Described by trumpeter and Count Basie Orchestra director Scotty Barnhart as “in the top 1% of bassists worldwide,” the acclaimed bassist and former SFJAZZ High School All-Stars member Mikailo Kasha honors bass legend Ray Brown and his 1994 Telarc trio album Don't Get Sassy.

A pioneering musician who was foundational to the development of bebop, Ray Brown is best known for his work with Oscar Peterson’s iconic trio and with Ella Fitzgerald in addition to his later career as a bandleader over his six decades in music.

He had lengthy associations with Dizzy Gillespie, Benny Carter, Barney Kessel, and the L.A. Four, and released dozens of albums under his own name.

In the late 1980s, Brown began a fruitful relationship with Telarc Records that saw the release of 21 albums over 24 years including his 1994 trio date Don't Get Sassy, his fifth date for the label.

Joined by Berkeley-raised pianist Benny Green and veteran drummer Jeff Hamilton, Brown brings a bone-deep command and youthful energy to the masterful program of standards including a medley of Duke Ellington classics, Sachal Distel's 1962 pop gem "The Good Life" (popularized by Tony Bennett), and a standout version of the Thad Jones title composition, as well as Brown's own contribution "Brown's New Blues."