1 - American jazz double … Read Full Bio ↴There is more than one artist named Ray Brown.
1 - American jazz double bassist
2 - Australian singer/guitarist
1. Raymond Matthews Brown (October 13, 1926–July 2, 2002) was an American jazz double bassist.
Ray Brown was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and had piano lessons from the age of eight. After noticing how many pianists attended his high school, he thought of taking up the trombone, but was unable to afford one. With a vacancy in the high school jazz orchestra, he took up the double bass.
A major early influence on Brown's bass playing was the bassist in the Duke Ellington band, Jimmy Blanton. As a young man Ray Brown became steadily more well known in the Pittsburgh jazz scene, with his first experiences playing in bands with the Jimmy Hinsley Sextet and the Snookum Russel band. After graduating from high school, hearing stories about the burgeoning jazz scene on 52nd Street, in New York City, he bought a one way ticket to New York.
Arriving in New York at the age of twenty, he met up with Hank Jones, with whom he had previously worked, and was introduced to Dizzy Gillespie, who was looking for a bass player. Gillespie hired Brown on the spot and he soon played with such established musicians as Art Tatum and Charlie Parker.
From 1946 to 1951 he played in Gillespie's band. Brown, along with the vibraphonist Milt Jackson, drummer Kenny Clarke, and the pianist John Lewis formed the rhythm section of the Gillespie band, and their work together eventually led to the creation of the Modern Jazz Quartet.
Around this time Brown was also appearing in Jazz at the Philharmonic concerts, organised by Norman Granz. It was at these concerts that he met the jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald, whom he married in 1947. Together they adopted a child born to Fitzgerald's half-sister Francis, whom they christened Ray Brown, Jr. Fitzgerald and Brown divorced in 1952.
It was at a Jazz at the Philharmonic concert in 1949 that Brown first worked with the jazz pianist Oscar Peterson, in whose trio Brown would play from 1951 to 1966. After leaving the Trio he became a manager and promoter as well as a performer.
In 1966, he settled in Los Angeles where he was in high demand working for various television show orchestras. He also accompanied some of the leading artists of the day, including Frank Sinatra, Billy Eckstine, Tony Bennett, Sarah Vaughan, and Nancy Wilson. He also managed his former musical partners, the Modern Jazz Quartet, as well as a young Quincy Jones, produced some shows for the Hollywood Bowl, wrote jazz double bass instruction books, and developed a jazz cello.
It was whilst in Los Angeles that he composed music for films and television shows. He was awarded his first Grammy for his composition, "Gravy Waltz", a tune which would later be used as the theme song for The Steve Allen Show.
In the 1980s and 1990s he led his own trios and continued to refine his bass playing style. In his later years he recorded and toured extensively with pianist Gene Harris. In the early 1980s, he discovered Diana Krall in a restaurant in Nanaimo, British Columbia.
He continued to perform until his death; he died while taking a nap before a show in Indianapolis.
2. Ray Brown & The Whispers were a highly successful Australian rock band from 1964-67. Led by singer Ray Brown, they ranked alongside The Easybeats, Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs and Normie Rowe as one of the most popular acts of the period. After a few name and personnel changes which led to short lived incarnations, Ray sought to further/widen his career and in late '67 Ray headed overseas and spent two years working in the U.S.A. which included the recording of a solo album Just Ray Brown for Capitol, produced by American composer arranger producer David Axelrod. Despite the name producer and large budget, it flopped, largely due to poor choices of material by the company. According to a contemporary interview from Go-Set, Ray declared that "Capitol spent $30,000 on it, put in a 30 piece orchestra and then wouldn't let me pick my own material."
3. Ray Brown is from Tallahassee, FL and has been writing songs and performing since 2010. His debut album, CANYON, was released in August, 2012. The East Village arts quarterly, BOOG CITY describes his songs as "funny and tragic at the same time" and The New Yorker dubbed him "a solid songwriter".
https://raybrown.bandcamp.com
Love Walked In
Ray Brown Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Love walked right in and brought my sunniest day
One magic moment and my heart seemed to know that love said hello
Though not a word was spoken
One look, and I forgot the gloom of the past
One look and I had found my future at last
One look and I had found a world completely new
One magic moment and my heart seemed to know that love said hello
Though not a word was spoken
One look and I had found a world completely new
When love walked in with you
The song "Love Walked In" by Ray Brown opens with the lines "Love walked right in and drove the shadows away, Love walked right in and brought my sunniest day," which speaks to the transformative power of love. The idea of love transcending darkness and bringing light to the singer's life is a common theme in love songs, but Brown's portrayal of love as a literal presence that walks in is notable. The next line, "One magic moment and my heart seemed to know that love said hello, Though not a word was spoken," furthers the idea of love as a tangible, almost mystical entity.
The second stanza begins with "One look, and I forgot the gloom of the past," which suggests that a singular encounter with the object of the singer's affections has the power to obliterate previous sadness or negative experiences. The line "One look and I had found my future at last" speaks to the hope that love provides, and the idea that finding love can give direction and purpose to one's life. The final line of this stanza, "One look and I had found a world completely new," emphasizes the way that love can provide a fresh perspective and make the familiar feel new again.
The repeating refrain of "One magic moment and my heart seemed to know that love said hello, Though not a word was spoken" emphasizes the idea that love often defies logic or explanation, and can be felt on a deep, intuitive level. The final line of the song, "When love walked in with you," reinforces the notion that love is not an abstract concept, but something that is embodied in a person.
Overall, Ray Brown's "Love Walked In" is a straightforward but earnest depiction of the power of love to transform a life. The language is simple but effective, and the repeated refrains create a sense of consistency and familiarity that reinforces the theme of love as a constant force.
Line by Line Meaning
Love walked right in and drove the shadows away
Love instantly chased away all the darkness and negativity
Love walked right in and brought my sunniest day
Love entered my life and made everything brighter and happier
One magic moment and my heart seemed to know that love said hello
In a moment, I felt my heart connect with love, even without any words spoken
Though not a word was spoken
There was a powerful and meaningful connection between us, even if we didn't speak
One look, and I forgot the gloom of the past
Just a glance from you was enough to make me forget all the sadness and pain from before
One look and I had found my future at last
From that moment on, I knew you were my future and my forever
One look and I had found a world completely new
Looking at you made me see the world in a completely different and wonderful way
When love walked in with you
Everything changed for the better when you came into my life with love
One magic moment and my heart seemed to know that love said hello
Once again, even with no words exchanged, I could feel love enter my heart and life
Though not a word was spoken
Our connection is deeper than just words, and doesn't need any to be felt
One look and I had found a world completely new
The power of your presence and love has completely transformed my world
When love walked in with you
I am forever grateful for the day you entered my life, bringing love and joy with you
Lyrics © RALEIGH MUSIC PUBLISHING
Written by: GORDON CLIFFORD, HARRY BARRIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind