Ray Alexander (February 7, 1925 – June 8, 2002) was a jazz drummer and vibraphonist. He is best known for his work with

George Shearing Sir George Albert Shearing, (13 August 1919 14 February 2011) was a British jazz pianist who for many years led a popular jazz group that recorded for Discovery Records, MGM Records and Capitol Records. Shearing was the composer of over 300 t ...

and

Peggy Lee Norma Deloris Egstrom (May 26, 1920 – January 21, 2002), known professionally as Peggy Lee, was an American jazz and popular music singer, songwriter, composer, and actress, over a career spanning seven decades. From her beginning as a vocalis ...

on '' Beauty And The Beat'' (1959), ''Quiet Village'' (1959), ''Cloud Patterns'' (1988), ''Rain In June'' (1993), and ''Vigorous Vibes'' (1998).

Biography

Ray started his musical career as a drummer, playing with

Claude Thornhill Claude Thornhill (August 10, 1908 – July 1, 1965) was an American pianist, arranger, composer, and bandleader. He composed the jazz and pop standards "Snowfall" and "I Wish I Had You". Early years Thornhill was the son of J. Chester Thornhill ...

, Bobby Byrne, the

Dorsey Brothers The Dorsey Brothers were an American studio dance band, led by Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey. They started recording in 1928 for OKeh Records. History The Dorsey Brothers recorded songs for the dime store labels (Banner, Cameo, Domino, Jewel, Oriole, ...

Stan Getz Stanley Getz (February 2, 1927 – June 6, 1991) was an American jazz saxophonist. Playing primarily the tenor saxophone, Getz was known as "The Sound" because of his warm, lyrical tone, with his prime influence being the wispy, mellow timbre of ...

Joe Venuti Giuseppe "Joe" Venuti (September 16, 1903 – August 14, 1978) was an American jazz musician and pioneer jazz violinist. Considered the father of jazz violin, he pioneered the use of string instruments in jazz along with the guitarist Eddie La ...

Mel Torme Mel, Mels or MEL may refer to: Biology * Mouse erythroleukemia cell line (MEL) * National Herbarium of Victoria, a herbarium with the Index Herbariorum code MEL People * Mel (given name), the abbreviated version of several given names (including ...

Johnny Smith Johnny Henry Smith II (June 25, 1922 – June 11, 2013) was an American cool jazz and mainstream jazz guitarist. He wrote "Walk, Don't Run" in 1954. In 1984, Smith was inducted into the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame. Early life During the Great Dep ...

Chubby Jackson Greig Stewart "Chubby" Jackson (October 25, 1918 – October 1, 2003) was an American jazz double-bassist and band leader. Biography Born in New York City, Jackson began at the age of seventeen as a clarinetist, but quickly changed to bass in ...

and many others. He later switched to vibes (the vibraphone) and worked with George Shearing,

Charlie Barnet Charles Daly Barnet (October 26, 1913 – September 4, 1991) was an American jazz saxophonist, composer, and bandleader. His major recordings were "Skyliner", "Cherokee", "The Wrong Idea", "Scotch and Soda", "In a Mizz", and "Southland Shuffle ...

, Bill Evans,

Anita O'Day Anita Belle Colton (October 18, 1919 – November 23, 2006), known professionally as Anita O'Day, was an American jazz singer and self proclaimed “song stylist” widely admired for her sense of rhythm and dynamics, and her early big band appe ...

Mel Lewis Melvin Sokoloff (May 10, 1929 – February 2, 1990), known professionally as Mel Lewis, was an American jazz drummer, session musician, professor, and author. He received fourteen Grammy Award nominations. Biography Early years Lewis was ...

, and many other jazz notables. Ray also worked with his own quartet in renowned jazz clubs such as Birdland, the Embers, Basin Street East, etc. In the early '70s he joined with

Mousey Alexander Elmer "Mousey" Alexander (June 19, 1922 – October 9, 1988) was an American jazz drummer. Career Alexander was born in Gary, Indiana to Assyrian parents from Iran. He grew up in Chicago, eventually studying at the Roy C. Knapp School of Percuss ...

to form Alexanders the Great, a quartet which was booked frequently at the new Half Note uptown, as well as many other clubs and concerts. He was favorably reviewed in the ''New York Times'', the ''Virgin Encyclopedia Of Jazz'', and ''Newsday''. In 1983 Ray put out an album called ''Cloud Patterns'', recorded live at Eddie Condon's. It featured

Albert Dailey Albert Preston Dailey (June 16, 1939 – June 26, 1984) was an American jazz pianist. Early life Dailey was born in Baltimore, Maryland. His parents were Albert Preston Dailey Sr, and Gertrude Johnson Dailey.Jon Pareles"Albert Dailey, 46, Jazz P ...

on piano,

Harvie S Harvie S (born Harvie Swartz; December 6, 1948) is an American jazz double-bassist. He learned piano as a child and did not begin playing bass until 1967, when he was nineteen years old. Scott Yanow, Harvie Swartzat Allmusic He attended Berkle ...

wartz on bass, Ray Mosca on drums, and

Pepper Adams Park Frederick "Pepper" Adams III (October 8, 1930 – September 10, 1986) was an American jazz baritone saxophonist and composer. He composed 42 pieces, was the leader on eighteen albums spanning 28 years, and participated in 600 sessions as a s ...

on baritone sax. Before it was released, Albert Dailey and Pepper Adams died, so the album was dedicated to their memory. In 1993 he released ''Rain In June'' featuring Ray on vibraphone,

Kenny Barron Kenny Barron (born June 9, 1943) is an American jazz pianist, who has appeared on hundreds of recordings as leader and sideman and is considered one of the most influential mainstream jazz pianists since the bebop era. Biography Born in Philadel ...

on piano, Warren Vaché Jr. on cornet, Bob Kindred on tenor sax, the late Oliver Jackson on drums and Harvie Swartz on bass. Along with covers ranging from

Dizzy Gillespie John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie (; October 21, 1917 – January 6, 1993) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, composer, educator and singer. He was a trumpet virtuoso and improviser, building on the virtuosic style of Roy Eldridge but addi ...

's "Dizzy Atmostphere" to Van Heusen's "Swinging On A Star", it also featured three original songs: two instrumentals ("Twinkletoes" and "Angelique", written in honor of his granddaughter) and the title track. That also featured Ray singing, with lyrics written by his son Russell Alexander from The Hitman Blues Band. In 1998 Ray released a CD for Cat's Paw Records, called ''Vigorous Vibes''. It features Ray on vibraphone, Mac Chrupcala on piano, John Anter on drums, and Marshall Wood on bass. It featured covers of songs such as "Hi Fly", "The Preacher", and "Old Folks". It also featured two originals, an instrumental called "Sweet Bossa" and "Victoria Sez", written in honor of his youngest granddaughter. Ray handled the vocals on "Victoria", with lyrics written by Russell Alexander. Until his death, he played in various jazz clubs in New York and the East coast, as well as college concerts and jazz festivals. In the summer he toured England and nearby European countries playing vibraphone in jazz venues and festivals, including the Guinness Festival, Birmingham Jazz Festival, Buxton Jazz Festival, and many others. Ray Alexander died in June, 2002 as a result of complications from elective surgery.

References

External links

Ray Alexander Jazz Vibist Web Site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Alexander, Ray American male drummers 1925 births 2002 deaths 20th-century American drummers American jazz vibraphonists American jazz drummers 20th-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians