Description
After twenty-seven years of performing (including two CDs), and after a six-year hiatus, Ray Brown’s Great Big Band has reassembled to record one last time…the result is over 100 minutes (two CDs) of pure, authentic big band jazz!….From an 18-city tour sampling in the “The City Medley” to “America” to outrageously cool Christmas arrangements, this double CD set is quite a ride!
Five (5) Christmas tunes included
Also included: America The Beautiful and The City Medley
When he was in eighth grade, Ray’s brother Steve played him a Maynard Ferguson recording of “Where’s Teddy,” an arrangement by Maynard’s tenor saxophonist and writer, Willie Maiden. From that moment, Ray decided he would learn to write big band Jazz just the way Willie did. Thirteen years later he found himself sitting next to him on the Stan Kenton Band playing his arrangements every night for fifteen months. Many years after that, when his own big band book reached fifty arrangements, he started the “Great Big Band.” The players’ great skill and expert musicianship performing Ray’s music have brought this album to fruition. All twenty of them hope big band Jazz aficionados everywhere will enjoy this performance.
That said, this is Ray Brown’s “Great Big Band,” and, THIS IS HIS BOOK!