Ray Anderson

Ray Anderson is a living embodiment of the uninhibited and at times rambunctious approach to individualized expression that is a vital element dating back to the beginnings of jazz through Lester Bowie, Charles Mingus, Dizzy Gillespie, and Roy Eldridge to Fats Waller, Louis Armstrong, Jelly Roll Morton, and Bessie Smith. In addition to his trailblazing exploration of the tonal and textural possibilities of the trombone, Anderson has the singular distinction of having transferred Dick Griffin's multiphonic technique on that instrument to his own singing voice, enabling him to simultaneously blend several pitches to the point where he sounds like a blues-inflected Tuvan throat singer. With more than 20 albums to his name and many dozens of collaborations with musicians linked to multiple genres, Anderson's professional history is dizzyingly diverse and rich in opportunities for exciting and predictably unpredictable listening. A phenomenal résumé underlines his lifelong devotion to substantial and creative music regardless of genre specifications or stylistic category; Ray Anderson cannot and will not be pigeonholed.

Read More