Ray Brown – bassist (b. October 13, 1926 – d. July 2, 2002)

was an American jazz double bassist whose career extended from the mid-1940s into the beginning of the 21st century. He became particularly associated with Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Ella Fitzgerald, Oscar Peterson, and Jazz at the Philharmonic, and his work with Oscar Peterson made him one of the most frequently heard bassists in postwar jazz. He was also a composer, bandleader, educator, manager, and promoter. Brown was born on October 13, 1926, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He took piano lessons from the age of eight, but while attending high school he became interested in the double bass. There were already many pianists competing for places in the school orchestra, and Brown initially considered playing trombone before taking up the bass instead. His teacher regarded him as a serious student, and Brown practiced extensively. Among his early musical influences was Jimmy Blanton, Duke Ellington's bassist, whose rhythmic approach made a strong impression on him. Brown was already working professionally while still in his teens. His first professional engagement was in a Pittsburgh club in 1943, and in 1944 he toured with the Jimmy Hinsley Sextet and Snookum Russell's... Read