990), and two self-released albums on his own Monkeyville label, Back in the Pool and Mango Theory.

He toured as musical director and pianist for Idina Menzel in her Pops Symphony tours (2010-2015,) for which he created nearly all of the arrangements.

He has composed for film and television, including the 1988 Mike Nichols film Working Girl (with Carly Simon), the film Bright Lights, Big City (with Donald Fagen) and the HBO hit series Sex and the City.[1] Mounsey wrote two long-running Emmy-winning themes for the television show Guiding Light. He is a six-time Grammy Award nominee, and a winner of two Emmy Awards.[1] He is a Zen Buddhist who resides in Brooklyn, New York.

Selected discography

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As leader

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Year Album Artist/Group Label Refs
1985 Party Animals with Joe Cool Canyon
1987 Local Color with Steve Khan Denon
1989 Dig with the Flying Monkey Orchestra Sona Gaia
1993 Back in the Pool Monkeyville
1995 Mango Theory
1998 You Are Here with Steve Khan Siam [2]

As producer

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Year Album Artist Label Refs
1983 Passionfruit Michael Franks Warner Bros.
1985 Skin Dive
1987 The Camera Never Lies
Love Aztec Camera WEA
1989 There Were Signs Bill Gable Private Music
2003 Nature Boy Aaron Neville Verve
2007 Destination Moon Deborah Cox Universal
2011 Barefoot at the Symphony Idina Menzel Concord
2014 Billy's Back on Broadway Billy Porter
2016 Glow Brett Eldredge

As arranger/pianist

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Year Album Artist Label Refs
1977 Cissy Houston Cissy Houston Private Stock
Blue Lights in the Basement Roberta Flack Atlantic
Say It in Private Steve Goodman Asylum
The Player Not the Game Jess Roden Island
1978 Think It Over Cissy Houston Private Stock
Roberta Flack Roberta Flack Atlantic
Spinozza David Spinozza A&M
One-Eyed Jack Garland Jeffreys
Burnin' Carol Douglas Midsong
Desire Wire Cindy Bullens United Artists
All Things Beautiful Jimmy Ponder Lester Radio
Let's All Chant Michael Zager Private Stock
1979 Step Aside for a Lady Cissy Houston Columbia
Fate for Breakfast Art Garfunkel CBS
Arrows Steve Khan Columbia
Stay Free Ashford & Simpson Warner Bros.
Browne Sugar Tom Browne Arista/GRP
Two Sides to Every Woman Carlene Carter Warner Bros.
If the Shoe Fits Ronnie Dyson Columbia
Euclid Beach Band Euclid Beach Band Epic/Cleveland
Bottom Line John Mayall DJM
Dancin' and Lovin' The Spinners Atlantic
Life's a Party Michael Zager Private Stock
1980 Gaucho Steely Dan MCA
Carnaval Spyro Gyra
A Musical Affair Ashford & Simpson Warner Bros.
About Love Gladys Knight Columbia
The Best Side of Goodbye Jane Olivor
TP Teddy Pendergrass Philadelphia International
Impressions of Virus Teo Macero Presents Denon
Beats Workin' Jimmy Maelen Pavilion
1981 Scissors Cut Art Garfunkel Columbia
Freetime Spyro Gyra MCA
Why Do Fools Fall in Love Diana Ross Capitol/EMI
Touch Gladys Knight Columbia
Pirates Rickie Lee Jones Warner Bros.
Labor of Love The Spinners Atlantic
1982 The Nightfly Donald Fagen Warner Bros.
Objects of Desire Michael Franks
Incognito Spyro Gyra MCA
Silk Electric Diana Ross Capitol
The Nylon Curtain Billy Joel Columbia
The Concert in Central Park Simon & Garfunkel Warner Bros.
1983 Hearts and Bones Paul Simon Warner Bros.
Passionfruit Michael Franks
Hello Big Man Carly Simon
Ross Diana Ross RCA
Rhythm Hymn Jaki Whitren Elektra
1984 I Feel for You Chaka Khan Warner Bros.
Civilized Man Joe Cocker Capitol
Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now) Phil Collins Atlantic
In the Evening Sheryl Lee Ralph New York Music
1985 Skin Dive Michael Franks Warner Bros.
20/20 George Benson
Wanna Play Your Game! Joyce Kennedy A&M
Surprize Ralph MacDonald Polydor
1986 Graceland Paul Simon Warner Bros.
The Animals' Christmas by Jimmy Webb Art Garfunkel CBS
Good Time for Love Sadao Watanabe Elektra
Back in the High Life Steve Winwood Island
The Bridge Billy Joel Columbia
1987 The Camera Never Lies Michael Franks Warner Bros.
One from the Heart Jocelyn Brown
Jude Cole Jude Cole
Love Aztec Camera WEA
The Hunger Michael Bolton Columbia
Jill Jones Jill Jones Paisley Park
Voices Karen Kamon Atco
Coming Around Again Carly Simon Arista
1988 CK Chaka Khan Warner Bros.
Brian Wilson Brian Wilson Sire/Reprise
1989 Journeyman Eric Clapton Reprise
Blackwood Eddie Daniels GRP
Lovelines The Carpenters A&M
Something Real Phoebe Snow Elektra
1990 Sings Cole Porter Dionne Warwick Arista
1991 Days Like These Jay Hoggard GRP
1993 Earth Step Sadao Watanabe Verve Forecast
1994 Oh! Will Lee Go Jazz
1995 The Finer Things Steve Winwood Island
1996 Karen Carpenter Karen Carpenter A&M
Stardust Natalie Cole Elektra
1997 Hourglass James Taylor Columbia
Still Waters Bee Gees Polydor
Dans Ma Chair Patricia Kaas Columbia
Nascimento Milton Nascimento Warner Bros.
1998 Painted from Memory Elvis Costello Mercury
Port Pleasure Ralph MacDonald Videoarts
1999 Aida Elton John Rocket/Island
Lifetime Guarantee Michael Johnson Magic
Songs from the Last Century George Michael Virgin/Aegean
2001 This Is the Moment Donny Osmond Decca
2002 October Road James Taylor Columbia
Ask a Woman Who Knows Natalie Cole Verve
Live in Paris Diana Krall
This Is Who I Am Heather Headley RCA/BMG
Smile Songs from the Movies Lyle Lovett Curb/MCA
It Had to Be You: The Great American Songbook Rod Stewart J/BMG
The Season for Romance Lee Ann Womack MCA Nashville
2003 Nature Boy: The Standards Album Aaron Neville Verve
As Time Goes By: The Great American Songbook Vol. II Rod Stewart J/BMG
Soulful Ruben Studdard J/19 Recordings
2004 Taking a Chance on Love Jane Monheit Sony Classical
2005 It's Time Michael Bublé 143/Reprise
Last Quarter Moon Chiara Civello Verve Forecast
2006 James Taylor at Christmas James Taylor Columbia
Real Street Mark Sholtez Universal/Verve
2007 Borrowed Time Steve Khan Tone Center
Destination Moon Deborah Cox Decca
At the Movies Dave Koz Capitol
2011 Parting Shot Steve Khan Tone Center
2012 Live Barefoot at the Symphony Idina Menzel Concord
Dinosaurs Are Coming Back Again Valerie Simpson Hopsack & Silk
2014 Subtext Steve Khan ESC
Christmas in New York Renee Fleming Decca
2015 Before This World James Taylor Concord
2016 Backlog Steve Khan ESC
2017 La Même Tribu Eddy Mitchell Polydor
2018 La Même Tribu Volume 2

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Robmounseymusic". Robmounsey.com. Archived from the original on January 22, 2015. Retrieved June 28, 2013.
  2. ^ Payne, Douglas (October 1, 1998). "Steve Khan/Rob Mounsey: You Are Here". All About Jazz. Retrieved January 27, 2026.
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