Ray Reach

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Ray Reach
Reach (right) with Branford Marsalis.
Reach (right) with Branford Marsalis.
Background information
Birth name Raymond Everett Reach, Jr.
Born August 3, 1948 (1948-08-03) (age 59)
Origin Birmingham, Alabama, United States
Genre(s) Jazz, classical, pop, R & B, gospel, contemporary Christian, country
Occupation(s) Musician, arranger, composer, producer, educator
Instrument(s) Keyboards, guitar, vocals
Years active 1964–present
Associated acts Magic City Jazz Orchestra
Cleveland Eaton and the Alabama All-Stars
W. C. Handy Jazz All-Stars
Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame All-Stars
Ray Reach and Friends
Website www.rayreach.com

Raymond Everett Reach, Jr. (born August 3, 1948) is an American pianist, vocalist and educator, now serving as Director of Student Jazz Programs for the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame, director of the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame All-Stars and President and CEO of Magic City Music Productions. In addition, he is an accomplished guitarist, arranger, composer, conductor and music producer. Although he has composed, arranged and performed in a variety of genre, he is perhaps best known for his work in the jazz idiom.

Contents

[edit] Early years

Born in Birmingham, Alabama, Reach began piano lessons at age 6, studying with Giula Williams of E. E. Forbes and Sons Piano Company in Birmingham. Later, he studied piano with Carolyn Pfau and Hugh Thomas at the Birmingham Conservatory of Music. Ray attended Minor High School near Birmingham, Alabama, Birmingham-Southern College, the University of Montevallo and the University of Alabama, among others. At Birmingham-Southern, Ray studied voice with renowned New York City Opera baritone Andrew Gainey, and studied piano with Sam Howard of the concert piano duo, Hodgens and Howard. At the University of Alabama (1977–1980), he served as graduate assistant to noted jazz educator Steve Sample, Sr, directing the award winning Jazz Ensemble B. During his time at the University of Alabama, ASCAP presented Ray with the Raymond Hubbell Musical Scholarship, for his contributions to jazz and popular music in America.

[edit] Jazz and computer music education

Ray has been an active jazz educator since the early 1970s. While attending Birmingham-Southern College, he created a series of jazz workshops which were hosted by the music department. He has taught jazz courses and computer music (MIDI) courses and workshops at numerous colleges, including Cedar Valley College in Dallas, Texas, Birmingham-Southern College, the University of Montevallo, the University of Alabama, the University of North Texas and others. From 1998 to 2005, Ray was instructor of jazz and music technology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) and director of the UAB Jazz Ensemble. He is currently (2005 to present) Director of Student Jazz Programs for the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame. He is also a faculty member of the W. C. Handy Jazz Camp, a regular featured performer at the W. C. Handy Music Festival and a member of the W. C. Handy Jazz All-Stars. In addition, Reach directs the "Fun With Jazz" Educational Program, which was originated through the Alys Stephens Center for the Performing Arts, and is now offered through the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame.

Ray has been involved with synthesizers (and later) computer-produced music since 1969, when he purchased his first Mini Moog. With the advent of MIDI, he worked in research and development for Systems Design Associates, Inc. of Dallas, Texas, makers of MIDI music software. Later, he co-founded the American MIDI Users Group (AMUG), which was based at the Dallas Infomart.

[edit] Notable students

As a jazz educator, Ray has taught a number of notable musicians, including: Kelley O'Neal (saxophonist), Beth Gottlieb (percussionist and wife of drummer Danny Gottlieb), Ned Holder (trombonist), Mark Lanter (drummer), Jay Frederick (drummer), Peter Wolf (producer), Chris Gordon (trumpeter / educator), Greg Chambers (saxophonist), Dave Miller (saxophonist) and Chuck Tilley (drummer), a member of the band Six Wire, who won 2nd place on Fox's American Idol spin-off, The Next Great American Band. Recent alumni of Ray's UAB Jazz Ensemble include pianist / keyboardist Coleman Woodson and drummer Tim George of Just A Few Cats, the band which gave American Idol Reuben Studdard his entry into the Birmingham music scene. To read an article wherein Reuben Studdard mentions Ray Reach, click here.

[edit] Performing, conducting, composing and arranging

Ray is a talented and skillful pianist, singer and guitarist. His skills span numerous musical and stylistic genre, including classical, jazz, contemporary pop, gospel and country.

To listen to examples of Ray's performance skills, click here.

[edit] Jazz

Ray is a member of several active performing and recording groups, including the Magic City Jazz Orchestra, the Night Flight Big Band and Cleveland Eaton and the Alabama All-Stars. He is a former member of the SuperJazz Big Band (formerly UAB SuperJazz), which was the first performing musical ensemble connected with the UAB Department of Music. Ray has performed with and arranged for numerous notable jazz musicians and ensembles, including Clark Terry, Dizzy Gillespie, Mike Williams (lead trumpeter for the Count Basie Orchestra), Leonard Candelaria (noted classical trumpeter and educator), Lou Marini, Ellis Marsalis, Cleveland Eaton, Gary Burton, Chuck Redd, Mundell Lowe, Lloyd Wells, Bill Goodwin, Lew Soloff, Jonathan Butler, Galen Jeter's Dallas Jazz Orchestra (later known as Dallas' Original Jazz Orchestra) (DOJO), the Guy Lombardo Orchestra, the Lawrence Welk Orchestra, Ladies' Night Out, vocalist Kathy Kosins, vocalist Annie Sellick, and Chaka Khan with the Lionel Hampton Orchestra. During his seven years as director of the UAB Jazz Ensemble (1998–2005), Ray wrote a large percentage of the music that the band played. His catalogue of jazz arrangements and compositions numbers over a thousand pieces.

To listen to examples of RAY REACH'S COMPOSITIONS AND ARRANGEMENTS, click here.

[edit] Musical theatre

For several consecutive years, Ray has been commissioned to write arrangements for the annual Induction Gala of the Alabama Stage and Screen Hall of Fame. In this period of time, this hall of fame has inducted such luminaries as Truman Capote, Harper Lee, Hugh Martin, Dean Jones, George Lindsey, Fannie Flagg, Talullah Bankhead and many others. As a conductor, Ray has been musical director for numerous Broadway-style shows. For example, at Samford University he was musical director for Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Andrew Lloyd Weber), Into The Woods (Stephen Sondheim) and Children of Eden (Stephen Schwartz).

As a composer, Ray has written and arranged Broadway-style musicals for Birmingham Children's Theatre (Rumplestiltskin, The Perfect Prince, The Bravo Bus and Backstage Baby), an opera titled The Wooden Donkey, and numerous choral compositions.

[edit] Commercial jingle production

While living in Dallas, Texas (1983–1991), Ray also wrote and produced commercial jingles and film and video scores, for clients such as United Airlines, Mercedes-Benz, various radio stations and many others.

[edit] Influences

His compositions are greatly influenced by J. S. Bach, W. A. Mozart, Frederick Chopin, Aaron Copland, George Gershwin, Billy Strayhorn, Duke Ellington, Gil Evans and Igor Stravinsky. His jazz piano and vocal stylings draw from diverse influences, including: pianists Bill Evans, Oscar Peterson and Chick Corea, and vocalists Frank Sinatra, Mel Tormé, Jon Hendricks, Tony Bennett, Nat King Cole and Johnny Hartman. As to his arranging role models, Ray names Johnny Mandel, Nelson Riddle, Gordon Jenkins, Henry Mancini, Sammy Nestico, Steve Sample, Sr, Thad Jones and Gil Evans, among many others.

[edit] Music production

Ray is president of the Birmingham, Alabama based music production company, Magic CIty Music Productions. He learned music production skills by working with and observing the great producers he worked for over the years in various studios around the Southeast, including (in Birmingham) Sound of Birmingham, Boutwell Studios, Bates Brothers Recording, Audiostate 55 Recording Studio, Prestige Productions and PolyMusic Recording; in the Muscle Shoals, Alabama area: Quinvy Studios, FAME Studios; and in the Dallas, Texas area: Sound Logic Recording, Goodnight Audio, Sound Southwest, Crystal Clear Sound, T M Communications, Toby Arnold and Associates, Zimmersmith Productions, Dallas Sound Lab and many others. His association with highly skilled producers and engineers in recording studios in Birmingham, Muscle Shoals, Atlanta, Dallas, Nashville and other cities, such as Ed Boutwell, Gaston Nichols, Noah White, Kenny Wallis, Eric Bates, Mark Harrelson, Chet Bennett, Phil York, Danny Brown, Blake English, James Bevelle, John Conner, Jr., Dan Rudin and Barry Beckett (of the famed Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section) and others proved invaluable. His studio experience, along with his knowledge of synthesizers and MIDI technology prepared him well for the classes in music technology which he taught in various venues. His particular combination of musical and technological skills are considered by many of his peers to be rare. One of Ray's primary role models in his production career is noted musician Quincy Jones.

To listen to examples of recordings done by Magic City Music Productions, click here.

[edit] Recent Performances

In January of 2008, Ray performed as guest artist with the Howard Paul Trio at the famed Jazz Corner on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.

Ray was recently asked by Chuck Leishman, publisher of The Birmingham Weekly, to direct the house band at the 2008 Birmingham Area Music Awards (the "BAMA" awards). The house band, known collectively as The Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame All-Stars, accompanied noted BAMA Award recipients Chuck Leavell and Peter Wolf. To read an article about Peter Wolf and the BAMA Awards, click here.

[edit] Partial discography

As pianist / keyboardist, arranger, vocalist and producer:

  • Ellis Marsalis and the SuperJazz Big Band. "UAB SuperJazz, featuring Ellis Marsalis" (2001) (co-produced by Henry Panion), recorded at the Alys Stephens Center.
  • Ray Reach and Friends. "Especially For You" (1994). Jazz quartet
  • Ray Reach and Friends. "Have Yourself A Jazzy Little Christmas" (2005). Jazz quartet, recorded at CBS Recording Studios
  • Janet Rubino. "Worthy Sparrow." (2005) A colloection of Christian songs and service music by singer / songwriter Janet Rubino
  • Joylight. "Let There Be Love" (1990) Inspirational music. Produced by Ray Reach and Michael Loveless

As producer:

  • K. Lee Scott. "Christmastide" (2003). choral music.
  • K. Lee Scott. "Requiem" (2006). choral music.
  • Uncle Bud's Lectro Wood Experience. Comedic Bluegrass. Production assistance and musician contracting by Ray Reach. Recorded at Bates Brothers Recording and at the studio of John Conner, Jr. in Brentwood, Tennessee. Glen Duncan on fiddle. For more information on Uncle Bud, click here.

As arranger:

As keyboardist and arranger:

  • Dick's Hat Band. "Got The Whole Town Talkin'" (1995) Produced by Ross Roberts. Classic R & B. Chuck Tilley, Drums. Horn arrangements by Ray Reach. Hammond B-3 played by Ray Reach.

As Keyboardist:

  • Little Jimmy Reed. "School's Out" Produced by Ross Roberts. Blues. Hammond B-3 played by Ray Reach.
  • Mark Sallings. (1995) "Let It Be Known - Mark Sallings and the Famous Unknowns" Virtuoso blues harmonica player Mark Sallings. B-3 played by Ray Reach.
  • Mark Sallings. (1996) "Talkin' To Myself" Virtuoso blues harmonica player Mark Sallings. B-3 played by Ray Reach. The Famous Unknowns were the house band at B. B. King's in Memphis from 1991 to 1994.
  • Gary Hallquist, composer. "Requiem for the Millineum" Commissioned by the Baptist Theological Seminary of New Orleans.

As producer, arranger and keyboardist:

As producer, arranger, keyboardist, vocalist and guitarist:

  • James Clark. "Count On Me" (1997). Original songs by singer / songwriter James Clark, recorded at Bates Brothers Recording Studio. Features Don Jones (bass), Steve Sample, Jr (drums), Ray Reach (keyboards, guitar and arrangements), Ross Roberts (guitar), Wayne Perkins (guitar) and the Tuscaloosa Horns.
  • Dr. Dan "Harpdog" Marson. "Blues, Gospel and Jazz Harmonica." (1999) Produced by Ray Reach.
  • Chuck "Doc" Snow. "Pray For Me." (2006) For more info about this recording, click here.

As producer, composer, arranger and conductor:

  • UAB Jazz Ensemble: "UAB Jazz Ensemble, Volume 1," (2005) A collection of jazz orchestra arrangements, including the classic "Cotton Tail" by Duke Ellington and original compositions and arrangements by Eric Essix and Ray Reach. Featuring guest artists Ken Watters and Eric Essix.

As keyboardist, arranger and vocalist:

  • Dave Loggins, Ray Reach and Various Artists. "The New Course Record" (1995) A collection of songs about the game of golf. Produced by Don Hays and Mike Chapman on Music Row in Nashville, Tennessee.

As producer, composer, arranger, keyboardist and vocalist:

  • Ray Reach and Various Artists: "Mr President," (Dallas, Texas production - 1989) A song written and produced for the purpose of benefitting the homeless in the Dallas area. Artists and studios who donated their time and efforts to make this record include: Star Search winner Benita Arteberry, the Dallas Symphony Chorus under the direction of Ron Shirey, Sumet-Burnet Recording, Sound Logic Recording and choral students from the Richardson Texas School District (under the direction of Glenda Casey). Song composed by Michael Loveless, Joe Sterling and Ray Reach.
  • Ray Reach and Various Artists: "Mr President," (Birmingham, Alabama production - 1993) A new production of the song, done by Alabama talent, benefitting the homeless in the Birmingham area. Artists and studios who donated their time and efforts to make this record include: choral students from Jefferson County schools, Chuck Leavell (Keyboards), Charlie Hayward (Bass), Chuck Tilley (Drums), Kelley O'Neal (Sax), Wayne Perkins (Guitar), Front Row Productions and Airwave Productions Group. The promotion of the song was done as a project of the marketing classes of Minor High School and by Rob and Shannon of Magic 96 FM in Birmingham.

[edit] "Mr. President" on HBO

Following the 1989 Dallas production of the "Mr. President" (See listing above), the song was featured on HBO's Comic Relief special. On this show, the song was performed by singers Natalie Cole and Al Jarreau, along with New York City public school choral students and a band lead by saxophonist Tom Scott. The show was hosted by Whoopi Goldberg, Robin Williams and Billy Crystal.

[edit] External links