Ray Briggs holds a Ph.D and a M.A. degree in Ethnomusicology from the University of California, Los Angeles, a M.M. in Music Performance: Woodwind Doubling from the University of Redlands, and a B.M. in Music Education from the University of Memphis. His areas of specialization include Jazz Studies, African American Music, and Arab Music.

He has worked with a number of reputable musicians including Jeff Clayton, Benny Green, and Rufus Reid. Currently, he is Assistant Director of Jazz Studies at CSU Long Beach, Vice-President of the California Institute for the Preservation of Jazz, and coordinator of the Instrumental and Vocal Jazz Workshop supported through CSU Summer Arts.