Propulsive and dynamic, double bassist Ray Brown made a name for himself immediately after joining Dizzy Gillespie's band in the mid-'40s—despite being only 20 years old at the time. He eventually led his own trio and kept playing until his death in 2002, perfecting a distinctively melodic take on the bass. Subtly buttery, his pliant strut anchors flute and organ flares on the aptly titled original “Cool Walk”. Brown was just as fluidly inventive with standards, relishing a lively one-on-one exchange with fellow bassist Pierre Boussaguet for the head-spinning first minute of “Bye Bye Blackbird”.