Thanks, guys. I'm really fortunate. Ella had just divorced my all-time favorite musician and mentor, Ray Brown when I met them as a "wet behind the ears" kid of 16 in the fall of 1962. They were still friendly, and Ella would sing lead lines for me to help with melodies and changes. We had upwards of 50 informal sessions like this.

Of course, Ray was a lifetime friend. We kept in touch right up until his death a few years ago. Until he died, he would give a free lesson to a promising player in every town he visited before he played...usually in his motel room.

He was a man of strong ethics and a real humanitarian. Even in his later years, he was politically savy and in touch with leading edge music trends.

I couldn't think of a better role model.


I miss him.


R.