Jazz Articles about Ray Brown

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Ray Brown: The Telarc Years

by Franz A. Matzner
October 28, 2003

Born October 13, 1926 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, preeminent jazz bassist Ray Brown passed away on July 2, 2002. His career as one of jazz’s foremost players spanned 58 years and has left a recording legacy of literally thousands of albums. His career began early, as a bebopper with Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker, and continued from that auspicious start at an always remarkable level of excellence. As a member of the famed Oscar Peterson Trio, Brown toured tirelessly for over ...

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Jimmy Giuffre 3: The Easy Way

by Joshua Weiner
October 14, 2003

Jimmy Giuffre's jazz has got to be among the sparsest ever laid down; you can see a whole lot of daylight between the notes. But the sketch-like quality of his music belies a quiet intensity that has an almost hypnotic attraction. This is not jazz that jumps out at you and grabs you by the lapels. It is, rather, jazz that trickles out in droplets, coalescing into music midway between the eardrum and the subconscious. For those who have come ...

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Ray Brown: Walk On

by Franz A. Matzner
October 6, 2003

Ray Brown’s music needs no introduction. Just as the liner notes to Walk On state, no one played bass like Ray Brown. Even if you don’t know it, you’re probably already aware of his work, for Brown stands as one of the most recorded jazz musicians of our times. His career spanned five decades. He weathered every major stylistic change in jazz’s tumultuous and rapid development, remaining a constant figure as leader, sideman, composer, and bass master. ...

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Ray Brown Trio: Walk On

by Ollie Bivens
August 25, 2003

Recorded in January 2000, Walk On was the latest release by bassist Ray Brown before his passing in July 2002. Maynard Ferguson once remarked that he was attracted to jazz because jazz musicians always seemed to enjoy what they were playing. The sense of joy is present throughout Walk On.

“America the Beautiful” begins with Brown playing that most-famous melody on bass. Suddenly, Geoffrey Keezer and Karriem Riggins join in with kinetic piano and drum improvisations, leaving the melody behind ...

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Ray Brown: Walk On

by C. Michael Bailey
July 25, 2003

The previous "last" Ray Brown recording was the well-received Ray Brown, Monty Alexander, Russell Malone . Now that finality appears a bit premature, as the last trio date for the late great bassist was actually Walk On. Like the former release, this is a two-disc set, the second of which is made up of previously unreleased takes from Brown's most recent Telarc releases. Walk On was recorded during the same period as Some of My Best Friends Are...The Trumpet Players ...

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Ray Brown (and friends): Some Of My Best Friends Are...Singers

by AAJ Staff
January 17, 2003

It has been said that you can get by with a little help from your friends. Now, we will all have to get by without one of our best.

Ray Brown was one of the most admired and most beloved bass men of his age. On this new compilation, some of his most talented friends pay tribute by joining the late great on a dozen of his favorite songs.

From Nancy King's whispery “But Beautiful" to Dee Dee ...

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Ray Brown, Monty Alexander, Russell Malone: Ray Brown, Monty Alexander, Russell Malone

by Dave Nathan
October 5, 2002

At the risk of being cloying and maudlin, one knows that all good things must come to an end. But you don't have to like it. This his final coda, a two CD-set for Telarc, is the last known recording of one of the most prolific, rewarding (especially for his legions of listeners) and successful in jazz history. Reading Ray Brown's discography is about the same as reading the history of recorded jazz. To try and select one or even ...