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	This One's For Ray The Salt Lake Tribune Salt Lake City, Utah Aug 11, 2002 By Vince Horiuchi The Ray Brown Trio All-Stars will not sound quite the same when they take the stage Saturday for the Park City Jazz Festival. For some, the music might sound a little hollow, the rhythm less spirited. Yet it could be a poignant and intimate evening of jazz. Ray Brown, one of the most distinguished bassists in jazz, will not be onstage that night at the Eccles Center for the Performing Arts with his bandmates, pianist Larry Fuller and drummer Karriem Riggins. Brown, at 75, died of a heart attack July 2 while on tour in Indianapolis, leaving a gaping hole in the heart of jazz. His trio, which was to give a featured concert at the Park City festival, is instead putting on a memorial concert. "He is one of those rare instances of a man who brings to his craft an absolute feeling of perfection for what he does," said Mike Andrews, the festival's interim executive director. "In addition, he had a virtuosity that was unmatched by anybody and starting at such a young age." On Saturday, the second day of the three-day festival, Fuller and Riggins, with bassist James Washington filling in for Brown, will honor Brown with a night of his music. Brown has been called the most recorded jazz artist in the history of the art form. He performed with Dizzy Gillespie, Oscar Peterson, Milt Jackson, Miles Davis and Charlie Parker. He also was married to Ella Fitzgerald for several years, backing up her singing with his keen tempo. "Rhythmically, Ray Brown was the greatest bass player who ever graced the stage," said Gordon Hanks, a co-organizer of the Jazz at the Sheraton concert series, who knew Brown. "He could be extremely subtle playing behind people but be extremely powerful when he needed to carry a group. He could do it all. At least one of the saving graces is we still have his music." In addition to Fuller and Riggins, the night's memorial will feature guest artists Nicholas Payton, Phil Woods and Regina Carter. Kicking off the festival Friday will be Natalie Cole, daughter of crooner Nat "King" Cole, and winner of seven Grammys for her 1991 hit record "Unforgettable, with Love." Closing the festival will be Grammy-winning singer Al Jarreau. Other performers on tap include Bryan Savage and his five-piece band, group Acoustic Alchemy, guitarist Jesse Cook, and saxophonist Jeff Kashiwa & The Coastal Access Band. Real-estate agent Lew Fine and his wife, Arlene, started the festival in 1997 after they moved to Park City from Massachusetts. "We've always been into jazz. We're from the East and always went to jazz clubs in Boston," said Arlene Fine. "When we came to Utah, we couldn't find any. We wanted to make Park City a hub for jazz." Back then, the event drew no more than 2,100 people, said Andrews. "This year, we expect to see around 15,000 to 16,000 people," he said. The festival also will conduct free jazz clinics for junior-high, high-school and college students. Twelve local jazz artists also will perform on Main Street during the festival. The festival made headlines recently when executive director Nancy Houle was fired in June, allegedly over differences with the festival board. Houle later filed two lawsuits -- one against the festival's sponsor, Fidelity Investments, accusing the company of interfering with her employment contract; the other against two jazz industry professionals, claiming they made negative comments about her that led to her dismissal. Andrews took over to complete the event planning. "I was able to step in with a minimum of disruption," he said. "It was regretful, but it was a clash of styles." Despite the controversy, the festival lives on, and Andrews hopes it continues to introduce Utahns to the varying styles of "America's true art form." "Jazz music enables the average Joe Citizen to connect with their innermost feelings and expressions," he said. "Jazz can be any number of genres. Jazz is what you like and enjoy."