Jazz
Ray McKinley - Drums, Vocals
Al Klink - Sax (Tenor)
Alberto Mitchell - Trumpet
Alec FILA - Trumpet
Artt Mendelsohn - Clarinet, Sax (Alto)
Bill Ainsworth - Sax (Alto)
Bill Corti - Trombone
Bill Hodges - Trumpet
Bill Stegmeyer - Sax (Alto)
Billy Butterfield - Trumpet
Bob Holt - Piano
Bobby Byrne - Trombone
Bobby Lee Jones - Sax (Alto)
Bobby Styles - Trumpet
Bruce Squires - Trombone
Bunny Bardach - Clarinet, Sax (Tenor)
Charlie Frazier - Flute, Sax (Tenor)
Chubby Kuster - Trumpet
Chuck Genduso - Trumpet
Chuck Grant - Sax (Tenor)
Cliff Leeman - Drums
Curly Broyles - Trumpet
Cutty Cutshall - Trombone
Danny Bank - Sax (Baritone)
Dave Pitman - Trombone
Deane Kincaide - Arranger, Sax (Baritone)
Doc Goldberg - Double Bass
Don Mattison - Trombone
Eddie Sauter - Arranger
Ernie Perry - Sax (Tenor)
Freddie Slack - Piano
Fud Livingston - Sax (Tenor)
George Thow - Piano
Harry Wuest - Sax (Alto)
Harvey Nevins - Clarinet, Flute, Sax (Alto)
Irv Dinkin - Trombone
Jack Lesberg - Double Bass
Jack Ryan - Double Bass
Jack Steele - Trumpet
Jim Harwood - Trombone
Jimmy Dorsey - Clarinet, Sax (Alto)
Jimmy Emert - Trombone
Joe Cribari - Piano
Joe Ferrante - Trumpet
Joe Graves - Trumpet
Joe Meyer - Trumpet
Joe Sullivan - Piano
Joe Wiedman - Trumpet
Joe Yukl - Trombone
Joey Huffman - Clarinet, Sax (Alto)
John Barnes Chance - Double Bass
John Michael Gray - Guitar
John Van Eps - Sax (Tenor)
Johnny Potoker - Piano
Larry Forand - Trumpet
Lee Castle - Trumpet
Leonard Whitney - Arranger, Sax (Alto)
Lou McGarity - Trombone
Lou Stein - Piano
Mark Ranshaw - Cover Art
Mundell Lowe - Guitar
Nick Travis - Trumpet
Paul Kashishian - Drums
Peanuts Hucko - Clarinet, Sax (Tenor)
Pete Chico - Trumpet
Pete Terry - Sax (Tenor)
Peter Dempsey - Compilation, Liner Notes, Transfers
Ray Beller - Clarinet, Sax (Alto)
Ray Crick - Compilation
Roc Hillman - Guitar
Rollo Laylan - Drums
Sam Butera - Sax (Tenor)
Sam Sachelle - Sax (Baritone), Sax (Tenor)
Simon Haram - Audio Restoration, Remastering
Skeets Herfurt - Clarinet
Slim Taft - Double Bass
Steve Lipkins - Trumpet
Tony Mottola - Guitar
Toots Camarata - Trumpet
Toots Mondello - Sax (Alto)
Vern Friley - Trombone
Walt Milford - Sax (Baritone)
Ward Erwin - Double Bass
Will Bradley - Trombone
Will Bradley, Jr. - Trombone
Yank Lawson - Trumpet
Ray McKinley
Active Decades: '30s, '40s, '50s and '60s
Born: Jun 18, 1910 in Fort Worth, TX
Died: May 07, 1995 in Largo, FL
Genre: Jazz
Styles: Swing
A top drummer during the swing era and a likable and personable singer who always displayed good humor, Ray McKinley was most significant in the 1940s in several settings. He played at the start of his career in territory bands, with Smith Ballew and then the Dorsey Brothers Orchestra, staying with Jimmy after the battling Dorseys went their separate ways. In 1939, McKinley became the co-leader (in reality, if not in its name) of the new Will Bradley Orchestra. His vocals and the boogie-woogie piano playing of Freddie Slack made the band a hit with such numbers as "Beat Me Daddy, Eight to the Bar" and "Celery Stalks at Midnight." By 1942, trombonist Bradley had gotten sick of the repertoire (which also included "Rock-A-Bye the Boogie," "Scrub Me Mama With a Boogie Beat," "I Boogied When I Should Have Woogied," "Boogie Woogie Conga," "Bounce Me Brother With a Solid Four," "Booglie Wooglie Piggy," and "Fry Me Cookie With a Can of Lard") and the group broke up. McKinley led a short-lived big band and then went in the military, playing in Europe with Glenn Miller's Army Air Force Orchestra and a small group also including Peanuts Hucko and Mel Powell. After Miller's death, McKinley was one of the band's co-leaders. In 1946, he put together his own orchestra, which used some very modern arrangements by Eddie Sauter, was open to the influence of bop, and yet had a Dixieland flavor at times. Not too surprisingly, it failed to catch on (although a Savoy LP shows how strong the band could be). Ray McKinley led the Glenn Miller ghost band during 1956-1966 and freelanced with small groups and headed another Glenn Miller-type orchestra until drifting into semi-retirement.
--- Scott Yanow, All Music Guide |
