User:TheJazzy1/sandbox

Rayse Biggs
Rayse Biggs (born May 7, 1954) is an American jazz and R&B trumpeter from Detroit, Michigan. He works as a touring musician, music arranger, producer, and audio engineer. Although he primarily plays the trumpet, he also plays the flugelhorn, french horn, tuba, piano, bass, and drums. Biggs has also toured and recorded with many musicians from the 1970's to the present. Biggs' signature move is to play the flugelhorn and trumpet simultaneously.

Early life
Rayse Biggs was born on May 7, 1954 to Willie Biggs and Thelma Biggs in Detroit, Michigan. He was born in a musical family as two of his brothers, Travis Biggs (a violinist, pianist, and harpist) and Demetrius Biggs (a guitarist and vocalist) were musicians at a young age. He is the middle child of 5 siblings consisted of his 3 brothers (Demetrius, Travis, Julius) and 1 sister (Gwendolyn). At a young age Biggs played many instruments, however he became enamored with the trumpet after Marcus Belgrave visited and performed at his middle school in 1969. Biggs later graduated from Chadsey High School.

Career
Soon after graduating from high school, Biggs began touring with the Motown Review under the direction of Thomas “Beans” Bowles, working with acts like Smokey Robinson and The Miracles, The Marvelettes, and the Temptations. It was around this time his brother Travis Biggs, took him to the Metropolitan Arts Complex, where Rayse met Donald Byrd and Freddie Hubbard, solidifying his love for the trumpet.

Biggs continued his formal training, majoring in music at Oakland University, but left college and began working regularly around Detroit, eventually playing trumpet with artists such as Donald Byrd, Freddie Hubbard, Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Fortune, Roy Ayers, Bob James, Geri Allen, Regina Carter, Jimmy Smith, James Carter, Lonnie Smith, George Benson, Najee, Lew Tabackin, Marlena Shaw, Marcus Belgrave, Roy Brooks, Was Not Was, Kid Rock, Bonnie Raitt, Patti Smith, Bob Dylan, Lou Rawls, Dennis Edwards and The Temptations, Fred Hammond, BB King, The Dramatics, L.J. Reynolds, Michael Henderson, Norman Connors, Earl Klugh, Bettye LaVette, Donald Walden, Wendell Harrison, Kenn Cox, Hamilton Bohannon, Rod Lumpkin, Tim Bowman, Allan Barnes, Dave McMurray, Aretha Franklin, and KEM, among others.

Biggs owned and operated WillRay Studios in Detroit, where he self-produced his own CD titled "For The Love of It". Biggs contributed heavily to the production of R&B artist KEM’s first album, "Kemistry", which was produced and recorded at WillRay Studios as an indie before it was picked up and re-mastered by Motown.

When not touring, Biggs leads his own ensemble, The Rayse Biggs Experience. He is also on the faculty of the Michigan State University Community Music School where he mentors aspiring young jazz musicians.