1957 · Album
Bass Hit!
Recorded 1956 · Pablo Records (original Granz production) · Produced by Norman Granz
Ray Brown's First Call as Leader
Brown's bass isn't accompaniment here—it's the whole conversation, and he has plenty to say.
When Ray Brown stepped forward as a bandleader on Bass Hit! (1956), produced by Norman Granz, the album arrived without fanfare but with immediate credibility. This was Brown's first album as a leader, and Granz's involvement ensured it reached listeners who mattered. AllMusic gave it four stars, recognizing what was already clear to anyone paying attention: a bassist of Brown's caliber didn't need a marquee name or a full orchestra to command an album. The record built no slow reputation because it didn't need one. It was a straightforward statement of what Brown could do when given the space.
What makes Bass Hit! worth hearing is how thoroughly it abandons the supporting role Brown had perfected in other contexts. The bass drives, solos, and shapes these recordings with an authority that was less common on records at the time. "Solo for Unaccompanied Bass" is the obvious centerpiece—a track so spare it could have felt lonely, except Brown fills it completely. Around the 1:18 mark, he even adds whispered singing, an unexpected touch that humanizes what could have been pure technique. It's the kind of detail that reminds you Brown wasn't interested in showing off; he was interested in being heard.
For listeners new to Brown, this is an excellent entry point. It's not the sum of his influence or his most celebrated work, but it's early evidence of why he mattered so much to the musicians around him. This is where he claimed space as a principal voice rather than a foundation.
Who's playing
Ray Brownbass
Jimmy Rowlespiano
Herb Ellisguitar
Jack DuLongalto saxophone
Herb Gelleralto saxophone
Bill Holmantenor saxophone
Harry “Sweets” Edisontrumpet
Conrad Gozzotrumpet
Ray Linntrumpet
Pete Candolitrumpet
Herbie Harpertrombone
Mel Lewisdrums
Alvin Stollerdrums
Jimmy Giuffreclarinet
Where next?
More by Ray Brown
This One's for Blanton! 1975
Cannonball Adderley and the Poll-Winners 1960
That's the Way It Is 1969
Brown's Bag 1962
The musicians on this record
Herb Ellis Meets Jimmy Giuffre 1959
Herb Ellis
plays guitar here
plays guitar here
♫
Tangents in Jazz 1955
Jimmy Giuffre
plays clarinet here
plays clarinet here
Weather in a Jazz Vane 1957
Jimmy Rowles
plays piano here
plays piano here
