Ray Warleigh at the 2012 Ealing Jazz Festival

Sad to report that the Australian-born saxophonist and flautist Ray Warleigh died of cancer yesterday September 21st, He moved to the UK in 1960 and was a ubiquitously in-demand session musician in jazz, blues, rock and commercial music. He was a regular member of Paz for over 40 years.

Recent great moments which will stay in the memory were his inspired solo-ing on the title track of Kenny Wheeler’s The Long Waiting: solo starts at [2:04], and a duo album with Tony Marsh released in 2009.

Geoff Castle has written:

“Very sad news………. My dear friend in music for many years Ray Warleigh died yesterday. I first saw Ray perform in 1966, when I was 16. He was playing with a big band possibly the Ray Pemru and Bobby Lambe band, for a BBC Jazz Club radio broadcast at the Paris Studio in Lower Regent Street. I was immediately struck by his beautiful soulful alto tone. A few years later in 1973 I was knocked out when he joined our Latin band Paz playing every Sunday at the Kensington pub for 8 years. Ray was a true improviser, a master of melodic invention. Some of my favourite recordings with Ray were the free tracks that we used to improvise in the studio with Paz on the early albums such as The Buddha, Where is Ron and The Horrors. His flute and piccolo playing was also absolutely beautiful. Ray was a wonderful person to know as a friend and an inspiring player to work with. He will be sorely missed by all who knew him….. RIP.”

FUNERAL DETAILS – as received

The funeral of Jazz Musician RAY WARLEIGH will take place on THURSDAY 8th OCTOBER at 4.00pm at MORTLAKE CREMATORIUM TW9 4EN. Afterwards there will be a celebration of Ray’s life at THE BULL’S HEAD, BARNES. No flowers by request. Donations in Memory of Ray Warleigh, HELP MUSICIANS UK 7-11 BRITANNIA ST. WC1X 9JS
FUNERAL DIRECTORS. T.H. Sanders and Son. High Street Barnes SW13 9LP