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Ray Crawford (February 7, 1924 – December 30, 1997) was an American jazz guitarist who originally played tenor saxophone, until tuberculosis prevented him continuing with the instrument. He made notable contributions to albums by Ahmad Jamal, Gil Evans, and Sonny Criss, and pioneered a technique of rhythmic bongo-style guitar accompaniment. Favourite amongst his recorded solos were those on "La Nevada" on Gil Evans's Out of the Cool album.

Discography

As leader

• I Know Pres (1977) reissued as Smooth Groove

As sideman

With Ahmad Jamal

• Chamber Music of the New Jazz (1956)
• The Ahmad Jamal Trio (1956)
• Listen to the Ahmad Jamal Quintet (1961)

With Gil Evans

• Great Jazz Standards (1960)
• Out of the Cool (1961)

With Curtis Amy & Dupree Bolton

• Katanga! (1963)

With Sonny Criss

• Crisscraft (1975)

References

1. "The Coda interview with Ray Crawford | 1980". 24 May 2012.
2. Yanow, Scott. "Ray Crawford". AllMusic. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
3. "Ray Crawford". Discogs.
4. Feather, Leonard (April 2007). The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz. Oxford University Press, USA. ISBN 978-0-19-532000-8.

• African-American jazz guitarists
• 1924 births
• 1997 deaths
• Jazz musicians from Pittsburgh
• 20th-century American composers
• American male jazz musicians