Ray Bryant - Show the Love

[blind-blake]

Just wanted to hear your views on Ray Bryant. I think he is an undervalued master in the urban church-based hard-bop jazz piano style – a la Junior Mance, Bobby Timmons, et al. Yes, he recorded some schlock – some of his Cadet recordings make me cringe. But many of his recordings are simply the best in the piano trio idiom, from his early recording on Prestige (which I return to often, like comfort food) to his underrated classic “Con Alma” on Columbia and up through his Pablo and overlooked Emarcy classics of the 80s and 90s. His sideman dates are also wonderful, from Sonny Rollins’ Worktime and Miles Davis’ Sextet recordings to his Plus Four recordings with Max Roach and his mainstream dates with Coleman Hawkins, Tiny Grimes, Jo Jones, and Roy Eldridge. Why does he seem to be overlooked? I was amazed that there was no topic devoted to him. Thanks.

[mjzee]

Count me in. Ray's one of my favorites. What a powerful piano style, with great clarity. Also a good showman who communicates well with his audience. A favorite is Somewhere In France:

[mikeweil]

To me he always sounds as if he could play chorus after chorus, for days, and not running out of ideas, and even if he repeated himself, it would sound fresh.

One of the greats I regret I never saw live.

[mikeweil]

I love his first Prestige trio LP, and the first few he recorded for Pablo with George Duvivier and Grady Tate, among others.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

I adore his albums recorded for Columbia, Sue & Cadet! He gets such a groove going on them!

MG

[Peter Friedman]

These are some excellent Ray Bryant CDs that have not been mentioned in this thread.

Now's The Time - Doctor Jazz WK 40525

Ray's Tribute To His Jazz Piano friends - JMI/JVC 7503-2

Alone At Montreux - Atlantic

Hot Turkey - Black & Blue 233089

Plays Blues and Ballads - jazz Connaisseur

Inimitable - Jazz Connaisseur

[Chuck Nessa]

For me he is defined by Alone With the Blues on Prestige/OJC.

I think he becomes sort of "faceless" in groups with horns but must mention the 2 Gillespie dates with Stitt and Rollins.

Obviously a very fine musician.

[GA Russell]

My second jazz record was his Gotta Travel On on Cadet (1966), with Clark Terry and Snooky Young guesting on some tracks. As I recall Walter Booker was on bass, but I don't remember who the drummer was. Haven't heard it in years.

Nice, a little heavy-handed, uncomplicated. Great for a jazz beginner.

[kh1958]

I adore his albums recorded for Columbia, Sue & Cadet! He gets such a groove going on them!

MG

Coincidentally, today I found two Ray Bryant LPs on Sue Records, in very nice condition, which I purchased.

[Stereojack]

Big fan of Ray Bryant, especially:

"Little Susie" (Columbia)

"Con Alma" (Columbia)

"Here's Ray Bryant" (Pablo)

"Solo Flight" (Pablo)

"Alone at Montreux" (Atlantic)

"Madison Time, Part 2" was my theme on my first radio show 1982-1989.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

I adore his albums recorded for Columbia, Sue & Cadet! He gets such a groove going on them!

MG

Coincidentally, today I found two Ray Bryant LPs on Sue Records, in very nice condition, which I purchased.

I THINK I have all the Sue albums. Only 1 on LP, though.

Some of the Columbia material features the likes of Buddy Tate and in spite of titles like "Dancing the big twist" is really nice.

MG

[kh1958]

I adore his albums recorded for Columbia, Sue & Cadet! He gets such a groove going on them!

MG

Coincidentally, today I found two Ray Bryant LPs on Sue Records, in very nice condition, which I purchased.

I THINK I have all the Sue albums. Only 1 on LP, though.

Some of the Columbia material features the likes of Buddy Tate and in spite of titles like "Dancing the big twist" is really nice.

MG

What I found are:

Groove House--Sue LP 1016 (possibly the heaviest vinyl I've ever owned)

Cold Turkey--Sue LP 1032--"The Hit Single 'Shake a Lady' Included in this Album" it says on a sticker on the cover--Ray Bryant had a hit single?

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

I adore his albums recorded for Columbia, Sue & Cadet! He gets such a groove going on them!

MG

Coincidentally, today I found two Ray Bryant LPs on Sue Records, in very nice condition, which I purchased.

I THINK I have all the Sue albums. Only 1 on LP, though.

Some of the Columbia material features the likes of Buddy Tate and in spite of titles like "Dancing the big twist" is really nice.

MG

What I found are:

Groove House--Sue LP 1016 (possibly the heaviest vinyl I've ever owned)

Cold Turkey--Sue LP 1032--"The Hit Single 'Shake a Lady' Included in this Album" it says on a sticker on the cover--Ray Bryant had a hit single?

Little Susie part 4 - Signature (Bob Thiele's label) #12 R&B

The Madison time pt 1 - Columbia #5 R&B, #30 pop

Sack of woe - Columbia #22 R&B

He also had two hit albums

Gotta travel on - Cadet #5 R&B, #111 pop

Slow freight - Cadet #18 R&B, #193 pop.

MG

[brownie]

Big fan of Ray Bryant, especially:

"Little Susie" (Columbia)

...

Everybody should show love to Little Susie

[blind-blake]

These are some excellent Ray Bryant CDs that have not been mentioned in this thread.

Now's The Time - Doctor Jazz WK 40525

Ray's Tribute To His Jazz Piano friends - JMI/JVC 7503-2

Alone At Montreux - Atlantic

Hot Turkey - Black & Blue 233089

Plays Blues and Ballads - jazz Connaisseur

Inimitable - Jazz Connaisseur

Never heard of Inimitable on Jazz Connaisseur. I will certainly be looking into that one. Many thanks!

[Soul Stream]

If you want to see had bad Ray is, check out his solo performance on the Norman Granz DVD "Live At Monteaux"

I never fully appreciated his capabilies until I saw this...

[blind-blake]

I love his first Prestige trio LP, and the first few he recorded for Pablo with George Duvivier and Grady Tate, among others.

Yeah, that Prestige trio date is one of my absolute favorite all-time recordings! His take on Golden Earrings is just superb. And Django and Daahoud... Words fail me.

[thomastreichler]

One recording that often gets overlooked, maybe because it's under the leadership of Jo Jones, is the one on Vanguard titled "Jo Jones Trio", recorded 1958. It has some marvelous playing by Ray Bryant as well as superb brush-work by Jo Jones.

[king ubu]

My Bryant is still pretty thin... I have the Prestige trio album and enjoy it a lot, then somewhere (but unheard for years) I think a vinyl dub of "Little Susie", too... will have to look for that and for more discs!

edit / note to mods: could this be moved over to the artists forum, please?

Edited July 25, 2007 by king ubu

[medjuck]

I was disappointed to to learn that they don't use "The Madison" in the musical version of Hairspray. I loved it in the original and always like to see Jazz musicians getting some royalties.

[Guest donald petersen]

just listening to sonny rollins on impulse! and forgot who i was listening to on piano along with misters roker and booker and it was of course ray bryant and then i saw this thread.

some of his cadet stuff is pretty cool. cadet really knew how to surround a pianist properly.

[Christiern]

I have only gotten drunk twice in my life, the first time was when my closest buddies took me out for a night in Copenhagen to celebrate my 18th birthday. Several cabs refused to take me when they decided to bring me home. The second was a snowy winter evening in Scranton, PA, when I MC'ed a concert by a band that included Budd Johnson, Elmer Snowden, Jo Jones and Milt Hinton. We left NYC early in the morning, in Ray's van and did not have time to stop for breakfast. Unfortunately, there was no food at our destination, just all you could drink. Well, you can imagine the rest. I don't kow how I made it through the concert, but I did. Next thing I know, we are somewhere on the road back to NYC, stopped at a diner, and Ray is literally carrying me (Frankenstein style) in for a cup of coffee. I was okay by the time we reached NYC. Ray is truly a great guy.

Did anyone here know that Ray and his brother, Tommy (uncles to Kevin Eubanks, I believe), had music lessons from Elmer Snowden? He also used them on local Philly gigs and when there was no piano, Ray became the drummer. Somewhere in the Fantasy/Concord Iron Mountain stash place there should be tapes of a couple of unissued 1961 Snowden Riverside sessions I did with Ray, Garvin Bushell, Gene Sedric, Jimmy Rowser, and Mickey Roker. The only sessions I ever abandoned, the album was meant to be a follow-up to "Harlem Banjo", but--through no fault of the musicians--it just didn't have the sound I was after.

I love Ray's solo Prestige work.

[catesta]

Great story, Chris.

[Elissa]

Ray Bryant's tunes Spider Kelly's Blues, Cubano Chant, and Splittin, especially on the Essential Jo Jones Trio record, are second only to Monk tunes among those closest to my heart.

Didn't know that about Kevin Eubanks though. Shall have to accost him next I see him.

[Elissa]

Ray Bryant's tunes Spider Kelly's Blues, Cubano Chant, and Splittin, especially on the Essential Jo Jones Trio record, are second only to Monk tunes among those closest to my heart.

Didn't know that about Kevin Eubanks though. Shall have to accost him next I see him.