Ray Vanderby

Raymond Henry Vanderby was born in Sittard the Netherlands on 17 January 1953 and emigrated to Australia in 1959. After spending 2 years in Sydney his family moved to various towns and cities throughout the Central West looking for work and finally settled in Orange, NSW in 1964 where Ray was a student at Orange High School.
His family attended the Methodist Church and Vanderby started playing the Sunday school hall piano by ear one day after seeing another child play “Heart and Soul”. Within 12 months of learning standards as a soloist on the organ he was doing live performances as the youngest semi-professional organist in Australia, it was 1965. His very first gig was for a fashion parade at the Myers Store in Dubbo. He then held a 4 year residency at the Hotel Canobolas Orange, playing for weddings and functions in the upstairs Regency Room, cocktail bar and dining room, as well as playing hymns for the congregation of the Orange Baptist Church. News quickly spread and Vanderby found himself being booked regularly for weddings, parties and dances at the Wentworth, Duntryleague and Molong Golf Clubs. He also played for Anzac Day celebrations at Parkes and Forbes RSL Clubs and many other functions throughout Central West NSW and Sydney. He took ballroom dancing lessons with Harry Brewer’s Academy in Orange so he could play the correct tempos for the old time dances.
After finishing his schooling at Orange High School at the age of 16, Vanderby became an apprentice piano tuner with W.H. Paling & Co in Orange and taught himself how to play jazz improvisation on the piano. Throughout his apprenticeship he was sent to tune pianos from Lithgow to Bourke, Cobar, Nyngan, Mudgee, West Wylong and other outlying areas. He entered in the Bathurst Eisteddford with his original compositions one year and was runner up in that heat. In his later teens years he became exposed to the Australian jazz scene and in the final year of his apprenticeship was required to work at the Beale Piano Factory in Young St. Waterloo, Sydney. On week nights after work he would often sit at the upright piano down stairs at The Rock Push playing solo. In the 1970s Vanderby gained valuable experience as a session piano/keyboard player at EMI Studio 301 Sydney, working under producer G.Wayne Thomas and engineer Richard Lush. He became a sought after session sideman, touring and recording with some of the country's top artists.
Vanderby has also been involved with experimental theatre, performing shows and composing with film director Michael Caulfield for the Orange School of Arts, Pact Theatre and Pageant Theatre. With over 40 years experience as a dedicated musician and composer, having lived in 4 states and capitol cities throughout the country, Vanderby has written many original compositions, all by ear, in various genres. In 1991 Vanderby won the WROC/BMG national songwriting competition out of 2,500 entries, he won the heat in his category and was also outright winner of the entire competition. Over the next 18 years he went on to form a number of original groups which culminated in various CD releases, some of which achieved major commercial FM radio airplay nationally.
In 2009 the Ray Vanderby Quartet was formed, featuring Vanderby as the pianist, composer, arranger, resulting in his first ever original jazz piano album, the 2010 release Amoresque. Vanderby is the president of the Orange Jazz Club which he formed with the help of his manager Hetha Griffiths in February 2009.
Ray Vanderby taught himself how to play piano when he was 16, absorbing the styles of Mike Nock, Dave Brubeck, Andre Previn and Keith Emerson as a teenager. Over the years he has been signed to independent and major record labels in various genres and has released 3 singles, 1 E.P and 14 albums of original works. With ongoing passion Ray formed the Ray Vanderby Jazz Quartet in 2009 and like an inspired medium, he composed 10 compositions by ear which lead to the release of his debut jazz piano recording and 15th album, Amoresque - the Spirit of Amoresque. His self taught piano style is untrained and natural as it flows with spirituality. It couples the experienced rhythm section of drummer Warren Baker and bassist Adam Bodkin who in turn draw formidable lines with Greg Gibson’s mature flamboyant tenor, alto and soprano sax playing. Amoresque - the Spirit of Amoresque was recorded at Electric Avenue Studios Sydney. Recording and mix down engineer was Ross A’hern and mastering was Paul Bryant.
Discography
1973 - Bill Bensing single Listen To the Sunrise (piano/strings) - Warm & Genuine/Polygram
1973 - Shona Laing album Shooting Stars (keyboards) - EMI
1973 - EMI 301 Studios jingles (keyboards) - EMI
1973 - Crystal Voyager soundtrack - (Moog) - Warm & Genuine/Polygram
1975 - Marcia Hines album Marcia Shines - (strings) - Wizard
1976 - John English album Hollywood Seven (piano) - Polygram
1980 - The Jukes E.P. Top Of The Class (keyboards) - Result/Polygram
1980 - The Jukes single Don’t Put Me Away (keyboards) - Result/Polygram
1981 - Silent Movies album (keyboards) - Result/Polygram
1988 - 98 Degrees single Dream On (keyboards) - Mighty Boy/EMI
1991 - 93-D single Suspicious (keyboards) - Possum/BMG
1992 - 93-D single Everyday I Pray (keyboards) - Possum/BMG
1994 - 93-D album Lightning Ridge (keyboards) - New World Productions
1994 - 93-D album Biame-Great Spirit (keyboards) - New World Productions
1995 - 93-D album Gapu-Women’s Water Dreaming (keyboards) - New World Productions
1996 - 93-D album Wandjina-Dancing The Dreamtime (keyboards) - New World Productions
1996 - 93-D album Jakurrpa-Tribal Connection (keyboards) - New World Productions
2003 - Cosmic Nomads single Make Love Not War (keyboards/vocals) - Majique
2003 - Ray Vanderby single I Feel It Too/My Fallen Angel (keyboards/vocals) - Majique
2004 - Cosmic Nomads album Make Love Not War (keyboards/vocals) - Majique
2004 - Ray Vanderby album Mockingbird Blues (organ/vocals) - Black Market
2005 - Cosmic Nomads E.P Dreamin’ About You (keyboards/vocals) - Majique
2005 - Ray Vanderby album 5th Dimension Blues (organ/vocals) - Black Market
2006 - Ray Vanderby & The Raynettes album Married to The Blues (organ/vocals) - Black Market
2006 - Cosmic Nomads album Vultress (keyboards/vocals) - Majique
2007 - Cosmic Nomads album Millennium (keyboards/vocals) - Majique
2008 - Roadhouse Rebels album Wanted To Be Alive (organ/vocals) - Majique
2008 - Ray Vanderby album The Blues Sessions (organ/vocals) - Majique
2009 - Ray Vanderby Hammond Combo album Orange Not Blue (organ) - Majique
2009 - Ray Vanderby Quartet album Amoresque (piano) - Majique

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