Ray Carless - R.I.P (1954 - 2022)

[Serial_Apologist]

Ray died of cancer on August 10th; I have only just caught caught up with the news with this announcement:

http://www.londonjazznews.com/2022/08/11/ray-carless-1954-2022-a-tribute-by-orphy-robinson

http://www.vortexjazz.co.uk/2022/08/11/ray-carless-rip/

In addition to being a fine post-Coltrane styled tenor and soprano sax player Ray was one among the powerhouses driving the Black British jazz movement personnified by the Jazz Warriors and Jazz Jamaica in the late 1980s. As with others his roots were in 1970s Reggae, Jazz-Funk and sessions recordings: a whole story genuinely in need of writing up in its own right, as we still don't know the full picture.

[Ian Thumwood]

I was sorry to hear about this. I remember the Jazz Warriors and was curious at what happened with so many of the names in that band that you do not hear banded around so much these days. The other names that spring to mind are flautist Philip Bent, trumperer Claude Deppa and tuba player Andy Grappy. At one point they were ubiquitous but they dont get the media attention they used to have - the same goes for Cleveland Watkiss and Orphy Robinson who used to enjoy a lot of coverage.