Ray Brown

double bass, cello · 1926–2002 · Pittsburgh

Bassist in Dizzy Gillespie's orchestra from 1946 to 1951 and a founding member of the group that would become the Modern Jazz Quartet, he married Ella Fitzgerald in 1947. A mainstay of Oscar Peterson's trio from 1951 to 1965, he later recorded for Contemporary and Concord, among others.

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Styles

• Bebop (Minton's, Monroe's)
• Hard bop

Landmark tracks

• Slippery (1977)

Cited in 2 radio episodes

• Sep 25, 2025: Oscar Peterson, le “maharajah” du piano, deuxième partie (Pour qui sonne le jazz, TSF Jazz, in French)
• Oct 13, 2026: IL Y A CENT ANS : LA NAISSANCE DU CONTREBASSISTE LÉGENDAIRE RAY BROWN (Les Matins Jazz, TSF Jazz, in French)

Sources

• Source

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