Raymond Harry "Ray" Brown (born November 7, 1946) is an American composer, arranger, trumpeter, and jazz educator. He has performed as a trumpet player and arranged music for Stan Kenton (early 1970s), Bill Watrous, Bill Berry, Frank Capp, Nat Pierce (of the Juggernaut Big Band), and the Full Faith and Credit Big Band.

Career Brown joined Stan Kenton in September 1971, succeeding Gary Lee Pack [; Director of Jazz Studies (retired), University of Southern Maine], holding the jazz trumpet chair and serving as an improvisation clinician. The Kenton trumpet section included Mike Vax, Jay Saunders, and Dennis Noday. Brown also contributed arrangements for Kenton, including "Mi Burrito" and "Neverbird". Brown remained with the Kenton Orchestra until November 1972.

Before joining the Kenton Orchestra, Brown had served as arranger and trumpeter with the Studio Band of the United States Army Field Band at Fort Meade, Maryland (1968–71). His tenure with the Army Band and Kenton coincided closely with that of Jay Saunders — trumpet player, and jazz educator, who, while with the Kenton Orchestra, eventually played lead trumpet.

Brown currently leads his own big band, the Great Big Band, which has performed at the Monterey Jazz Festival, the San Jose Jazz Festival, the Santa Cruz Jazz Festival, the Lake Tahoe Music Festival, and jazz venues in the San Francisco Bay area.

Early career 1968–71: arranger and trumpet player for the Studio Band of the United States Army Field Band, Fort Meade, Maryland September 1971 – November 1972: trumpet player (jazz chair) and improvisation clinician with the Stan Kenton Orchestra 1973: became a member of ASCAP 1973–74: trumpet player for Bill Watrous Band in New York 1973–75: led own rehearsal band in New York City March 1975: received a grant for Jazz, Category I, National Endowment for the Arts (to write a composition for the rehearsal band) 1974–75: teacher of improvisation in nine New Jersey schools through a grant from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts 1974–75: faculty member (teaching arranging, improv, brass), Five Towns College, Merrick, NY 1974–79: played trumpet with the New York Orchestra, Thad Jones, Joe Newman, Ray Brown (bassist), Leroy Vinnegar, Mundell Lowe, Bill Berry (William Richard Berry) Big Band 1980: member of the Nat Pierce and Frankie Capp Big Band

Musical family Ray's wife, Sue Brown (b. 1949, New York), is a violinist and teacher of strings – violin, viola, chamber music, and orchestra. She holds a Bachelor of Music from Ithaca College (1971) and a Master of Fine Arts from Sarah Lawrence College (1974), where she studied with Dorothy DeLay. She also did post-grad work at the University of Colorado (1975). Ray and Sue were married on August 26, 1973, and together, they have three daughters, one of whom, Karin, is a violist and is married to cellist Daniel Levitov. Karin earned degrees in music from Oberlin Conservatory of Music (1998) and Juilliard. Daniel is a member of the preparatory faculty at the Peabody Institute.

Ray, born 1946 in Oceanside, New York, grew up in Freeport, New York. He has three older brothers, Glenn Edward Brown (1937–2007), Stephen Charles Brown, Roger V. Brown and a younger sister, Jeanne De Martino. Glenn taught music for 28 years. Steve is a jazz guitarist, bassist, drummer, composer, and arranger. For 45 years, Steve was professor of music and director of jazz studies at the Ithaca College School of Music (retired 2008). One of Steve's many life achievements is that he formalized jazz studies in 1968 at Ithaca College School of Music, a long-standing, well-known music institution within a well-known liberal arts college that was founded in 1892 solely as a conservatory of music. Roger, a civil engineer, played bass. He did two tours with Astrud Gilberto. Jeanne, a pre-school teacher, played flute.

Glenn, Steve, and Ray all earned music degrees from Ithaca College – Steve: Bachelor of Music (1964) and a Master of Music (1968); Ray: Bachelor of Music (1968). Ray's nephew (Steve's son) – Miles Brown – is a jazz bassist, performer, and music educator.

Ray's father, Glenn Earl Brown (1914–1965; 1936 graduate of Ithaca College School of Music), was the District Music Supervisor of Public Schools for Long Beach, New York. He was also director of bands at Long Beach Jr. Sr. High School from 1938 to 1965. As a pioneer in jazz education at the scholastic level, he introduced stage bands to Long Beach public schools in 1939. He also ran a music camp — Lake Shore Music Score — at Lake Winnipesaukee, Center Harbor, New Hampshire. Glenn Brown had been, for more than 14 years, a marimba soloist with the Xavier Cugat Orchestra.

Ray's mother, Marie Brown (née Ward) (1916–2002), taught English at Boardman Junior High School in Oceanside for 28 years, where, before retiring from the Oceanside School District in 1982, she served as curriculum coordinator and English department chairwoman. She earned a Bachelor of Music degree from the Ithaca College School of Music in 1935, where she played piano, saxophone, and clarinet. She also held a Masters in English from Hofstra University.

Selected compositions/arrangements Compositions/arrangements for the Stan Kenton Orchestra "Call Me Mister" (Kenton Chart Nos. 565 & 1168) "Hit and Run" – EP305104 © 1972 V1718P086 (Kenton Chart No. 488) "Is There Anything Still There?" – EP304505 © 1972 V1718P086 (Kenton Chart No. 800) "Mi Burrito" – EP354892 © 1973 V1718P086 (Kenton Chart No. 975) "Neverbird" (Kenton Chart No. 564)

Arrangement for the Stan Kenton Orchestra "Angel Eyes", Matt Dennis & Tom Adair, arr. Ray Brown Other compositions/arrangements "Route 81 North" (arrangement) "Clyde's Glides" "Double Fault Blues" "AfterThoughts" "The Opener" "My Man Willie" "Tomas Gatos" "Arthur Author" "Two Rare T-Bones" "Procrastination City" – copyright no. EP354893 © 1973 V1718P086 "Big D and Me" – copyright no. PA0000398365 © 1988 "Blues for the two K's" – copyright no. PAu000444456 © 1982 "Got the time?" – PA0000398368 © 1985 "Haziness" – copyright no. PA0000250024 © 1984 "Hop, skip, and a Jump" – copyright no. PAu000313614 © 1981

"Little Jeannette Leigh" – copyright no. PA0000250023 © 1983 "No Timeouts Left" – copyright no. PA0000398361 © 1988 "Spectrum" – copyright no. PA0000250025 © 1984 "Three to go" – copyright no. PA0000398367 © 1985 "Straightahead City" "Bossa Barbara" by Steve Brown, arr. Ray Brown "Embraceable You/Quasimodo" – Gershwin / Charlie Parker, arr. Ray Brown "The Telephone Song" – Music by Menescal, Portuguese words by Boscoli, English words by Gimbel, arr. Ray Brown "Bittersweet" – Willie Maiden, transcribed by Ray Brown "Our Love Is Here To Stay" – George Gershwin, arr. Ray Brown "Del Sasser" – Sam Jones, arr. Ray Brown "Kayak" – Kenny Wheeler, arr. Ray Brown "Barbara" – Horace Silver, arr. Ray Brown "I Could Write a Book" – Rodgers & Hart, arr. Ray Brown "The Thumb" – Wes Montgomery, arr. Ray Brown "The Ballad of Thelonious Monk" – Jimmy Rowles, arr. Ray Brown "Stella By Starlight" – Victor Young, arr. Ray Brown "I.C. Light" – Ray Brown (commissioned for the retirement of Steve Brown, March 2008) "Turn Out The Stars", by Bill Evans, arr. Ray Brown "Louie's Prima"

Selected discography

The Session, Studio Band of the United States Army Field Band (Brown is one of three arrangers), recorded Washington, D.C., Nov. 1972 "Route 81 North", arr. Ray Brown "Is There Anything Still There?" arr. Ray Brown

As a member (jazz trumpet/flugelhorn) of the Stan Kenton Orchestra

Stan Kenton Today (recorded live, Fairfield Halls, Croydon, Surrey, UK, February 10, 1972, 2nd show), originally released in 1972 by Creative World Inc. (2 LPs, quadraphonic), re-released by Dutton Vocalion (2 CDs), 2005 Selections from a Feb 6, 1972, live audience BBC recording (same band) (Ray is 25 years old in these recordings.) , by Hank Levy (Ray Brown is one of the jazz soloists.)

The Four Freshmen: Live at Butler University, with Stan Kenton and his Orchestra, Creative World Inc. (2 LPs, quadraphonic), 1972; re-released by GNP Crescendo Records (CDs), 1986 National Anthems Of The World, Creative World Inc. (2 LPs, quadraphonic), 1972 Clearwater 72 (recorded at the Fort Harrison Hotel, Clearwater, FL, Mar 1972), Hitchcock Media (1 CD), 2002 Rhapsody in Blue (Live, Las Vegas), 1972

Arrangement recorded by the Stan Kenton Orchestra

Kenton For Collectors Vol. 3 (recorded live, Towson State University, July 27, 1976), Dynaflow (CD) (released October 16, 2007) "Angel Eyes", by Matt Dennis & Tom Adair, arr Ray Brown

As a member of the Full Faith & Credit Big Band

Debut, Palo Alto Records, 1980 (Ray Brown conducts, arranges, and plays flugelhorn); JazzFaire, with Madeline Eastman, Palo Alto Records (LP), 1983 (Ray Brown conducts, arranges, and plays flugelhorn); "Hop, Skip & a Jump", arr Ray Brown "Like Someone in Love", arr Ray Brown "I remember Clifford", arr Ray Brown "Barbara", arr Ray Brown "A Time for Love", arr Ray Brown "Can't Handle It", arr Ray Brown FF&C III, Sea Breeze (1 LP), 1988; re-released (1 CD) by Sea Breeze, 1994

As leader of Ray Brown's Great Big Band

Impressions of Point Lobos, Brown Cats Productions , Ithaca, NY (CD), 1997; Kayak Brown Cats Productions , Ithaca, NY (CD), 2009;

Other recordings

Ray Brown & Steve Brown: An introduction to jazz improvisation: a basic method of study for all musicians, Piedmont Music Co., Melville, NY (LP), 1975 Gary Bartz: Music is My Sanctuary, 1975 Los Angeles City College Jazz Band, 1981 (Ray Brown arranges Is There Anything Still There?) Grover Mitchell: Butter Jazz Chronicles, 1978 Norman Connors: This is Your Life, late 1970s

Frank Wess/Harry Edison Orchestra: Dear Mr. Basie (recorded live, Kan-i Hoken Hall, Tokyo, Nov 1989) Concord, 1989 Ernestine Anderson, with the Clayton/Hamilton Orchestra: Boogie Down (recorded Aug 18, 1990) (1 CD), 1989 Great Moments with Ernestine Anderson (1 CD) Concord Jazz, Nov 8, 1993 Recorded from 1976 to 1990, at Alley Cat Bistro, Culver City, CA; Coast Records, San Francisco; Concord Summer Festival, Concord Pavilion, Concord, CA; Fujitsu-Concord Jazz Festival, Tokyo; Mad Hatter Recording Studios, Los Angeles; Ocean Way Recording Studios, Hollywood, CA Michael Paulo : Fuse Box (1 CD) GRP, 1990 Michael Paulo : Don't Let Go (1 CD) GRP, 1990 Michael Paulo : Rainbow Room (1 CD) GRP, 1990 Miles Davis & Michel Legrand: Dingo (film soundtrack), 1990 Buddy Collette: Live at El Camino College (recorded May 19, 1990, Torrance, CA), 1990 Mel Torme: Sent for You Yesterday, Concord Jazz, 1990 David Benoit: Over the Edge (1 CD) GRP, 1991 David Benoit: Still Standing (1 CD) GRP, 1991 The Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra: Heart and Soul 1991 Child's Play, produced by Steve Brown, Cafe Records (1 CD), 1990 Kirk Whalum: Love Saw It, Columbia, 1993 Kirk Whalum: The Language of Life, Columbia, 1993 Landes Jugend Jazz Orchester Hessen: Magic Morning (recorded in Cologne, Germany, Apr 30 - May 4, 1993), Ray Brown is an arranger of four pieces: "For Heaven's Sake", comp Donald Meyer, Elise Bretton, & Sherman Edwards, arr Ray Brown "Die Autobahn 500", arr Ray Brown "Magic Morning", comp by Dan Haerle , arr Ray Brown Rickey Woodard: Yazoo City Blues ( 1 CD) Concord, 1994 Roy Hargrove With Strings: "Moment to Moment", Verve (CD), 2000 (Ray Brown, conductor) Live Recording from the Monterey Jazz Festival (recorded Sept. 21, 2002) (private recording, Monterey Jazz Festival tapes held by Stanford University) with Charlie Haden, Michael Brecker, & Kenny Barron a. "The Night" (composer/arranger unknown) b. "American Dreams" (Charlie Haden) c. "Trends" (composer/arranger unknown) (possibly titled Travels by Pat Metheny & Lyle Mays) d. "Prism" (Keith Jarrett) e. "No Lonely Nights" (Keith Jarrett) f. "Ron's Place" (Brad Mehldau) g. "Nightfall" (Charlie Haden) h. "Bird Food" (Ornette Coleman)