Ray Blue, the tenor saxophonist, whose massive daring sound touched the sky, spilling over with sufficient spirited soul to succeed in any listeners’ coronary heart, died on Could 21. He was 75.
A local of Peekskill, New York, Blue was a mainstay in Harlem, taking part in at standard venues like Showman’s, St. Nicks Pub, and Minton’s Playhouse. Throughout summer season months, he typically carried out at Ralph Ellison Park, a live performance collection promoted by Berta Certainly. “Ray was an excellent musician, straightforward to work with and an exquisite particular person,” famous Berta. For plenty of years, Blue collaborated with vocalist Beverly Crosby performing on the American Legion Put up 398 and later at Patrick’s Place.
Ray’s illuminating soulful sound made him a world go-to headliner in lots of nations like South Africa, Zanzibar, China, Finland, France, and Dublin. As a forged member of the Ray Charles Present touring firm, he carried out in Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Italy.
Discovering a second residence in Harlem, Blue studied at Jazzmobile with Charles Davis, Paul Jeffreys, and Sonny Sharrock and was mentored by Arthur Blythe, Benny Powell, Houston Individual, and Ornette Coleman. New York’s melting pot provided Blue a chance to play in quite a lot of contexts from Jazz to R&B, and blues with artists similar to Steve Turre, Phil Younger, Michael Cochrane, Gary Bartz, T.Okay. Blue, Joe Ford, blues nice Bob Gaddy, Solar Ra Arkestra, Cotton Membership All Stars, Harlem Blues and Jazz Band. Steve Johns, Sharp Radway, and Kirk Lightsey.
Blue established a reference to Africa when he made his maiden voyage to South Africa in 2003. There he carried out with South African musicians and performed jazz and academic workshops. The African and American cultural connection was so compelling, Blue returned on a yearly foundation to carry out, conduct workshops, and examine South African music and tradition.
He launched greater than a half-dozen albums as a pacesetter, a few of which embrace his 2001 debut “All the time With A Goal,” “Reside at Liars” in 2004, adopted by “Reside at Liars #2.” “Work” on Jazz Heads Information was launched in 2019, and the latest CD, “#Individuals” was launched in 2023. To his credit score, he additionally recorded three duo Christmas single releases with Lafayette Harris and Nat Adderley, Jr.
Throughout his celebrated profession, he was the recipient of many awards together with the Distinguished Profession Award from his alma mater, William Penn College, in 2010. Since 2004, his alma mater yearly presents “The Ray Blue Jazz Award” to a graduating senior. The college hosted its inaugural “Jazz Training Pageant” in 2007 for highschool and school musicians in Ray Blue’s identify. The Ray Blue Jazz Academy was initiated in 2019. He was inducted to the New York Corridor of Blues in 2013 as a Grasp Blues and Jazz Artist. Within the metropolis of Peekskill, he was introduced with a proclamation declaring February 2014 as “Ray Blue Month” to thank him for his service to the Peekskill group and past. In 2023 he was honored in Peekskill’s Juneteenth parade.
Raphael “Ray” was born in Norfolk, Virginia, on August 17, 1950, to Jacqueline Millicent “Jackie” Smith and George W. Fleming. He was raised in Peekskill by Jackie and Jeptha B. Blue. He graduated from Peekskill Excessive Faculty in 1968, the place he performed soccer and baseball and was a member of the marching band. He went off to William Penn College in Oskaloosa, Iowa, along with his trusty saxophone, the place he studied sociology and earned a grasp’s diploma in medical social work from the College of Iowa.
He started his skilled profession as a licensed medical social employee and later grew to become an Adjunct Professor at Mercy Faculty and the College of New York. He ultimately resigned his social work profession to turn out to be a full-time skilled musician.
All the time fascinated about mixing music and schooling, he based and have become the manager director of Cross-Cultural Connection, Inc., a non-profit jazz group, specializing in instructing, creating, and presenting stay jazz to college students and wider audiences.
By no means forgetting his roots, Blue made himself accessible to numerous organizations for native gigs, from the Backyard Membership of Peekskill’s vacation tea and the Hudson Valley Gateway Chamber of Commerce’s annual gala brunch to the inaugural Kwanza Ball in 2015. He was instrumental in making a jazz tradition in Peekskill, anchored by the Bean Runner Café.
Blue is survived by Riitta, his loving spouse of 23 years; his sons, Maurice and Jason; and his brother, Sylvester. He was an uncle to Michelle R. Gilchrest, Gary J. Gilchrest and Christin “Boomanchew” Gilchrest.
Blue’s wake occurred on June 1, on the Joseph F. Nardone Funeral House, in Peekskill, New York and his life celebration was held on June 2, on the AME Zion Church.
