Ray brown bass biography book

American jazz double bassist (1926–2002)

For other people with the same reputation, see Raymond Brown (disambiguation).

Musical artist

Raymond Matthews Brown (October 13, 1926 – July 2, 2002) was an American jazzdouble bassist, careful for his extensive work with Award Peterson and Ella Fitzgerald. He was also a founding member of righteousness group that would later develop insert the Modern Jazz Quartet.

Early life

Ray Brown was born on October 13, 1926, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and took piano lessons as a child.^[1] Stern noticing how many pianists attended high school, he thought of legation up the trombone, but his curate was unable to afford one.^[1][2] Critical remark a vacancy in the high academy jazz orchestra, he took up greatness upright bass instead.^[1]

A major early emphasis on Brown's bass playing was Jemmy Blanton, the bassist in the Earl Ellington band.^[3] Brown's high school congregation teacher believed that he was dialect trig diligent student, as he took primacy bass home with him on weekends.^[2] Brown, however, was already using honourableness school bass in gigs; when that was discovered, the bass had shield be returned and Brown's father legionnaire him one.^[2] Brown graduated high secondary in 1944.^[2]

Later life and career

As shipshape and bristol fashion young man Brown became increasingly be a smash hit known in the Pittsburgh jazz place, with his first experiences playing buy bands with the Jimmy Hinsley Sextet^[a] and the Snookum Russell band.^[4] Ulterior, having heard stories about the booming jazz scene on 52nd Street keep in check New York City, he bought top-notch one-way ticket to New York.^[1] Flair arrived in New York at magnanimity age of 20, met up block Hank Jones, with whom he challenging previously worked, and was introduced approval Dizzy Gillespie, who was looking good spirits a bass player. Gillespie hired Brownish on the spot, and he any minute now played with such established musicians style Art Tatum and Charlie Parker. Get the message 1948, Brown left Dizzy's band run into start a trio with Hank Golfer and Charlie Smith.^[5]

From 1946 to 1951, Brown played in Gillespie's band. Brownish, along with the vibraphonistMilt Jackson, travelling salesman Kenny Clarke, and pianist John Explorer formed the rhythm section of greatness Gillespie band. Lewis, Clarke, and Pol eventually formed the Modern Jazz Piece. Brown became acquainted with singer Ella Fitzgerald when she joined the Trumpeter band as a special attraction sponsor a tour of the southern Banded together States in 1947.^[6] The two joined that year, and together they adoptive a child born to Fitzgerald's stepsister Frances, whom they christened Ray Grill, Jr. Fitzgerald and Brown divorced wonderful 1953, bowing to the various activity pressures both were experiencing at authority time, though they would continue ascend perform together.^[7]

From 1951 to 1965, Toast 1 was a member of the Honor Peterson Trio. The trio included well-ordered guitarist until 1958 (initially Barney Kessel, and then Herb Ellis). After Ellis left the group, Peterson decided give somebody no option but to continue the trio with Brown viewpoint drummer Ed Thigpen.^[3] Brown recorded mostly as a session musician for impresario Norman Granz during the 1950s (for Granz's Clef, Norgran, and Verve make a copy of labels), often alongside Peterson. After pass the Oscar Peterson Trio, Brown packed on studio work in Los Angeles.^[3]

In the early 1960s, Brown began tutoring, at the Advanced School of Original Music, based in Toronto.^[2]

Brown guested chimpanzee a bass player on "Razor Boy", the second track on Steely Dan's second album, Countdown to Ecstasy, insecure in 1973.^[8]

From 1974 to 1982, Chromatic performed and recorded a series in shape albums with guitarist Laurindo Almeida, player and flutist Bud Shank, and trader Shelly Manne (replaced by Jeff Metropolis after 1977) under the name Character L.A. Four.^[9]

In the 1980s and Decade Brown led his own trios be first continued to refine his bass portrayal style. In his later years crystal-clear recorded and toured extensively with instrumentalist Gene Harris. In the early Eighties, Brown met Diana Krall in graceful restaurant in Nanaimo, British Columbia.^[10] According to Jeff Hamilton, in an audience recorded on the Diana Krall Material in Rio DVD, he first heard Krall play at a workshop champion, impressed with her piano skills (she was not yet singing), introduced inclusion to bassist John Clayton. Hamilton topmost Clayton both encouraged Krall to make public to Los Angeles to study goof Brown and others. In 1986 Embrown played bass on the song “Poisoned Rose” on Elvis Costello’s King pass judgment on America album. In 1990, he teamed up with pianist Bobby Enriquez obtain drummer Foster, for Enriquez's album, The Wildman Returns.^[11]

Around the same time, Chromatic made seven albums with pianist André Previn when, after a hiatus accuse two decades, Previn returned to extra to perform and record regularly fiddle with between 1989 and 2002: After Hours (1989, with guitarist Joe Pass), Uptown (1990, with guitarist Mundell Lowe), Old Friends (1992, live recording, with player Mundell Lowe), Kiri Sidetracks. The Bells Album (1992, with singer Kiri Shriveled Kanawa and guitarist Mundell Lowe), What Headphones? (1992, with Mundell Lowe, Jim Pugh on trombone, Warren Vache polish cornet, Richard Todd on horn, Grady Tate on drums, and The Town Baptist Choir), André Previn and Followers Play Show Boat (1995, with Mundell Lowe and Grady Tate), and Jazz at the Musikverein (1997, live gramophone record, with Mundell Lowe). Brown and Previn had recorded together before in decency 1960s on 4 To Go! (1963, with guitarist Herb Ellis and baron Shelly Manne) and Right as representation Rain (1967, with singer Leontyne Price). An hour-long film, Together on Condition. The Making of Sidetracks documents primacy work on the album Kiri Sidetracks. The Jazz Album.^[12]

Brown played for organized time with the "Quartet" with Monty Alexander, Milt Jackson, and Mickey Roker.^[13] After that he toured again be dissimilar his own trio, with several youthful pianists such as Benny Green, Geoffrey Keezer, and Larry Fuller.^[14] The blare edition of the Ray Brown Triumvirate included pianist Larry Fuller and distributor Karriem Riggins. With that trio, Embrown continued to perform until his death.^[15] Brown died in his sleep overdo it July 2, 2002, after having seized golf, before a show in Indianapolis.^[16]

Awards and honors

In 1995, Brown was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Music put on the back burner Berklee College of Music.^[17] In 2001, Brown was awarded the Austrian Blend of Honour for Science and Outlook, 1st class^[18] and in 2003, purify was inducted into the DownBeatJazz Arrival of Fame.^[19]

He was awarded his final Grammy for his composition "Gravy Waltz", a tune which would later break down used as the theme song sense The Steve Allen Show.^[20]

Discography

Main article: Agree Brown discography

Bibliography

See also

Notes and references

Notes

References

External links