Pure and simple genius from trumpeter Charlie Shavers – a player with a sweet tone and a fluid groove – stepping out here with great accompaniment from pianist Ray Bryant! The CD brings together work from the albums Charlie Digs Paree and Charlie Digs Dixie – both originally recorded for MGM Records in the late 50s, and done in a clean, uncluttered style that really brought a strong focus to Shaver's solos, but also gave some excellent rhythmic support from Bryant – working here at the height of his early powers, in a mode that's clearly relaxed enough to get with the spirit of each different session.
Sound Ray is an album by pianist Ray Bryant recorded and released by Cadet Records in 1969.
Although he could always play bop, Ray Bryant's playing combined together older elements (including blues, boogie-woogie, gospel, and even stride) into a distinctive, soulful, and swinging style; no one played "After Hours" quite like him. The younger brother of bassist Tommy Bryant and the uncle of Kevin and Robin Eubanks (his sister is their mother), Bryant started his career playing with Tiny Grimes in the late '40s. He became the house pianist at The Blue Note in Philadelphia in 1953, where he backed classic jazz greats (including Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, and Lester Young) and made important contacts…
Ray's choice of material again borrows from a wide musical palette and we are treated to fine performances of jazz originals, standard ballads, a folk tune and a recent Rock 'n Roll hit. The title tune, Lonesome Traveler, is a fitting follow-up to Gotta Travel On of the previous Cadet album.
Pianist Ray Bryant solidified his reputation with this outstanding 1957 trio release. It displayed his facility with the blues, speed, gospel influence, and interpretive abilities on such songs as John Lewis' "Django" and Clifford Brown's "Daahoud." It also contained Bryant's funky originals "Splittin" and "Blues Changes," and was punctuated by Ike Isaacs' careful bass work and Specs Wright's loose, in the groove drumming. This set has recently been reissued by Fantasy, and the remastering provides a fine sonic framework for Bryant's heady, unpredictable, and often exciting playing.
Reissue with latest remastering. Comes with liner notes. The first full album from the great Ray Bryant – recorded shortly after his famous Epic Records session with Betty Carter! The album's got Ray grooving in a hard early soul jazz mode – working in a trio with either Kenny Clarke or Osie Johnson on drums, and Wyatt Reuther on bass – at a level that still shows some influence from other pianists, but already with that unique hard-left style that would make Bryant a big favorite in short years to come. Candido joins in on congas on 2 of the album's best tracks – a hard grooving take on "Night In Tunisia", plus Ray's classic "Cubano Chant", a dancing Latin groover that went onto become an oft-recorded Latin Jazz standard – and other titles include "Pawn Ticket", "Philadelphia Bound", and "Off Shore".
Pianist Ray Bryant solidified his reputation with this outstanding 1957 trio release. It displayed his facility with the blues, speed, gospel influence, and interpretive abilities on such songs as John Lewis' "Django" and Clifford Brown's "Daahoud." It also contained Bryant's funky originals "Splittin" and "Blues Changes," and was punctuated by Ike Isaacs' careful bass work and Specs Wright's loose, in the groove drumming.
Avid Jazz continues with its Four Classic album series with a re-mastered 2CD release by Ray Bryant, complete with original artwork and liner notes. “Ray Bryant Trio 1956”; “Alone With The Blues”; “Little Susie” and “Hollywood Jazz Beat”.
Born on Christmas Eve in Philadelphia, 1961, Ray Bryant began picking out tunes on the piano at the tender age of six. His mother, an accomplished pianist gave him his first lessons before he moved on to other teachers and finally joined the local musicians union at fourteen! He quickly became the house pianist at the Blue Note club in Philadelphia where he says he made more money than his piano teachers! Finally he headed out on tour with his trio supporting vocalist Carmen McCrea and in 1958 joined the Jo Jones Trio…
Norman Granz is one of the most important non-musicians in the history of Jazz and no one has made a greater contribution to the staging, recording and filming of Jazz concerts. This series of performances from the prestigious Montreux Jazz Festival now makes a part of this legacy available on DVD for the first time. Ray Bryant brought to modern Jazz not only the deep roots of the Blues but also the sounds and passion of Gospel.