Ray Bryant Combo
Although he could always play bop, Ray Bryant's playing combined together older elements (including blues, boogie-woogie, gospel, and even stride) into a distinctive, soulful, and swinging style; no one played "After Hours" quite like him. The younger brother of bassist Tommy Bryant and the uncle of Kevin and Robin Eubanks (his sister is their mother), Bryant started his career playing with Tiny Grimes in the late '40s. He became the house pianist at The Blue Note in Philadelphia in 1953, where he backed classic jazz greats (including Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, and Lester Young) and made important contacts. He accompanied Carmen McRae (1956-1957), recorded with Coleman Hawkins and Roy Eldridge at the 1957 Newport Jazz Festival (taking a brilliant solo on an exciting version of "I Can't Believe That You're in Love with Me"), and played with Jo Jones' trio (1958). Bryant settled in New York in 1959; played with Sonny Rollins, Charlie Shavers, and Curtis Fuller; and soon had his own trio. He had a few funky commercial hits (including "Little Susie" and "Cubano Chant") that kept him working for decades. Bryant recorded often throughout his career (most notably for Epic, Prestige, Columbia, Sue, Cadet, Atlantic, Pablo, and Emarcy), and even his dates on electric piano in the '70s are generally rewarding. However, Bryant was heard at his best when playing the blues on unaccompanied acoustic piano. After a lengthy illness, Ray Bryant died in Queens, New York on June 2, 2011; he was 79 years old.
© Scott Yanow /TiVo
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Discography
10 album(s) • Sorted by Bestseller
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It's Madison Time (Mono Version)
Pop - Released by BNF Collection on 1 Jan 1960
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
The Madison Time
Jazz - Released by Black Sheep Music on 22 Oct 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Madison Time (Mono Version)
Pop - Released by BNF Collection on 1 Jan 1960
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
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Madison Time Part 1 (Billboard Hot 100 - No. 30)
Jazz - Released by Music Manager on 19 Dec 2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Level Of Emotion
Jazz - Released by the sound girly on 4 Mar 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Milestones of Soul Legends: Five Soul Superstars, Vol. 1
Aretha Franklin, Ray Bryant Combo
Soul - Released by Intense Media GmbH on 7 Dec 2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo