RAY VANDERBY JAZZ QUARTET

Dutch born Ray Vanderby has spent over 40 years composing, recording and performing in the Australian music scene. In 1964 aged 11 he walked up to the Sunday school piano of the Orange Methodist Church and began playing it by ear. He took organ lessons and within one year Ray was the youngest semi-professional organist in Australia. He became a piano tuner and taught himself how to play piano, absorbing the styles of Mike Nock, Dave Brubeck, Andre Previn and Keith Emerson. Being a versatile player he worked sessions at studio EMI 301 while visiting Sydney jazz clubs like the Rocks Push. He tuned pianos for the ABC Concert Series when by chance he tuned George Young's piano which led to Ray touring and recording with some of the country's top artists. Throughout his career Ray has always composed and written songs so in 1991 he entered a song in the WROC-BMG National Song Writing Competition and out of 2,500 entries he won first prize. Over the years Ray has been signed to independent/major record labels in various genres and has released 3 singles, 1 E.P and 14 albums of original works.

With ongoing passion Ray forms the Ray Vanderby Jazz Quartet and like an inspired medium, he composes 10 compositions by ear which leads to the release of his debut jazz piano recording and 15th album, Amoresque - the Spirit of Amoresque. The music is visual like an artist’s painting of inter-woven layers, textures, colours, moods and flavours, invoking incantations of charms from far away places. Ray’s self taught piano style is untrained and natural as it flows with spirituality. It couples the experienced rhythm section of drummer Warren Baker and bassist Adam Bodkin who in turn draw formidable lines with Greg Gibson’s mature flamboyant tenor, alto and soprano sax playing. The music has baroque undertones hinting that its manifestation came through that era portal into being as an expression of Amoresque - the Spirit of Amoresque.