Raymond Lee Brown

For other people named Ray Brown, see Ray Brown (disambiguation).

Raymond Lee Brown is an American trumpeter and flugelhornist. Brown was a longtime member of the Earth, Wind & Fire Horns.[1][2]

Influences

Brown was born and raised in South Central Los Angeles. While in high school, Brown was friends with Gary Bias, Gerald Albright, Patrice Rushen, and Leon "Ndugu" Chancler. In the mid 1980s, he became a member of the Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra or "the Ark", of South Park, Los Angeles. During 1987 Brown joined Earth, Wind & Fire alongside two other members of the Ark, saxophonist Bias and trombonist Reggie Young.[3] Before Earth, Wind & Fire, Brown was a member of Madagascar, a group composed of session musicians that recorded one album — Spirit of the Street — under the Arista label in 1981.

Performances

In 1997, Brown was a member of Whitney Houston's band on her Pacific Rim Tour. Brown was also the solo flugelhorn player for Yanni in 1995 (Yanni: Live at Royal Albert Hall). Brown gave a practically flawless flugelhorn performance of the Yanni composition “Dance With a Stranger.”

Discography

Earth, Wind & Fire

  • Evil Roy, Columbia Records (1987); OCLC 658836632
  • Millennium, Reprise Records (1993); OCLC 28865667
  • In the Name of Love, Rhino Records (distributor) (1997); OCLC 37628513
  • The Promise, Kalimba (2003); OCLC 473755647
  • Live by Request, SMV Enterprises (2002); OCLC 475047218
  • Live in Japan (DVD video, CD audio, DVD audio), Eagle Rock Entertainment (2008); OCLC 263436220

Sideman with Patrice Rushen (jazz)[4]

Sideman with jazz artists[4]

Sideman with funk, soul, and R&B artists

Notes

  1. ^ "Earth, Wind & Fire Members". earthwindandfire.com.
  2. ^ "The Billboard Salute – Earth, Wind & Fire 30th Anniversary". Billboard Magazine. Vol. 113, no. 28. July 14, 2001. p. 36. ISSN 0006-2510.
  3. ^ Songs of the Unsung: The Musical and Social Journey of Horace Tapscott, by Horace Tapscott, edited by Steven Isoardi, Duke University Press (2001)
  4. ^ a b Tom Lord, The Jazz Discography Online, Lord Music, (accessed 10 December 2013; subscription required; accessible at many libraries); OCLC 690104143 (subscription fee required; accessible at many libraries)