Raymond Harry "Ray" Brown (born November 7, 1946) is an American composer, arranger, trumpet player, and jazz educator.
[1] He has performed as trumpet player and arranged music for Stan Kenton (early 1970s), Bill Watrous, Bill Berry, Frank Capp – Nat Pierce (Juggernaut Big Band), and the Full Faith and Credit Big Band.
The Kenton trumpet section included Mike Vax,[3] Jay Saunders, and Dennis Noday.
Ray's nephew (Steve's son) – Miles Brown[13] – is a jazz bassist, performer, and music educator.
As a pioneer in jazz education at the scholastic level,[15] he introduced stage bands to Long Beach public schools in 1939.
[17] 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.