Ray Crawford

Ray Crawford performed on tenor saxophone and clarinet alongside Fletcher Henderson from 1941 to 1943 until tuberculosis compelled him to abandon both instruments. Turning to guitar, he became a key contributor to Ahmad Jamal’s early ensembles between 1949 and 1955, where his percussive technique of striking the instrument to imitate bongos was later taken up by Herb Ellis. Crawford further appeared on sessions with Gil Evans in 1959–1960, maintained an intermittent association with Jimmy Smith that extended from 1958 through the 1980s, and made Los Angeles his home during the 1960s. On his own, he headed little-known albums issued by Candid in 1961 (though not made available until the 1980s), Dobre in 1977, and United National in 1978.