Ray Bryant and Me… — Vinyl Magic

The first music I heard was gospel. My mother was an ordained minister and a self-taught pianist, so I spent a lot of time in church. She gave me my first lessons.
Ray Bryant

***Gotta Travel On (1966) signed by Ray***

This guy sat down all alone at the piano. I was absolutely astonished by what I heard. It was Art Tatum. From that moment on, I knew exactly what I wanted to do.
Ray Bryant on his first jazz concert

***Alone At Montreux (1972) signed by Ray***

Playing solo piano is pretty demanding. You're out there all alone and you’ve got to do it all by yourself, but there's also a certain degree of freedom involved. You can really do anything you want to.
Ray Bryant

At the age of six my mother sent me to the neighborhood piano teacher. She realized that no matter what I wanted to do the best thing would be to acquire a solid musical foundation and that would be through classical training. I've never regretted it.
Ray Bryant

Some people say I was I still have traces of classical training in my playing. There's no doubt about it. That's the best way to learn the piano. Go to a teacher and study formally. As I grew older and started hearing jazz, I just naturally gravitated towards it. At the time there weren’t schools available so most things you just had to work out yourself. That came from experience and actual trial and error. I feel like those circumstances make for the formation of real musical identities.
Ray Bryant

***Lonesome Traveler (1967) signed by Ray, Clark Terry***

Ray Bryant was surrounded by music as a child. His brother Tommy was a noted bass player, brother Len played drums, and sister Vera Eubanks became an organist and pianist specializing in gospel music. Ray's nephews are also prominent musicians: Kevin Eubanks is a guitarist and was the bandleader on Jay Leno's Tonight Show for 15 years, trombonist Robin Eubanks played with Art Blakey and Elvin Jones, and trumpeter/flugelhornist Duane Eubanks won a Grammy as a member of Dave Holland's big band. Clearly, music is a successful enterprise for the gifted Bryant family.

***Take A Bryant Step (1967) signed by Ray***

In 1953, Ray and his brother Tommy joined the house band at the Blue Note in Philadelphia, and accompanied jazz legends Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie and Lester Youngwhen they were passing through. Ray developed formidable piano skills: soul drenched blues meets gospel meets boogie woogie, unique skills for most mid-1950s jazz pianists. Throughout his marvelous career, Ray appeared on more than 50 albums as a leader, and on hundreds more as a session player. Ray also played on early recordings for acclaimed singers Betty Carter, Carmen McRae and Aretha Franklin (on the Queen of Soul's second album released in 1961 when she was only 18).

***Social Call (1955-56 recordings, released 1980) signed by Ray, Betty Carter***

A talented composer of many songs that have become jazz standards, "Cubano Chant", "Little Susie", "Slow Freight" and "Cold Turkey" have been recorded by Count Basie, Art Blakey Dizzy Gillespie, Oscar Peterson and others. Ray also wrote "The Madison Time" which became an unlikely dance hit in 1960. A novelty song, it spawned one of the first line dances in music history. On the jacket of a 45 single, it was introduced as "the swingingest - the zaniest - the most sensational new dance craze." Baltimore DJ Eddie Morrison supplied the calls (the only song I know that has shout outs to Jackie Gleason and Wilt Chamberlin!) while Ray, brother Tommy, and jazz trumpet great Harry "Sweets" Edison lay down an infectious groove. The director John Waters saw the dance as a boy growing up in Baltimore and included it in Hairspray, his camp masterpiece (released in 1988). "The Madison Time" continues to make appearances in the broadway play adaptation of Hairspray whenever it is performed. And Ray's groove grooves on...as it should.

I saw Ray perform many times over the years and his music was very inspiring. When I returned home from the hospital when my first child was born in 1997, I was so full of joy from the miracle of birth and life. I wanted to celebrate, and I had a lot of music choices. The first record I listened to was Ray's beautiful rendition of "Lil' Darlin'", a Neal Hefti groove made famous by Count Basie.

Backstage at the Kennedy Center when I met Ray several months later, he was with a friend. I told Ray this story. He was moved. He said, "Man, that's beautiful. That's why I play music." Ray motioned to a friend nearby, "Hey, did you hear that? That was really beautiful." His friend nodded yes. Ray then signed the album and personalized it to my daughter Kendall, who was months old at the time. It is a beautiful memory of a beautiful night of music with a beautiful man. This started a listening tradition when my other two children were born, they are all my "Lil Darlins."

Thanks for all the great music, Ray. Especially the music for my "Lil Darlins."