Ray Drummond

Ray Drummond (November 23, 1946 – November 1, 2025) was an American jazz bassist and teacher. He also had an MBA from Stanford University, hence his linkage to the Stanford Jazz Workshop. He can be heard on hundreds of albums and co-leads The Drummonds with Renee Rosnes and (not related) Billy Drummond.^[1]

Drummond at the 2013 Detroit Jazz Festival

Drummond was a resident of Teaneck, New Jersey, since 1980 with his wife, Susan, and his daughter, Maya.^[2]

He was the elder brother of David Drummond, who served as senior vice president, corporate development and chief legal officer of Google Inc., until his retirement in 2020.

Drummond died on November 1, 2025, at the age of 78.^[3]

Ray Drummond at Bach Dancing & Dynamite Society, Half Moon Bay, California, July 8, 2017

Discography

As leader

Source:^[4]

• 1984: Susanita (Nilva) with Manny Boyd, Branford Marsalis, John Hicks, Alvin Queen
• 1989: Two of a Kind (Theresa) with John Hicks
• 1989: Camera in a Bag (Criss Cross) with David Newman, Kenny Barron, Steve Nelson, Marvin Smith
• 1989: One to One (DMP) with Bill Mays
• 1990: One to One 2 (DMP) with Bill Mays
• 1991: The Essence (DMP) with Hank Jones, piano, and Billy Higgins, drums
• 1992: Excursion (Arabesque)
• 1994: Continuum (Arabesque)
• 1995: Vignettes (Arabesque)
• 1997: 1-2-3-4 (Arabesque)

As sideman

With Toshiko Akiyoshi

• Remembering Bud: Cleopatra's Dream (Nippon Crown, 1990)

With Chris Anderson

• Blues One (DIW, 1991)

With Bill Barron

• Variations in Blue (Muse, 1983)
• The Next Plateau (Muse, 1987 [1989])

With Kenny Barron

• The Only One (Reservoir, 1990)
• Lemuria-Seascape (Candid, 1991)
• Live at Bradley's (EmArcy, 1996 [2001])
• Live at Bradley's II (Sunnyside, 1996 [2002])

With Thomas Chapin

• I've Got Your Number (Arabesque, 1993)

With Arnett Cobb

• Funky Butt (Progressive, 1980)

With George Coleman

• At Yoshi's (Theresa, 1989)

With Ted Curson

• The Trio (Interplay, 1979)

With Billy Drummond

• Native Colours, (Criss Cross. 1992)

With Teddy Edwards

• Close Encounters (HighNote, 1996 [1999]) with Houston Person
• Smooth Sailing (HighNote, 2001 [2003])

With Art Farmer

• Mirage (Soul Note, 1982)
• Warm Valley (Concord, 1983)

With the Art Farmer/Benny Golson Jazztet

• Moment to Moment (Soul Note, 1983)
• Back to the City (Contemporary, 1986)
• Real Time (Contemporary, 1986 [1988])

With Ricky Ford

• Future's Gold (Muse, 1983)
• Saxotic Stomp (Muse, 1987)

With Curtis Fuller

• Blues-ette Part II (Savoy, 1993)

With Benny Golson

• I Remember Miles (Alfa Jazz, 1993)
• That's Funky (Meldac Jazz, 1995)

With Johnny Griffin

• Return of the Griffin (Galaxy, 1978)
• NYC Underground (Galaxy, 1979 [1981])
• To the Ladies (Galaxy, 1979 [1982])

With Slide Hampton

• World of Trombones (West 54, 1979)

With Craig Handy

• Split Second Timing (Arabesque, 1992)

With Tom Harrell

• Stories (Contemporary, 1988)

With John Hicks

• Is That So? (Timeless, 1991)
• Beyond Expectations (Reservoir, 1993)
• Lover Man: A Tribute to Billie Holiday (Red Baron, 1993)

With Buck Hill

• Capital Hill (Muse, 1990)
• The Buck Stops Here (Muse, 1992)

With Freddie Hubbard

• The Eternal Triangle (Blue Note, 1987) with Woody Shaw
• Feel the Wind (Timeless, 1988) with Art Blakey

With Bobby Hutcherson

• Bobby Hutcherson Live at Montreux (Blue Note, 1973)
• Cirrus (Blue Note, 1974)
• Good Bait (Landmark, 1985)

With the Jazztet

• Moment to Moment (Soul Note, 1983)

With Randy Johnston

• Walk On (Muse, 1992)

With Etta Jones

• At Last (Muse, 1995)
• Easy Living (HighNote, 2000)

With Lee Konitz

• Live at Laren (Soul Note, 1979 [1984])

With Peter Leitch

• Landscape (Jazz House, 2014)

With Abbey Lincoln

• It's Me (Verve, 2003)

With Wynton Marsalis

• Think of One (Columbia, 1983)

With Ronnie Mathews

• Roots, Branches & Dances (Bee Hive, 1978)

With Charles McPherson

• Manhattan Nocturne (Arabesque, 1998)

With Grachan Moncur III

• Exploration (Capri, 2004)

With Frank Morgan

• Bop! (Telarc, 1997)

With Idris Muhammad

• Kabsha (Theresa, 1980)

With David Murray

• I Want to Talk About You (Black Saint, 1986)
• Ming's Samba (Portrait, 1988)
• Fast Life (DIW/Columbia, 1991)
• Ballads for Bass Clarinet (DIW, 1991)
• Saxmen (Red Baron, 1993)
• Jazzosaurus Rex (Red Baron, 1993)
• Creole (Justin Time, 1997)
• Like a Kiss that Never Ends (Justin Time, 2000)
• Sacred Ground (Justin Time, 2006)

With Houston Person

• Person-ified (HighNote, 1997)
• My Romance (HighNote, 1998)
• Soft Lights (HighNote, 1999)
• Blue Velvet (HighNote, 2001)
• Thinking of You (HighNote, 2007)
• Mellow (HighNote, 2009)
• Moment to Moment (HighNote, 2010)
• So Nice (HighNote, 2011)
• Naturally (HighNote, 2012)
• Nice 'n' Easy (HighNote, 2013)
• The Melody Lingers On (HighNote, 2014)
• Something Personal (HighNote, 2015)

With Ben Riley

• Grown Folks Music (Sunnyside, 2012)

With Pharoah Sanders

• Journey to the One (Theresa, 1980)
• Shukuru (Theresa, 1981 [1985])

With Woody Shaw

• Imagination (Muse, 1987)

With Horace Silver

• Music to Ease Your Disease (Silvertone, 1988)

With James Spaulding

• Songs of Courage (Muse, 1991 [1993])
• Blues Nexus (Muse, 1993)
• Escapade (HighNote, 1999)

With Horace Tapscott

• Thoughts of Dar es Salaam (Arabesque, 1997)

With Bob Thiele Collective

• Lion Hearted (1993)

With Jack Walrath

• Journey, Man! (Evidence 1995)

With Michael Weiss

• Presenting Michael Weiss (Criss Cross, 1987)

With Michael White

• Spirit Dance (Impulse!, 1971)
• Pneuma (Impulse!, 1972)

With John Zorn

• Voodoo (Black Saint, 1985)