Rami Jaffee


Rami Jaffee is an American musician. He is the keyboardist for the rock band Foo Fighters, whom he initially joined in a touring and session capacity in 2005. He has contributed to seven of the band's studio albums, and formally joined the band as a full-time member in 2016.
Prior to joining Foo Fighters, Jaffee was a member of The Wallflowers from 1990 to 2005, and again from 2012 to 2013. He has worked with many artists including Pete Yorn, Stone Sour, Joseph Arthur and Coheed and Cambria.

Early life

Jaffee was born on March 11, 1969, to a Russian Ashkenazi Jewish father and a Moroccan Sephardic Jewish mother in Los Angeles. When he was 13, he purchased a keyboard and was soon playing with local bands. After graduating from Fairfax High School, he continued to play in various bands, and he took session work in recording studios.

Career

Around 1989, Jakob Dylan and his friend Tobi Miller formed a group called the Apples, playing various clubs in the L.A. area. While waiting in line at Canter's Deli after 2:00 am, Jaffee heard the Apples wanted an organist and pianist, and he was told that Dylan and Miller were then in the Kibitz Room bar attached to Canter's. They met; Dylan and Miller played Jaffee some demo tapes in their car stereo, and Jaffee immediately joined the group. A few weeks later, they changed their name to the Wallflowers and signed with Virgin Records. In 1992, they released their first album, The Wallflowers. The Wallflowers toured throughout the U.S. and Canada in 1992 and early 1993. They served as the opening act for Cracker, the Spin Doctors and 10,000 Maniacs, and they started headlining their own shows.
Virgin appeared to lose interest in the Wallflowers because of poor album sales. The band's two familiar label representatives left the label, after which the record company tried to use the Dylan name as a selling point, against the band's directive. In mid-1993, the label released the band from their contract. Other labels were not interested in signing the band, and Jaffee filled his time by playing gigs with El Vez as well as taking more session work. He kept his interest in the Wallflowers, saying later, "I believe in these songs, and I'm here for the duration because no one is writing songs like these anymore, songs that have room for a Hammond organ and me."
The Wallflowers signed to Interscope Records in 1994. While working with T Bone Burnett, who was producing the band's next album, Jaffee was frequently called in as a session musician for producers Paul Fox, Matt Hyde and Rick Neigher. Because of this, in 1996 he was credited on albums by Rickie Lee Jones, the Hookers, Leah Andreone and Chalk FarM. At the same time, the Wallflowers released their second album, Bringing Down the Horse, which went quadruple Platinum. The band toured in support of the album, but in 1997, Jaffee and his wife had a daughter, and he left the tour to be with his family for two months. That same year, he performed session work with Everclear, Grant Lee Buffalo, Richie Sambora, Macy Gray, Jeremy Toback, Joe Henry, Melissa Etheridge, Ramsay Midwood and Garth Brooks.
The Wallflowers received a Grammy nomination in 1998 for "Heroes" which appeared in the film Godzilla. In late 2000, the band released Breach. The band headlined their own tour for a year but also opened for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, the Who and John Mellencamp. Following this, the Wallflowers released Red Letter Days, touring again during 2002–2003. With a new drummer, the band released Rebel, Sweetheart, their fifth album, on May 24, 2005. The Wallflowers toured to promote the album, but Jaffee disagreed with the band, and he abandoned the tour with three dates remaining.
In 2005, Jaffee began collaborating with Foo Fighters. He was made an official member in 2015.
Jaffee led the house band on The Fran Drescher Show and, as of 2010, co-owned a recording studio called Fonogenic Studios in the San Fernando Valley.
In 2012 and 2013, Jaffee was a member of the Sound City Players, a supergroup formed by Dave Grohl that, in addition to appearing in Grohl's 2013 documentary, Sound City, played a limited number of tour dates in 2013. The Sound City Players consisted of a rotating number of artists including Grohl, Jaffee, Stevie Nicks, Alain Johannes, Paul McCartney, Rick Springfield, Josh Homme, Trent Reznor, Krist Novoselic and more.
In 2012, Jaffee returned to the Wallflowers, who were coming off a long hiatus. They released the album Glad All Over in 2012 and toured in support of it that year and also in 2013. Jaffee then left the band again.

Discography (partial)

YearGroupTitleLabelInstrument
1992The WallflowersThe WallflowersVirginPiano, Hammond Organ
1993Darlene & CoAbsence of UniformitySovereign–
1994El VezHow Great Thou ArtSympathy for the Record IndustryHammond Organ
1994El VezFun in EspañolSympathy for the Record IndustryHammond Organ
1994Victoria WilliamsLooseAtlanticHammond Organ
1995Edwin McCainHonor Among ThievesLava/AtlanticHammond Organ
1996Tina & the B-Side MovementSalvationSire/ElektraPiano, Hammond Organ, Farfisa
1996El VezNever Been To Spain MunsterKeyboards
1996Phil CodyThe Sons of Intemperance OfferingInterscopePiano, Accordion, Hammond Organ, Mellotron
1996The WallflowersBringing Down the HorseInterscopeOrgans, Pianos
1996Chalk FarMNotwithstandingColumbiaAccordion
1996Leah AndreoneVeiledRCAOrgan
1996The HookersCalicoRCAPiano, Accordion, Hammond Organ
1996Rickie Lee JonesMusic from Party of FiveReprise–
1997The WallflowersKCRW Rare on Air, Vol. 3MammothPiano
1997The HoneyrodsThe HoneyrodsCapricornPiano, Wurlitzer
1997EverclearSo Much for the AfterglowCapitolVox Organ
1997UmaFare WellRefugePiano, Hammond Organ, Vox Organ, Optigan
1997Soul AsylumI Know What You Did Last SummerSony Columbia–
1997Andy IfRoad TripCU–
1998Richie SamboraUndiscovered SoulMercuryAccordion, Hammond Organ, Clapping, Optigan
1998Agents of Good RootsOne by OneRCAOrgan
1998EstheroBreath From AnotherSony/WorksOptigan
1998The WallflowersGodzilla: The AlbumEpic/Sony–
1998Scott Thomas BandCaliforniaElektra–
1998Grant Lee BuffaloJubileeSlash/Warner–
1999ChlorinePrimerTime Bomb/BMGKeyboards
Matt BrownMorning After Medicine ShowEMI Uncle Green, released 2011Keyboards
2000The WallflowersInterscopeKeyboards, Vibraphone, Backing vocals
2002The WallflowersRed Letter DaysInterscopeKeyboards
2005Foo FightersIn Your HonorRCA Records/RoswellKeyboards
2005The WallflowersRebel, SweetheartInterscopeKeyboards
2006Willie NileStreets of New York00:02:59/ReincarnateHammond Organ
2006Foo FightersSkin and BonesRCA RecordsPiano, Organ, Accordion, Keyboard
2006Pete YornWesterns EPRED Ink/ColumbiaB-3 Organ, Production
2007Mike Brown & the Fart Face BandAmerican HotelOasis EntertainmentHammond Organ, Keyboard
2007Coheed and CambriaGood Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Volume Two: No World for TomorrowColumbia RecordsSynthesisers, Piano
2007Foo FightersEchoes, Silence, Patience, and GraceRCA RecordsAccordion, Keyboard
2008The Fallen StarsWhere the road bendsKiss My Squirrel RecordsHammond Organ, Keyboard, Accordion, Producer
2010The Fallen StarsHeart Like MineKiss My Squirrel RecordsHammond Organ, Keyboard, Accordion
2011Foo FightersWasting LightRCA RecordsKeyboards, Organ, Mellotron
2012The WallflowersGlad All OverColumbia/InterscopeKeyboards
2013Joseph ArthurThe Ballad of Boogie ChristLonely Astronaut RecordsOrgan
2013Chuck RaganTill MidnightSideOneDummyKeyboard, Glockenspiel, Accordion
2014GunashSame Old NightmareGo Down RecordsHammond Organ
2014Foo FightersSonic HighwaysRCA RecordsKeyboards
2015Foo FightersSaint Cecilia RCA RecordsKeyboards
2016GunashSuperHeroes In Town Go Down RecordsHammond Organ, Keyboards
2017GunashGreat ExpectationsGo Down RecordsHammond Organ, Keyboards, Artistic Producer
2017Foo FightersConcrete and GoldRCA RecordsKeyboards
2021Foo FightersMedicine at MidnightRCA RecordsKeyboards
2021Fury In The SlaughterhouseNow Starwatch EntertainmentKeyboards
2022Dream WidowDream WidowRCA RecordsKeyboards
2023Foo FightersBut Here We AreRCA RecordsKeyboards