Ronnie Rae has been Scotland’s foremost jazz bass player for decades, his great swing feel and perfect choice of notes gracing many of Scotland’s finest ensembles.
He was born in Edinburgh in 1938 and began his professional musical career with the Alex Welsh Band in 1965. With this highly respected outfit, Ronnie toured, broadcast and made innumerable great albums with Ruby Braff, Ben Webster, Bill Coleman, Eddie Miller, Eddie ‘Lockjaw’ Davis, Bud Freeman, Wild Bill Davison and Earl Hines.
Since choosing the freelance route, Ronnie has toured and gigged with Ray Bryant, George Chisholm, Al Cohn, Georgie Fame, Art Farmer, Tal Farlow, Buddie De Franco, John Grffin, Barney Kessell, Lee Konitz, Humphrey Lyttelton, Red Norvo, Shorty Rogers, Buddy Tate, Scott Hamilton, Warren Vache, Teddy Wilson, Louis Stewart, Spike Robinson and many more.
His experience has been put to good use in jazz education at the Fife jazz school and the Fionna Duncan Jazz Vocal Workshops.
Ronnie Rae is the most experienced and sought after jazz bassist in Scotland having built up a vast repertoire over the years and thus is ideal in a ‘jam session’ situation as has been proved at the Glasgow International Jazz Festival where he has led the ‘All Star trio’ at the Festival’s official Late Night Jam Session.
In 1999 Ronnie received a Scottish Arts Council Grant to enable him to take time out of his busy work schedule to write and arrange eleven of his own compositions. He subsequently formed a band called “Scotia Nostra” to perform these compositions on a concert tour of Scotland. Daughter Cathie has written lyrics to and recorded several of her father’s songs. They are also performed by the Rae Sisters group. Ronnie plans to release his own CD in 2005.