Al Grey (né Albert Thornton, à Aldie (en), Virginie, en 1925 et mort en 2000) était un tromboniste de jazz américain.
Il débute au trombone pendant la seconde guerre mondiale dans un orchestre de l'US Navy. Il est engagé ensuite par Benny Carter (1945-46). Il joue ensuite dans les orchestres de Jimmie Lunceford (1946), Lucky Millinder (1946-48), Lionel Hampton (1948-1952), Sy Oliver, Arnett Cobb et Dizzy Gillespie (1956-57) et enfin Count Basie (1957-61). Il dirige ensuite son groupe, enregistre plusieurs albums pour Argo/Cadet et revient jouer régulièrement avec Basie (1964-66, 1971-77). Dans les années 1970 et 80, il fait également des tournées avec J.J. Johnson et travaille aussi avec le saxophoniste Jimmy Forrest. Spécialiste du jeu avec sourdine, Al Grey est un musicien plein de puissance, proche parfois de Bennie Green.

Source

1959-1960 Al Grey and the Basie Wing - The Last Of The Big Plungers

(01-09) "The Last Of The Big Plungers" Al Grey Octet: Joe Newman (tp); Al Grey, Benny Powell (tb); Billy Mitchell (tenor sax); Charlie Fowlkes (bs); Floyd Morris (piano); Ed Jones (bass); Sonny Payne (drums). Chicago, September 25 & 28, 1959
(10-17) "The Thinking Man's Trombone" Al Grey Nonet: Joe Newman (tp); Al Grey, Benny Powell (tb); Billy Mitchell (tenor sax); Charlie Fowlkes (bs); Billy Higgins (piano); Ed Jones (bass); Sonny Payne (drums); Freddie Green (g). Chicago, August 23, 24 & 25, 1960

01 Things Ain'T What They Used To Be (Mercer Ellington, Ted Persons)
02 Open Wider, Please (Al Grey)
03 I Got It Bad (and That Ain't Good) (Duke Ellington, Paul Francis Webster)
04 Don't Get Around Much Anymore (Duke Ellington, Bob Russell)
05 How Come You Do Me Like You Do (Gene Austin, Roy Bergere)
06 Bluish Grey (Thad Jones)
07 The Elder (Thad Jones)
08 Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered (Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart)
09 Kenie-Konie (Frank Foster)
10 Salty Papa (Al Grey)
11 Don't Cry Baby (Saul Bernie, James P. Johnson, Stella Unger)
12 Stranded (Frank Foster)
13 Tenderly (Walter Gross, Jack Lawrence)
14 Rompin' (Frank Foster)
15 King Bee (Al Grey)
16 When I Fall in Love (Victor Young, Edward Heyman)
17 Al-Lamo (Thad Jones)

1962 Al Grey Snap Your Fingers

(01-05) Dave Burns (tp); Al Grey (tb); Billy Mitchell (tenor sax); Bobby Hutcherson (vib); Floyd Morris (piano); Herman Wright (bass); Eddie Williams (drums). Recorded at Ter-Mar Recording Studio, Chicago, Illinois on February 19, 1962.
(06-08) Donald Byrd (tp); Al Grey (tb); Billy Mitchell (tenor sax); Bobby Hutcherson (vib); Herbie Hancock (piano); Herman Wright (bass); Eddie Williams (drums). Recorded live at Birdland, New York City on January 31, 1962

01 Nothing But the Truth (Billy Bowen)
02 Three-Fourth Blues (G.Kee)
03 Just Waiting (Melba Liston)
04 R.B.Q. (G.Kee)
05 On Green Dolphin Street (Bronislaw Kaper, Ned Washington)
06 Minor on Top (Thad Jones)
07 African Lady (Langston Hughes, Randy Weston)
08 Hi Fly (Randy Weston)

1973-1977 Al Grey featuring Arnett Cobb and Jimmy Forrest

(01-07) Al Grey (tb); Arnett Cobb (tenor sax); Ray Bryant (piano); John Duke (bass); J.C. Heard (drums). Recorded on July 11th 1977 at Black and Blue open air studio in Nice at Grande Parade du Jazz.
(08-09) Al Grey (tb); Jimmy Forrest (tenor sax); Tommy Flanagan (piano); John Duke (bass); Bobby Durham (dr). Recorded on October 7th 1975 at Barclay Studio, Paris
(10-11) Al Grey (tb); Xavier Chambon (tb); Claude Gousset (tb); Hal Singer (tenor sax); Michel Attenoux (as); Stan Hunter (organ); Clarence Brown (gt); Chris Columbo (drums). Recorded on April 3rd 1973 at Barclay Studio, Paris

01 Get it Going For Black and Blue (Al Grey)
02 Ain't That Funk For You (Al Grey)
03 On The Trail (Harold Adamson, Ferde Grofe)
04 A Familiar Song (Al Grey)
05 Blues Abrupt (Arnett Cobb)
06 St. Louis Blues (William Christopher Handy)
07 I Got It Bad (and That Ain't Good) (Duke Ellington, Paul Francis Webster)
08 Face It Here It Is (Al Grey)
09 Mellow for Love (Al Grey)
10 Drums on Chris (Al Grey)
11 Something for Grey (Claude Gousset)

1986 Al Grey & Jesper Thilo Quintet

Al Grey (Trombone); Jesper Thilo (Tenor Sax); Ole Koch-Hansen (Piano); Hugo Rasmussen (Bass); Alex Riel (Drums).

Recorded in Studio 39, Copenhagen, August 10th 1986

01 Just Jazz (Al Grey)
02 God Bless the Child (Arthur Herzog, Billie Holiday)
03 The Girl from Ipanema (Antonio Carlos Jobim, Vinicius de Moraes, Norman Gimbel)
04 I'm Hungry, Sabrina (Al Grey)
05 The Vanguard Groove (Al Grey)
06 A Night In Tunisia (Dizzy Gillespie, Frank Paparelli, Leo Robin)
07 On the Sunny Side of the Street (Jimmy McHugh, Dorothy Fields)

1983 Jay Jay Johnson Al Grey Things Are Getting Better All The Time

J.J. Johnson (trombone), Al Grey (trombone), Kenny Barron (piano, keyboards), Ray Brown (bass), Mickey Roker (drums), Dave Carey (percussion).

Recorded at RCA Recording Studio, NYC, november 28,29, 1983

01 Soft Winds (Benny Goodman, Fletcher Henderson)     
02 Let Me See (Count Basie, Harry Edison)
03 Softly, As In a Morning Sunrise (Oscar Hammerstein II, Sigmund Romberg)    
04 It's Only a Paper Moon (Harold Arlen, Yip Harburg, Billy Rose)     
05 Boy Meets Horn (Duke Ellington, Irving Mills, Rex Stewart)
06 Things Ain'T What They Used To Be (Mercer Ellington, Ted Persons)    
07 Things Are Getting Better All The Time (Cannonball Adderley, Eddie Jefferson)
08 Doncha Hear Me Callin' To Ya (unknown)