Ronnell Bright is an American jazz

Jazz

Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...

 pianist born in Chicago

Chicago

Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...

.

Bright played piano from a very young age, and won a piano competition when he was nine years old. In 1944, he played with the Chicago Youth Piano Symphony Orchestra. He studied at Juilliard, graduating early in the 1950s. Moving back to Chicago, he played with Johnny Tate and accompanied Carmen McRae

Carmen McRae

Carmen Mercedes McRae was an American jazz singer, composer, pianist, and actress. Considered one of the most influential jazz vocalists of the 20th century, it was her behind-the-beat phrasing and her ironic interpretations of song lyrics that made her memorable...

 before relocating to New York City

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

 in 1955. There he played with Rolf Kuhn

Rolf Kühn

Rolf Kühn . is a jazz clarinetist and saxophonist.He lived in the United States from 1956–59 and drew favourable reviews, for example a comparison with Benny Goodman by John H. Hammond....

 and put together his own trio in 1957. In 1957-58 he was with Dizzy Gillespie

Dizzy Gillespie

John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie was an American jazz trumpet player, bandleader, singer, and composer dubbed "the sound of surprise".Together with Charlie Parker, he was a major figure in the development of bebop and modern jazz...

, and acted as an accompanist for Sarah Vaughan

Sarah Vaughan

Sarah Lois Vaughan was an American jazz singer, described by Scott Yanow as having "one of the most wondrous voices of the 20th century."...

, Lena Horne

Lena Horne

Lena Mary Calhoun Horne was an American singer, actress, civil rights activist and dancer.Horne joined the chorus of the Cotton Club at the age of sixteen and became a nightclub performer before moving to Hollywood, where she had small parts in numerous movies, and more substantial parts in the...

, and Gloria Lynne

Gloria Lynne

Gloria Lynne is an American jazz vocalist with a recording career spanning from 1958 to 2007. Born Gloria Alleyne, Gloria Lynne grew up in Harlem; her mother was a gospel singer.-Career:...

 over the next few years. His compositions were recorded by Vaughan as well as by Cal Tjader

Cal Tjader

Callen Radcliffe Tjader, Jr. a.k.a. Cal Tjader was a Latin jazz musician, though he also explored various other jazz idioms. Unlike other American jazz musicians who experimented with the music from Cuba, the Caribbean, and Latin America, he never abandoned it, performing it until his...

, Horace Silver

Horace Silver

Horace Silver , born Horace Ward Martin Tavares Silva in Norwalk, Connecticut, is an American jazz pianist and composer....

, and Blue Mitchell

Blue Mitchell

Richard Allen Mitchell was an American jazz, rhythm and blues, soul, rock, and funk trumpeter, known for many albums recorded as leader and sideman for Riverside, Blue Note and then Mainstream Records.-Biography:...

. In 1964, he became Nancy Wilson's arranger and pianist after moving to Los Angeles

Los Ángeles

Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...

. Later in the decade he found work as a studio musician, playing in Supersax

Supersax

Supersax was a Charlie Parker tribute band formed by Med Flory and Buddy Clark that debuted in 1972. Their music consisted of harmonized arrangements of Charlie Parker's music played by a saxophone section , rhythm section, and a brass instrument...

 from 1972 to 1974.

Selected discography

As Leader

• The Ronnell Bright Trio (Polydor/Fresh Sound Records, 1958)
• Bright' s Spot (Savoy, reissue Denon)
• Bright Flight
• After Hours Jazz

As Sideman

• Coleman Hawkins: The Hawk Relaxes (Prestige/OJC, 1961)
• Anita O'Day: I Got A Kick Out Of You (Evidence, 1975)
• Shirley Scott: Workin´ (Prestige, 1958-61)
• Sarah Vaughan: Misty (Emarcy, 1958);
• Sarah Vaughan with the Jimmy Jones
  Jimmy Jones
  Jimmy Jones may refer to:*Jimmy Jones , American jazz pianist*Jimmy Jones , American singer/songwriter*Jimmy Jones , footballer who played for Stoke...
  
  Orchestra: Dreamy (Roulette, Fresh Souind Rec., 1960)
• Frank Wess: Trombones And Flute (Savoy, 1956)

PERSONAL LIFE

Bright has been married three times.
To: Sallye Joyce Wilson - From 1951 to 1968
To: Joyce Diane (Coco) Henderson - From 1969 - 1974
To: Dianne Davis - current wife and soul mate

CHILDREN:

Bright has four (4) children from his first two marriages.

1. Lois Rene'Bright Wilkins, born October, 1953 to Sallye Joyce Wilson, 2. Faye Bright Juliot, born February, 1958 to Sallye Joyce Wilson, 3. Ronnell Ralph Bright, born October, 1963 to Sallye Joyce Wilson, 4. Ronnece Laura Bright, born July, 1971 to Joyce Diane (Coco) Henderson.

GRANDCHILDREN:

Bright has eleven (11) grandchildren from his first marriage and three(3) greatgrandchildren. Several of them are carrying on his music legacy.