AMG Review of Ultimate Ray Brown

John Bush
All Music Guide

Verve's Ultimate series unveils a new concept in the hackneyed concept of greatest-hits collections: Instead of compilation producers, these albums feature tracks selected by figures who either worked with or were influenced by the artists themselves. The results are much more than your average best-of compilations; they're closer to treatises on the immense influence that those artists exerted on generations to come, documenting exactly why they were special and deserve to be remembered. The Ultimate Ray Brown volume was compiled by Christian McBride, who concentrates on two of the greatest albums in Brown's discography: 1956's Bass Hit! (four tracks) and the Milt Jackson collaboration Much in Common (seven tracks). Though not quite an effective career overview, Ultimate Ray Brown does include many of the bassist's greatest moments on record.