Ray Brown – born October 13, 1926 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania – was a jazz
double bassist best known for his work with Ella Fitzgerald (who he was briefly
married to) and Oscar Peterson. Originally, Brown took piano lessons but
switched to upright bass in high school. During his early years, he became known
in Pittsburg jazz circles while playing with bands like the Jimmy Hinsley Sextet
and the Snookum Russell Band. Brown relocated to New York when he was 20 and
joined Dizzy Gillespie’s band. Brown released New Sounds in Modern Music, his
first album as a leader, in 1946. The fol...