Who Is Raymond Matthews Brown

Ray Brown, or Raymond Matthews Brown, has been widely acclaimed as jazz’s greatest bassist. Ray Brown was born in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, on October 13, 1926. Originally, Brown began as a piano player; he began taking piano lessons at the age of eight. Although he grew up playing piano, in high school, he wanted to play the trombone, but could not afford to buy an instrument. He originally signed up to play the piano in high school, but didn’t realize there were 26 other pianists ahead of him. Because there were so many piano players, they rotated practices, so most days, he sat through rehearsal with nothing to do. When he noticed there were only 2 bass players but 3 instruments, he asked for permission to play the bass, and a legacy was
The next year, in the winter, Brown returned to New York City. There, he opened at Clark Monroe’s Spotlite on 52nd Street. He played with a band that included, Milt Jackson, Al Haig, Stan Levey, and Sonny Stitt and Ray himself. This group, or sextet, later recorded for the Musicraft label. This recording session included “One Bass Hit,” a song featuring Ray Brown, on the bass. In 1947, Esquire Magazine polled jazz critics to choose an “All American” jazz band. Miles Davis, Sonny Stitts, Milt Jackson, Sarah Vaughn, Dodo Marmarosa and Ray Brown were the musicians chosen who promised to dominate the jazz scene for the next 30
The rhythm section of Gillespie’s band included vibraphonist Milt Jackson, pianist John Lewis, drummer Kenny Clarke, and Brown himself. However, eventually this rhythm section formed the Modern Jazz Quartet. Through the work with Gillespie’s band, Brown was introduced to and became friends with jazz vocalist Ella Fitzgerald. They were introduced when she joined the Gillespie’s band as a special attraction for a tour they were taking in the southern United States in 1947. They were married on December 10, 1947, in Ohio. After they were married, they moved into a residence on Dittmars Boulevard in Queens, New York. Soon after, they adopted Fitzgerald’s half-sister, Frances’, child, who was christened Ray Brown, Jr. Because Brown wanted to pursue his career with Peterson, Fitzgerald and Brown were not able to spend much time together, eventually they decided to end their marriage and file for divorce, which was finalized August 28, 1953. Fitzgerald maintained custody of Ray Brown, Jr., and the two remained friends and continued performing together. Brown remarried in 1954, Cecilia Brown remained his wife until his death in