A native of Australia, alto saxophonist and flutist
Ray Warleigh lived in Britain beginning in 1960. In his youth,
Warleigh studied music and developed an interest in jazz; his first model on alto was
Paul Desmond. He began playing professionally in the late '50s. After moving to England, he first played with blues musician
Alexis Korner and later with such British jazz luminaries as
Tubby Hayes,
Humphrey Lyttelton,
Ronnie Scott, and
Mike Westbrook.
Warleigh recorded his first album as leader -- aptly titled Ray Warleigh's First Album (Philips) -- in 1968. From the '60s on,
Warleigh was an active freelancer in Britain, contributing to countless recordings by such artists as
Long John Baldry,
Nick Drake,
John Mayall,
Champion Jack Dupree, and
Georgie Fame, to name just a few.
Warleigh also kept his foot in jazz and experimental waters; in the '70s he played with drummer
John Stevens'
Spontaneous Music Ensemble and worked with
Soft Machine and guitarist
Allan Holdsworth, among others. He played in the West German Radio Orchestra and in
Rolling Stones' drummer
Charlie Watts' big band in the '80s, and recorded with flugelhornist
Kenny Wheeler and classical composer
Gavin Bryars for the
ECM label in the '90s. Despite
Warleigh's decades-long involvement in a wide variety of performing and recording settings, he wouldn't release his second album as a leader, Rue Victor Massé, an improvisational jazz outing that paired him with drummer
Tony Marsh, until 2008.
Warleigh died of cancer in September 2015 at the age of 76. ~ Chris Kelsey