Ray Brown

Ray Brown , Double bass player of Jazz, born Raymond Matthews Brown, the October 13rd 1926 with Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the United States, dies the July 2nd 2002 with Indianapolis, Indiana, the United States.

Biography

Ray Brown studies initially the Piano, but hates to be exerted and decides, at the school, to pass to the Contrebasse, persuaded which it is that this instrument, with its 4 cords will be easier to handle than the 88 keys.
To tell the truth, it wanted to play of the Trombone, but an instrument had to be bought, that his/her father could not pay him; it thus chose the double bass which the academy could lend to him…
Il learns from ear and is even put to work its instrument. It is very gifted and will occur quickly with Pittsburgh. Once its diploma of university out of pocket, it leaves in round with various orchestras.

At 20 years, it leaves for New York and is confronted with the local musicians. It is quickly engaged by Dizzy Gillespie which holds a place in its group for him which also comprises Charlie Parker with the Saxophone, Bud Powell with the Piano, max Roach with the battery.

In 1948, it founds its own trio and wife Ella Fitzgerald. It meets Norman Granz and belonged to the rounds Jazz At the Philharmonic. He divorces Ella Fitzgerald in 1952. Between 1951 and 1966, he is member of the trio of Oscar Peterson.

When it leaves Oscar Peterson, it settles with Los Angeles, to play, compose for the Cinéma and to benefit from the pleasant climate from the California. It also carries out to it a career of managing for people like Quincy Jones or the Modern Jazz Four-bit byte. During a certain time, he is even the director of the Monterey Jazz Festival.

The length of its career prohibited to classify it in a particular kind of the jazz. He lived the times, “Mainstream”, “big band”, “Bebop”, “Hard bop”. Oscar Peterson and recorded 240 albums together to him.

Recordings

Audio

Double R B (with Ray Bryant, 1994)
Super Low (with John Clayton and Christian McBride, 2 volumes, 1997 and 2001)

Video

Milt Jackson & Ray Brown '77 (collection Jazz in Montreux , 1977)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lue51_pLktQ

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