eMusic

Start Your Trial

Big Black

Big Black

Rate it!

Avg: 3.0 (3 ratings)

  • Born: 1934 in Georgia
  • Years Active: 1960s, 1970s, 1980s

Biography

Danny Ray has gotten far more ink for his colorful name than for his importance as a fine percussionist and one of the '60s better practitioners of Afro-Cuban rhythms within the jazz context. Ray got his nickname from an older brother when he showed interest in drumming as a child. He heard the conga being used in Cuban music on a radio program while in high school, and he subsequently traveled to Florida and the Bahamas. Ray spent five years alternating between these areas. During that time he played with Lord Flea's Calypso band in the Bahamas and with the Calypso Eddy Trio. He also worked in Miami with Jack Contanzo, Moe Coffman and the Contemporary Jazz Orchestra. Ray later formed a band with Jamaican trumpeter Billy Cook in Nassau and began exploring a mix of Caribbean and jazz rhythms. During the '60s he worked often with Randy Weston, as well as Ray Bryant, Johnny Barracuda, Junior Cook and Eric Dolphy. He was featured at the Caribbean Pavilion at the 1965 World's Fair in New York City and played with Dizzy Gillespie both at the Fair and that year's Newport Jazz Festival.
— Ron Wynn , All Music Guide

Related Artists Ancestors, Peers and Acolytes

Similar Artists:

Jack Costanzo, Ray Barretto And New World Spirit, Willie Bobo

Followers:

Adam Rudolph\'s Moving Pictures,

“ The indie iTunes — Hardcore music fans are migrating to eMusic, the iTunes Music Store's cheaper, cooler cousin.”


Rolling Stone
Start Your Trial

Recently Viewed

Back
Forward

© 1998-2009 eMusic.com Inc. eMusic and the eMusic logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks in the USA or other countries. All rights reserved.

All Music Guide © 1992 - 2009 All Media Guide, LLC
Portions of content provided by All Music Guide, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC

Facebook®, YouTube, Flickr™ and Wikipedia® are registered trademarks of their respective owners, Facebook Inc., Google, Inc., Yahoo! Inc. and Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. Neither Facebook Inc., Google, Inc., Yahoo! Inc. nor Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. are partners or sponsors of eMusic. eMusic uses the Facebook, Flickr, YouTube and Wikipedia API but is not endorsed or certified by Facebook, Flickr, YouTube and Wikipedia. eMusic does not pre-screen, monitor, endorse nor assume any liability for websites, contents, products, services or claims made by Facebook, YouTube, Flickr™ and Wikipedia®.

Legal or copyright question regarding Facebook, YouTube, Flickr or Wikipedia content on eMusic? Please email us.