Ray Bryant -

Ray Bryant (Dec. 24, 1931 — June 2, 2011) is an American post-bop/jazz-funk pianist from Philadelphia. He backed Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Carmen McRae, Sonny Rollins, and Aretha Franklin while building a parallel trio and solo career from the mid-Fifties onward. Bryant scored crossover singles with “Little Susie,” “The Madison Time,” and “Ode to Billie Joe,” then sustained a leader catalog across Columbia, Sue, Cadet, Atlantic, Pablo, and EmArcy.

Background

Ray Bryant was born Raphael Homer Bryant on Dec. 24, 1931, in Philadelphia, Pa. His mother, an ordained minister and self-taught pianist, played church piano, while his father played piano and sang. Older brother Tommy became a bassist, brother Len a drummer and singer, and sister Vera Eubanks a gospel pianist and organist.

Bryant began formal piano study at eight and continued lessons for eight years. He played double bass and tuba in school ensembles and chose jazz in his early teens. A high-school teacher took him to an Academy of Music concert with pianist Jimmy Golden, the Teddy Wilson Trio, and soloist Art Tatum. Bryant decided on a jazz career after the Tatum set.

Bryant joined Philadelphia Local 274 at fourteen. Bandleader Mickey Collins heard his union entrance examination and hired him for a local group, where Bryant worked intermittently for three years. Bryant also played piano in drummer Jimmy Johnson’s big band with alto saxophonist John Coltrane, tenor saxophonist Benny Golson, and bassist Tommy Bryant on a rejected mid-1945 recording session in Philadelphia.

Bryant toured with guitarist Tiny Grimes in 1948–49 and made his first released records in Philadelphia in August 1949 with Grimes and singer J.B. Summers for Gotham. A touring combo left Bryant in Syracuse, where he stayed for a year as a solo pianist. Bryant returned to Philadelphia and spent about two years playing Dixieland at the club run by clarinetist Billy Kretchmer.

In 1953, Bryant became house pianist at the Blue Note in Philadelphia, where he accompanied visiting artists including Charlie Parker, Lester Young, Miles Davis, and Sonny Rollins. His work with Davis and Rollins led to 1955 Prestige dates for Miles Davis and Milt Jackson Quintet/Sextet and Work Time.

Bryant also recorded that year with Toots Thielemans on The Sound. Epic paired him with singer Betty Carter on the co-billed album Meet Betty Carter and Ray Bryant. Bryant moved into bandleader work with the 1956 Epic album Ray Bryant Trio.

Discography: