Randy Weston (April 6, 1926 – September 1, 2018) was an American jazz pianist and composer. Weston's piano style owes much to Duke Ellington and Thelonious Monk. Beginning in the 1950s, he worked often with trombonist and arranger Melba Liston. Described as "America's African Musical Ambassador", he has said, "What I do I do because it's about teaching and informing everyone about our most natural cultural phenomenon. It's really about Africa and her music.