Ray Draper
Raymond Allen Draper, born on August 3, 1940, in New York City, New York, was an
American jazz tuba player. He recorded his first album, Tuba Sounds (1957), at
age 16, and his second, The Ray Draper Quintet featuring John Coltrane (1957),
at age 17. After serving time in prison over his drug use, he formed the first
jazz rock fusion band composed of established jazz musicians in the late 1960s,
preceding the release of Miles Davis's album Bitches Brew by two years. In 1968,
his group, Red Beans and Rice, recorded the album, Red Beans and Rice Featuring
Sparerib Ray Draper, on Epi...
