Ray Brown and his West Coast All-Star Giants - I'm Walking (1990)

Ray Brown and his West Coast All-Star Giants - I'm Walking (1990)
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Genre ~ Mainstream, Bop | Label ~ GML/JVC(xrcd)

Arriving in New York in 1945, on his first day in town Ray Brown met and played with Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, and Bud Powell. He was hired by Gillespie for his small groups and his big band; "One Bass Hit" and "Two Bass Hit" were early features, and he can be seen with Dizzy Gillespie in the 1947 film Jiving in Bebop. Although not a soloist on the level of an Oscar Pettiford, Brown's quick reflexes and ability to accompany soloists in a swinging fashion put him near the top of his field. After playing with Jazz at the Philharmonic, he married Ella Fitzgerald (their marriage only lasted during 1948-1952), and for a time led his own trio to back the singer. Brown recorded with an early version of the Modern Jazz Quartet (under Milt Jackson's leadership), and then became a permanent member of the Oscar Peterson Trio (1951-1966) ~Elusivedisc

Tracklist:
01. I'm Walking (5:16)
02. Couch Rotate Blues (2:45)
03. Time after Time (6:31)
04. Drum Feature (4:09)
05. Brown Ballad (3:52)
06. A Portrait of Jenny (5:36)
07. Here to Stay (5:07)
08. Lined with a Groove (5:11)
09. Freddie (6:55)
10. F.S.R. (4:50)

Personnel:
Ray Brown - leader, bass
Ichiro Masuda - vibra-harp
Contecandoli - trumpet
Jeff Clayton - alto & soprano saxophone, alto flute
Pete Christlieb - tenor saxophone
Cedar Walton - piano & fender rhodes
Billy Higgins, John Guerin - drums

Co-Produced by Ray Brown & Ichiro Masuda
Arrangements by Ray Brown (#3, 5) and John Clayton (all others)
Recorded at Evergreen Recording, Burbank, CA
Recording Date: September 15-16, 1990
Recording Engineer: Gary Lux
Mastering Engineer: Tohru Kotetsu (JVC)
Art Direction: Masakazu Hirao
Cover Design: Shin Ozaki
Liner Notes: Hiroshi Moriyama

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Ray Brown – Some of My Best Friends are… the Trumpet Players (2000)

Ray Brown – Some of My Best Friends are… the Trumpet Players (2000)
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Genre ~ Bop, Hard-Bop, Trumpet | Label ~ TELARC

Ray Brown did it again with the fourth installment in his Some of My Best Friends Are… series, spotlighting some of the hottest trumpet players around and producing one of the finest trumpet-fronted small group recordings to come down the jazz pike in a while. Featuring a six-pack of hornmen ranging from octogenarian Clark Terry to youngsters Roy Hargrove and Nicholas Payton, this CD alternately cooks and simmers, with the ballads especially standing out in their spaciousness and beauty. The blend of Brown’s bass and Jon Faddis’ trumpet on a slowed-down “Bag’s Groove” is particularly appealing in its sparseness. The intro and outro duets between Brown’s bass and James Morrison’s dry trumpet tone on “I Thought About You” are also entrancing in their openness. Terrence Blanchard lays out a smoky lead line over Geoff Keezer’s bluesy late-night piano on Benny Goodman’s old sign-off theme, “Goodbye,” bringing a new poignancy to the tune. On the most noteworthy upbeat number, Payton really smokes on Joe Henderson’s composition, “The Kicker,” though the track mysteriously fades out too early. Brown himself is fantastic throughout this disc, and he and his trio mates Keezer and drummer Karriem Riggins anchor the proceedings masterfully. ~Allmusic

Tracklist:
01. Our Delight (with Roy Hargrove) (5:04)
02. Bag’s Groove (with Jon Faddis) (6:31)
03. I Thought About You (with James Morrison) (5:47)
04. I’m Getting Sentimental Over You (with Terence Blanchard) (4:06)
05. Violets for Your Furs (with Nicholas Payton) (5:51)
06. Itty Bitty Blues (with Clark Terry) (2:59)
07. Stairway to the Stars (with Roy Hargrove) (4:31)
08. Original Jones (with Jon Faddis) (5:05)
09. When You Go (with James Morrison) (4:52)
10. The Kicker (with Nicholas Payton) (4:22)
11. Clark’s Tune (Legacy) (with Clark Terry) (4:58)
12. Goodbye (with Terence Blanchard) (7:56)

Personnel:
Ray Brown – bass
Geoff Keezer – piano
Karriem Riggins – drums

--with trumpetists--

Terence Blanchard
John Faddis
Roy Hargrove
James Morrison
Nicholas Payton
Clark Terry

Recorded at Avatar Studios, Studio A; New York City, January 10-14, 2000;
except tracks 3 and 9 recorded at O’Henry Studios, Studio A;
Burbank, California, February 21, 2000

Recording Producers: Ray Brown, Elaine Martone
Recording Engineer: Michael Bishop
Editor: Robert Friedrich
2nd Engineers: Rory Romano and Patrick Shannon
Executive Producer: Robert Woods
Cover Photo: Yuri Dojc
Cover Design: Deborah Kane, Imagine Studios
Art Direction: Anilda Carrasquillo
Liner notes by Bob Blumenthal

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Ray Brown – Some of My Best Friends are… the Piano Players (1995)

Ray Brown – Some of My Best Friends are… the Piano Players (1995)
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Genre ~ Mainstream, Piano Trio | Label ~ TELARC

On his Telarc disc, Ray Brown teams up with five different piano players but, rather than this being a tribute to the veteran bassist (who has solo space on every selection), the CD ends up being a celebration of the great Oscar Peterson because Benny Green, Dado Moroni, and Geoff Keezer have, to various degrees, based their styles on Peterson’s, but the indivual standout is actually Ahmad Jamal, who had never previously recorded with Brown. Together with Lewis Nash they perform two blues and “Love Walked In,” all renditions that make a liberal use of space and pay close attention to dynamics. Benny Green, who plays his “Ray of Light” along with two standards, had performed regularly with Brown in recent years and his selections offer few surprises. Dodo Moroni is fine on “My Romance” and inserts a bit of Erroll Garner on “Giant Steps,” while Geoff Keezer (who had also never played with Brown) swings well on “Close Your Eyes.” The CD concludes with a reunion between Oscar Peterson (who had recently recovered from a stroke) and Brown on “St. Tropez” and the upbeat “How Come You Do Me like You Do?” The results overall are pleasing and swinging (serving as a sampler of the pianists’ styles), but not all that innovative. ~Allmusic

Tracklist:
01. Bags’ Groove (with Ahmad Jamal) (4:20)
02. Love Walked In (with Ahmad Jamal) (4:36)
03. St. Louis Blues (with Ahmad Jamal) (7:16)
04. Lover (with Benny Green) (3:39)
05. Just a Gigolo (with Benny Green) (5:30)
06. Ray of Light (with Benny Green) (3:52)
07. Giant Steps (with Dado Moroni) (6:07)
08. My Romance (with Dado Moroni) (4:51)
09. Close Your Eyes (with Geoff Keezer) (4:41)
10. St. Tropez (with Oscar Peterson) (5:10)
11. How Come You Do Me? (with Oscar Peterson) (6:27)

Personnel:
Ray Brown – bass
Lewis Nash – drums

--featuring pianists--

Benny Green
Ahmad Jamal
Geoff Keezer
Dado Moroni
Oscar Peterson

Recorded in Clinton Recording Studio "A", NYC; November 21, 1994
and in Glenn Gould Hall, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; November 18, 1994

Recording Producers: Ray Brown, Elaine Martone
Recording Engineer: Jack Renner
Executive Producer: Robert Woods
Technical Assistance: Doug Doctor, Robert Friedrich
Editor: Scott Burgess
Art Director and Cover Design: Anilda Carrasquillo
Liner notes by Donald Elfman

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Ray Brown – Some of My Best Friends are… the Sax Players (1996)

Ray Brown – Some of My Best Friends are… the Sax Players (1996)
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Genre ~ Mainstream, Saxophone | Label ~ TELARC

As a follow-up to bassist Ray Brown’s previous record in which he collaborated with several of his favorite pianists, Some of My Best Friends Are…The Sax Players features six major saxophonists (tenors Joe Lovano, Ralph Moore, Joshua Redman and Stanley Turrentine plus altoists Benny Carter and Jesse Davis) on two songs apiece with his regular trio. Although more than 60 years separate the ageless Carter from Redman, each of the saxes originally developed their own voice in the straight-ahead jazz tradition. Highlights of the colorful set include Benny Carter’s playful rendition of “Love Walked In,” Moore’s cooking solo on “Crazeology” (a Benny Harris bop classic which the record mistakenly lists as written by Bud Freeman), Davis ripping through “Moose the Mooche” and Turrentine’s romp on the blues “Port of Rico.” Pianist Benny Green and drummer Gregory Hutchinson provide suitable accompaniment (Green’s solos are consistently excellent) and all dozen of the songs are successful and swinging. As an extra bonus, on the latter part of the CD each of the saxophonists has a brief chat (between 26 seconds and a minute apiece) with Brown about their early influences. There is so much good feeling and obvious mutual respect shown that one wishes these talks were at least twice as long; the Benny Carter segment is most memorable. This well-conceived project is easily recommended. ~Allmusic

Tracklist:
01. How High the Moon (with Joe Lovano) (5:28)
02. Love Walked In (with Benny Carter) (4:43)
03. Polka Dots and Moonbeams (with Joshua Redman) (6:36)
04. Crazeology (with Ralph Moore) (3:48)
05. Port of Rico (with Stanley Turrentine) (6:18)
06. Moose the Mooche (with Jesse Davis) (5:24)
07. Easy Living (with Joe Lovano) (6:14)
08. Just You, Just Me (with Joshua Redman) (4:09)
09. Fly Me to the Moon (with Benny Carter) (5:31)
10. (When It”s) Sleepy Time Down South (with Ralph Moore) (7:08)
11. These Foolish Things (with Jesse Davis) (5:59)
12. God Bless the Child (with Stanley Turrentine) (6:59)
13. Ray Brown in Conversation with Joe Lovano (0:55)
14. Ray Brown in Conversation with Benny Carter (1:05)
15. Ray Brown in Conversation with Stanley Turrentine (0:31)
16. Ray Brown in Conversation with Jesse Davis (0:27)
17. Ray Brown in Conversation with Joshua Redman (0:28)
18. Ray Brown in Conversation with Ralph Moore (0:43)

Personnel:
Ray Brown – bass
Benny Green – piano
Gregory Hutchinson – drums

--with saxophonists--

Benny Carter (alto)
Jesse Davis (alto)
Joe Lovano (tenor)
Ralph Moore (tenor)
Joshua Redman (tenor)
Stanley Turrentine (tenor)

Recorded at Power Station, Studio A, New York City; November 20-22, 1995,
and at Conway Studios, Studio A, Los Angeles; February 13, 1996

Recording Producers: Ray Brown, Elaine Martone
Recording Engineer: Jack Renner
Executive Producer: Robert Woods
Assistant Engineers: Robert Smith, William Kinsley
Editor: James Bonney
Cover Painting: Alto Composite, 1974. From the "Of The Blues" series
Cover Design: Susan Cybulski
Art Director: Anilda Carrasquillo
Liner notes by Alyn Shipton and Elaine Martone

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Ray Brown – Some of My Best Friends are… Singers (1998)

Ray Brown – Some of My Best Friends are… Singers (1998)
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Genre ~ Vocal Jazz, Standards | Label ~ TELARC

What does a bass player do when he’s recording an album as a leader? Surely not an hour’s worth of bass solos! Ray Brown solved the bass player’s dilemma with a series of recordings under the Some of My Best Friends Are… heading. This 1998 release is the third in the series, following the earlier Some of My Best Friends Are…Piano Players and Some of My Best Friends Are…Sax Players, and it’s a gem. Featuring a sextet of fine vocalists, ranging from the well-established to the unknown, this CD is a class act from beginning to end. The rising jazz vocal superstar of the late ’90s, Diana Krall, is showcased to great effect on “I Thought About You” and “Little Boy.” Well-established female vocal veterans Etta Jones, Dee Dee Bridgewater, and Marlena Shaw deliver superb performances, soulfully giving master lessons in the art of singing. The lone male singer spotlighted here, Kevin Mahogany, wraps his smooth baritone around the ballad “Skylark,” and swings gently on “The Party’s Over.”

The one unknown in this collection is Oregonian Nancy King. This veteran of the San Francisco and Pacific Northwest scenes shows she has a fine way with a ballad on “But Beautiful,” and scats her way across the upbeat Brown original “The Perfect Blues,” that closes this set. Both of these songs also feature Antonio Hart’s alto saxophone. In addition to Brown’s trio mates Geoff Keezer and Gregory Hutchinson, musical support includes guitarist Russell Malone on two tracks and tenor saxman Ralph Moore cooking alongside Bridgewater on “Cherokee.” ~Allmusic

Tracklist:
01. I Thought About You (with Diana Krall) (5:23)
02. Poor Butterfly (with Etta Jones) (3:29)
03. More Than You Know (with Dee Dee Bridgewater) (5:35)
04. Little Boy (with Diana Krall) (2:27)
05. But Beautiful (with Nancy King) (5:41)
06. At Long Last Love (with Marlena Shaw) (3:24)
07. Skylark (with Kevin Mahogany) (6:01)
08. Cherokee (with Dee Dee Bridgewater) (6:21)
09. (There Is) No Greater Love (with Etta Jones) (4:21)
10. Imagination (with Marlene Shaw) (7:22)
11. The Party’s Over (with Kevin Mahogany) (3:41)
12. The Perfect Blues (with Nancy King) (5:16)

Personnel:
Geoff Keezer – piano
Ray Brown – bass
Gregory Hutchinson – drums
Antonio Hart – alto saxophone
Russell Malone – guitar
Ralph Moore – tenor saxophone

--with singers--

Dee Dee Bridgewater
Etta Jones
Nancy King
Diana Krall
Kevin Mahogany
Marlena Shaw

Recorded in O’Henry Studios, Studio A, Burbank, California, December 15-17, 1997
and Sony Music Studio D, New York City, April 27-29, 1998

Recording Producers: Ray Brown, Elaine Martone
Recording Engineer: Michael Bishop
Executive Producer: Robert Woods
Assistant Engineers: Robert Friedrich, Ryan Hewitt, Brett Swain
Editor: Mark Tessi
Cover Photo: Tony Stone Images
Art Director and Cover Design: Anilda Carrasquillo
Liner notes by Jon W. Poses

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Ray Brown – Some of My Best Friends are… guitarists (2002)

Ray Brown – Some of My Best Friends are… guitarists (2002)
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Genre ~ Mainstream, Bop, Guitar | Label ~ TELARC

The fifth in Ray Brown’s series of recordings pairing his working trio with several different musicians from the same family of instruments (although one volume was exclusively singers) features a half-dozen guitarists, ranging from fellow Oscar Peterson alumni Herb Ellis (who worked with Brown in the pianist’s most famous trio) and Ulf Wakenius to veteran Kenny Burrell, as well as seasoned players like John Pizzarelli and Bruce Forman and the rising star Russell Malone. Each song sounds as if the group could be a working quartet, due to the great interaction between the trio and each guest. Pizzarelli shines in a bluesy, strutting take of Duke Ellington’s “Just Squeeze Me” (erroneously labeled as Fats Waller’s “Squeeze Me”) which has a nice series of exchanges between the guitarist and the leader. Ellis brings back memories of the Oscar Peterson Trio with a heated performance of “I Want to Be Happy” during which pianist Geoff Keezer is up to the task of carrying on where Ellis left off. Wakenius is the guest on a particularly moody take of “My Funny Valentine.” Burrell, Forman, and Malone also fare nicely on each of their pair of tracks, so it’s very easy to recommend this very enjoyable disc. ~Allmusic

Tracklist:
01. Squeeze Me (with John Pizzarelli) (7:28)
02. I Want to Be Happy (with Herb Ellis) (3:37)
03. Heartstrings (with Russell Malone) (5:31)
04. Blues for Ray (with Ulf Wakenius) (3:13)
05. Fly Me to the Moon (with Kenny Burrell) (5:12)
06. The Song is You (with Bruce Forman) (5:01)
07. Little Darlin’ (with Russell Malone) (7:48)
08. Blues for Junior (with Herb Ellis) (6:01)
09. Tangerine (with John Pizzarelli) (4:28)
10. My Funny Valentine (with Ulf Wakenius) (6:05)
11. Blues for Wes (with Bruce Forman) (4:42)
12. Soulfull Spirit (with Kenny Burrell) (6:57)

Personnel:
Ray Brown – bass
Geoff Keezer – piano
Karriem Riggins – drums

--with guitarists--

Kenny Burrell, Herb Ellis, Bruce Forman
Russell Malone, John Pizzarelli and Ulf Wakenius

Tracks 1, 3, 4, 7, 9, and 10 recorded at Avatar Studios, Studio A, N.Y.C.; January 10-14, 2000
Others recorded at O’Henry Studios, Studio A, Burbank, CA; February 21-22, 2000
Recording Producer: Elaine Martone
Recording Engineer: Michael Bishop
Second Engineers: Rory Romano & Patrick Shannon
Executive Producer: Robert Woods
Editor: Todd Brown
Photography: Michael Halsband
Designer: Peter Blandori
Art Director: Anilda Carrasquillo
Produced by Ray Brown and Elaine Martone

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Ray Brown/Monty Alexander/Sam Most - A Ray Brown 3 (1997)

Ray Brown/Monty Alexander/Sam Most - A Ray Brown 3 (1997)
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Genre ~ Bop | Label ~ Concord Jazz

Brown took a fresh approach for this 1982 date, retaining the trio format but substituting flute for drums and using Monty Alexander instead of regular pianist Gene Harris. The results were intriguing; Sam Most provided colors and sounds that haven’t been on a Brown date since, while Alexander added some Caribbean flavor and a bit more adventurous sound. ~Allmusic

Tracklist:
01. I Wish You Love (6:01)
02. I Can’t Stop Loving You (4:56)
03. Jamento (3:08)
04. Blue Monk (4:40)
05. The Candy Man (4:41)
06. Too Late Now (7:08)
07. You’re My Everything (4:03)
08. There is No Greater Love (3:07)

Personnel:
Ray Brown – bass
Monty Alexander – piano
Sam Most – flute

Produced by Carl E. Jefferson
Recorded at Coast Recorders, San Francisco, CA; February 25, 1982
Recording & Mix Engineer: Phil Edwards
Mixed at PER, San Francisco, CA
Remastered by George Horn
Original art direction by Dick Hendler, adapted for CD reissue by Robert Walston
Cover photography by Patrick Lyons
Reissue coordinated by Michael Hoaglin, Jr.
Liner notes by Neil Tesser

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Ray Brown, John Clayton, Christian Mcbride - SuperBass 2 (2001) [SACD rip via Playstation 3]

Ray Brown, John Clayton, Christian Mcbride - SuperBass 2 (2001) [SACD rip via Playstation 3]

Sony PS3 SACD to *ISO | FLAC 24/88.2 Stereo | Scans | FileSonic/FileServe

Genre ~ Bop, Mainstream Jazz | Label ~ Telarc Records

In the liner notes to the initial CD Super Bass (recorded for Capri), Ray Brown assured that the next Super Bass release would be twice as good. He lives up to the promise, as he and John Clayton are joined by the young bass sensation Christian McBride this time. Although Brown is the senior statesman of the trio and hatched the conception of Super Bass, all three men equally share the solos, as well as the arranging and choosing of songs. Brown's contributions include a trio of imaginatively arranged, time-tested standards from Gershwin's Porgy and Bess as well as the group's lively signature theme and the campy "Taco With a Pork Chop" (which adds percussionists George Gludas and Larry Fuller). McBride's chart of "Get Happy" is a delightful swinger, while his pulsating rendition of the Temptations' "Papa Was a Rolling Stone" is a definite crowd pleaser that inspires the audience to sing along. Clayton's very effective treatment of "Mysterioso" has the trio alternating between plucked and arco bass; his funky "Three by Four" also proves very infectious upon its first hearing. Brown's comments in the midst of many of these performances gives the listener the feeling he or she is witnessing a private jam session between three old friends. ~ AllMusic

Tracklist


01 - SuperBass Theme
02 - Get Happy
03 - Mysterioso
04 - Papa Was A Rolling Stone
05 - Summertime
06 - I Loves You Porgy
07 - It Ain't Necessarily So
08 - Birk's Works
09 - My Funny Valentine
10 - Three By Four
11 - Taco With A Pork Chop
12 - SuperBass Theme


Thanks to the original uploader!

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