American musician
Musical artist
Larry Gray
is a Chicago musician known for his compositions and skill on the
double bass
and cello. His primary teachers were Joseph Guastafeste, longtime principal bassist of the
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
, and cellist Karl Fruh.
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Family
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Gray was born to Pauline Waterman and Lawrence Gray. He has been married to Karolyn R. Kuehner since 1990. They have one daughter, Soffia H. Kuehner Gray.
Music style
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Originally a jazz guitarist, Gray switched to double bass and developed a reputation as a first-call sideman. Within a short time, he began to work at the Jazz Showcase in Chicago, where he appeared with drummer Wilbur Campbell and pianist
Willie Pickens
.
Throughout the years he has worked with
George Coleman
,
Lee Konitz
,
Bobby Hutcherson
,
McCoy Tyner
,
Sonny Fortune
,
Ira Sullivan
,
Junior Mance
,
David "Fathead" Newman
,
Charles McPherson
,
Branford Marsalis
,
Benny Golson
,
Jackie McLean
,
Sonny Stitt
,
Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis
,
Al Cohn
,
Eddie Harris
and
Les McCann
. In addition, he has collaborated with guitarists
Kenny Burrell
,
Joe Pass
, and
Tal Farlow
, as well as the drummers
Ed Thigpen
and
Jack DeJohnette
, and trumpeters
Donald Byrd
and
Harry "Sweets" Edison
, among others.
Gray has studied classical music extensively. His principal teachers were Joseph Guastafeste, longtime principal bassist of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and cellist Karl Fruh. He received bachelor's and master's degrees in Cello Performance from
Chicago Musical College
.
Touring
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He tours extensively, performing at jazz festivals and clubs, including the Umbria Jazz Festival, the Montreal International Jazz Festival, The Montreaux Detroit Festival, the ECM Festival, the Poznan Jazz Festival, the Chicago Jazz Festival, Monterey Jazz Festival, the Havana Jazz Festival, Rio Sao Paulo Festival, North Sea Jazz Festival, Montreux Jazz Festival, Johannesburg International Jazz Festival, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Hollywood Bowl, Village Vanguard, the Blue Notes in Tokyo, Nagoya, New York and Milan, Ronnie Scott's in London, Zawinal's Birdland in Vienna, and the Ravinia Festival, with such jazz luminaries as
Marian McPartland
,
Clark Terry
,
Nancy Wilson
,
Frank Morgan
,
Roscoe Mitchell
,
James Moody
,
Larry Coryell
,
Louis Bellson
,
Barry Harris
,
Ramsey Lewis
,
Dorothy Donegan
,
Monty Alexander
,
Frank Wess
,
Joe Williams
,
Doc Severinsen
and
The Tonight Show Band
, and
Kenny Drew Jr
.
Recording and performing
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Gray is an
arranger
and composer whose discography includes
Solo + Quartet
on Premonition Records;
Gravity
, a solo bass recording, and
One Look
, featuring his piano trio's performances of original compositions, both on Graywater Records; the Ramsey Lewis Trio recordings
Appassionata
,
Time Flies
, and
With One Voice;
the
Ramsey Lewis
and
Nancy Wilson
collaborations
Meant to Be
and
Simple Pleasures
, all on Narada/
Virgin Records
. He arranged and produced the album
Django by Ferro
by Mike Ferro.
His original composition for double bass and guitar,
Five Movements
, was commissioned and performed by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Chamber Ensemble at
Symphony Center
in Chicago. His album
Larry Gray 1,2,3 ...
, featuring his guitar trio's performances of his original compositions, on Chicago Sessions Records, was released in December 2008.
He has recorded with
Curtis Fuller
,
Ira Sullivan
,
Lin Halliday
,
Jodie Christian
,
Willie Pickens
,
Nicholas Payton
,
Randy Brecker
,
Bunky Green
,
Bob Moses
,
Laurence Nugent
,
John Williams
and
Bohola
,
Linda Eder
,
Dennis DeYoung
,
Jim Peterik
,
Peter Cetera
, and Michael Smith.
He appeared on the PBS series
Legends of Jazz
hosted by Ramsey Lewis. He is a first-call
studio musician
and his playing can be heard on many commercial radio and television jingle and studio projects.
Gray has been featured as a solo recitalist on both bass and cello at various universities and venues throughout the midwest. His recitals combine jazz, classical, and improvised music.
He was the featured bassist in
Amistad
, produced by the
Lyric Opera
of Chicago. He was principal bass of
Civic Orchestra of Chicago
and has served as a substitute with the
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
. He collaborated with choreographer Lauri Stallings and dancers from Hubbard Street Chicago and the
Joffrey Ballet
, developing an original work for solo double bass and dancers.
Teaching
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In 2007, he joined the full-time jazz faculty at the
University of Illinois at Urbana?Champaign
where he is Assistant Professor of Double Bass in Jazz. He previously held positions at
DePaul University
, where he taught for nineteen years, and also at
Northern Illinois University
and the
American Conservatory of Music
. He participates as a clinician in high school and college jazz festivals.
Discography
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References
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