Ray Brown

Ray Brown – born October 13, 1926 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania – was a jazz double bassist best known for his work with Ella Fitzgerald (who he was briefly married to) and Oscar Peterson. Originally, Brown took piano lessons but switched to upright bass in high school. During his early years, he became known in Pittsburg jazz circles while playing with bands like the Jimmy Hinsley Sextet and the Snookum Russell Band. Brown relocated to New York when he was 20 and joined Dizzy Gillespie’s band. Brown released New Sounds in Modern Music, his first album as a leader, in 1946. The following year, Ella Fitzgerald joined Gillespie on a tour and by the end of the year, Brown and Fitzgerald were married (they divorced in 1953 but continued to work together on occasion). Brown played with Gillespie until 1951 before leaving and joining the Oscar Peterson Trio. He also pursued a career as a session musician, working with artists like Ben Webster, Lester Young & Harry Edison, Buddy Rich, Charlie Parker, Gerry Mulligan, and many others. Brown returned to recording albums as a leader in 1956 with Bass Hit! The album was followed by a series of albums for Verve Records including This Is Ray Brown (1958), Jazz Cello (1960), and Ray Brown/Milt Jackson (1965). He won a Grammy Award in 1961 for his song “Gravy Waltz”, which was later used as the theme to The Steve Allen Show. Brown continued to record as a leader throughout the rest of the career. He occasionally worked outside jazz, recording with artists such as Steely Dan, Elvis Costello, Linda Ronstadt, Lionel Richie, José Feliciano, and Frank Sinatra. In his later years, he played with artists such as Gene Harris and André Previn when he wasn’t performing with his own trio. Ray Brown died on July 2, 2002 at the age of 75.

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