Ray Gallon knows a thing or two about jazz. The veteran pianist was mentored by legendary jazz pianists John Lewis, Hank Jones and Jaki Byard. He has toured and/or recorded with such luminaries as Ron Carter, Lionel Hampton, Art Farmer, George Adams, Les Paul and Wycliffe Gordon, and has appeared at the White House and Kennedy Center with jazz legends Dizzy Gillespie, Milt Jackson, Sweets Edison, and Joe Williams. Ray has also accompanied many vocal greats, including Jon Hendricks, Sheila Jordan, and Chaka Khan. He is currently a Lecturer of Jazz Studies at City College of New York.

 

A frequent performer at both the Roxy Bar and The Django, we asked Ray for some of his favorite recorded jazz tracks. Check-out our Spotify playlist with some of the music mentioned below.

 

 

First jazz album you remember hearing?

Jazz at Massey Hall with Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Bud Powell, Charles Mingus and Max Roach.

 

What was it about the music that moved you?

It felt like I’d been struck by a lightning bolt and I’ve never been the same since. Though the music initially seemed impossibly complex to my unprepared teenage ears, I was immediately hooked by the rhythmic excitement, incredible expressiveness of the playing, and the strong blues feeling throughout.

 

First album you spent your own money on?

Bird and Diz featuring Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk, Curly Russell and Buddy Rich.

 

What’s a jazz album everyone should own and why?

The obvious answer would be Miles Davis‘ masterpiece Kind of Blue, the perfect entry-level album for anyone interested in exploring jazz. I’d also recommend The Blanton/Webster Band. It features Duke Ellington at his absolute peak. It’s a remarkable outpouring of creative genius, with unsurpassable ensemble and solo playing throughout.

 

Who’s your favorite pianist?

I have way too many favorites – it’s impossible to pick one. Art Tatum is unsurpassable and sits atop Mount Olympus. The most influential pianists for me include Thelonious Monk, Bud Powell, Hank Jones, Ahmad Jamal, Tommy Flanagan, Sonny Clark, Horace Silver, Cedar Walton, Jimmy Rowles, Ray Bryant, Red Garland, Wynton Kelly, James P. Johnson, Fats Waller, Earl Hines, Teddy Wilson, Erroll Garner, Oscar Peterson, Bill Evans, Herbie Hancock, McCoy Tyner…

 

You are often heard in a trio context. For your money, what’s the most swinging trio album?

Again, impossible to name one… a few off the top of my head:

At the Pershing – But Not For Me – Ahmad Jamal with Israel Crosby, Vernell Fournier

Plays Duke Ellington – Thelonious Monk with Oscar Pettiford, Kenny Clark

Sonny Clark Trio with Paul Chambers, Philly Joe Jones

Kelly At Midnight – Wynton Kelly with Paul Chambers, Philly Joe Jones

Complete Capitol Recordings – Nat King Cole Trio (Mosaic)

 

Name five jazz albums you can’t live without:

There are too many to mention. In addition to all of the above trio albums, here are a few standouts:

Saxophone Colossus – Sonny Rollins

Go – Dexter Gordon

Milestones – Miles Davis

The Amazing Bud Powell Vols. 1 & 2

Soul Station – Hank Mobley

 

What’s the strangest album on repeat at your house?

If “strangest” means non-jazz, there are many, many, many. Here’s one I can’t get enough of: Low End Theory by  A Tribe Called Quest.

 

Name the album of yours that best represents your sound?

Grand Company, my trio album with Ron Carter and Lewis Nash.

 

Lastly, what’s better, vinyl or digital?

With a good sound system, vinyl is unbeatable! However, out of convenience I mostly listen to digital these days.