Ray Santisi (1 February 1933 – 28 October 2014) was an American jazz pianist, composer, arranger, recording artist and educator.
Santisi has played as a featured soloist with Charlie Parker, Stan Getz, Dexter Gordon, Mel Torme, Irene Kral, Herb Pomeroy and Natalie Cole.
He has also performed with Buddy DeFranco, Joe Williams, Gabor Szabo, Milt Jackson, Zoot Sims & Al Cohn, Carole Sloane, Clark Terry and Bob Brookmeyer.
Many of his former students have since become jazz musicians; these include Diana Krall, Makoto Ozone, Joe Zawinul, Keith Jarrett, Jane Ira Bloom, Jan Hammer, Alan Broadbent, Arif Mardin, Gary Burton, John Hicks, Danilo Perez, Hiromi and Mikolai Stroinski.
It was a master indulging in the sheer joy of tackling the possibilities (maybe the impossibilities) of the instrument.” Stu Vandermark, CADENCE Magazine With Boots Mussulli, Max Bennett (b) and Shelly Manne (d) With Serge Chaloff (bs), Boots Mussulli (as), Herb Pomeroy (tp), Everett Evans (b) and Jimmy Zitano (d) With Donald Byrd, Doug Watkins (b) and Jimmy Zitano (d) With Herb Pomeroy With Buddy DeFranco (clarinet) and John Chiodini (guitar) With Whit Brown (b) and Fred Buda (ds/perc) With Donald Byrd, Doug Watkins, Jimmy Zitano, Joe Gordon, Kenny Burrell, Hank Mobley, Duke Jordan, Horace Silver, Art Taylor and Art Blakey With Bill Nordstrom (b) and Jimmy Zitano (dr) With Johnny Sousa, Barry Smith and Gene Roma With Patricia Adams, Dave Zox, Gary Johnson With Patricia Adams, Dave Zox, Gary Johnson With Patricia Adams, Marshall Wood, Bob Moses With Marshall Wood, Bob Moses The Boston Jazz Chronicles, Faces, Places, and Nightlife 1937-1962 by Richard Vacca (c)2012: Santisi, Ray 213-214 Berklee faculty 121-122 early 1960s 225 Jazz Workshop 211 mid 1950s 133, 199 with Herb Pomeroy Orchestra 214, 217