Data Source

National Portrait Gallery

Exhibition Label

In Ray Brown’s hands, the double bass provided more than a percussive pulse—it sang. Brown took up the instrument in high school and developed his technique by emulating the performance style of Duke Ellington’s legendary bassist, Jimmy Blanton. Hired by Dizzy Gillespie for his big band in 1946, Brown quickly proved his mettle with a memorable solo on the jaunty number “One Bass Hit.” He met Ella Fitzgerald while touring with Gillespie and served briefly as her musical director following their marriage in 1947. After leaving Gillespie’s band, Brown helped to found what later became the Modern Jazz Quartet; he also began his association with impresario Norman Granz’s “Jazz at the Philharmonic.” It was through JATP that Brown was first teamed with the great jazz pianist Oscar Peterson—an encounter that led to Brown’s fruitful tenure (1951–66) as a member of the Oscar Peterson Trio.

En manos de Ray Brown, el contrabajo era mucho más que pulso rítmico: lo hacía cantar. Brown comenzó a tocar en la escuela superior y desarrolló su técnica emulando el estilo de Jimmy Blanton, el legendario bajista de Duke Ellington. En 1946 Dizzy Gillespie lo contrató para su orquesta y muy pronto probó su calibre con un solo memorable en el ágil número “One Bass Hit”. Brown conoció a Ella Fitzgerald en una gira con Gillespie y se casó con ella en 1947, fungiendo por un tiempo como su director musical. Al separarse de la orquesta de Gillespie, ayudó a fundar el que luego sería el Modern Jazz Quartet y también inició su asociación con la serie de conciertos “Jazz at the Philharmonic”, organizada por el empresario Norman Granz. Fue a través de esta serie que Brown colaboró por primera vez con el gran pianista Oscar Peterson, encuentro que conduciría a una fecunda etapa de Brown (1951–66) como integrante del Oscar Peterson Trio.

Artist

Herman Leonard, 1923 - 2010

Sitter

Ray Brown, 13 Oct 1926 - 2 Jul 2002

Date

1948 (printed 1998)

Credit Line

National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution

Medium

Selenium-toned gelatin silver print

Dimensions

Image: 39.4 × 30.4cm (15 1/2 × 11 15/16")

Sheet: 50.4 × 40.5cm (19 13/16 × 15 15/16")

Frame: 71.8 × 56.5 × 3.8 cm (28 1/4 × 22 1/4 × 1 1/2")

Type

Photograph

See more items in

National Portrait Gallery Collection

Object number

NPG.2014.111.5

Topic

Music\Musical instrument

Indeterminable

Ray Brown: Male

Ray Brown: Performing Arts\Performer\Musician\Jazz

Portrait

Place

United States\New York\Kings\New York

Restrictions & Rights

© Herman Leonard Photography LLC