[ Joe Kayser Orch. ]
b: Sept. 14, 1891 St Louis, MO, USA, d: Oct. 3, 1981 Evanston, IL, USA.
Kayser's first professional job, in New York City (1917), was with the Earl Fuller Orchestra, a band that included Ted Lewis. He enlisted in the Navy during World War I and was assigned to lead a naval base band that included a violinist named Benny Kubelsky, later to be known as Jack Benny. After the war he worked for Meyer Davis, fronting one of his bands in the Carolinas.

He started his own band in St Louis in 1921 and spent the next three years touring throughout the Mid-West. In 1924 he moved to Chicago where his band would be based until 1936. Among the sidemen who worked for Kayser were Jess Stacey (p), Muggsy Spanier (c), Gene Krupa (d) and Frankie Trumbauer (as). The Kayser band was a main attraction at Chicago's Trianon, Aragaon, and Arcadia ballrooms and performed at the Chicago Worlds Fair (1933-34) -backing burlesque dancer Sally Rand.

Joe Kayser broke up his band in 1936 to work as for a booking agency that handled big bands and radio programming.
Recorded for: Gennett, Brunswick
These notes on Joe Kayser excerpted from a CD and forwarded by Mr Robin Lenhart.

   [ Joey Kearns Orch ]
No information presently available.
A Philadelphia, PA, based orchestra active in the 30's and early 40's. Joey had been a member of the Bob Crosby Dixieland band from 1938 to 1940. A good tenor sax man, Joey was also a fine musician who may have also done some of the Crosby band arrangements. Kearns had also played with Jan Savitt and His Tophatters orchestra. In the 1940's, Kearns formed a studio band for his own show on Philadelphia's radio station WCAU. His wife, a singer, also had a show on the same station. From these humble beginnings, the Kearns orchestra developed into a decent swinging big band. (His daughter, Betsy, is a fine classical cellist.)

   [ Leon Kelner and his Orch. ]
b. 1923, d. March 7, 2000
This fine New Orleans orchestra would eventually work in one of the most prestigious venues of that city, the Roosevelt Hotel. From there, they were first heard via a regular CBS radio show, and then on the Armed Services Network broadcasts.

The band had a long engagement at the Hotel Roosevelt during which time they accompanied many visiting stars. Marshall Pierce, has noted that the Kelner band had a certain sophistication playing Dixieland tunes like the "Tailgate Ramble" and "12 Steet Rag", yet "....could play a diverse assortment that went beyond Fox Trots, to embrace an instrumental waltz like "Fascination"...a lovely cha cha rendition of "More"...and a vivacious rhumba-twist version of "Yours". (From the liner notes for Kelner'a "Dancing In The Blue Room" album (Decca) The Kelner band recorded twice for Decca. One of the albums is:
Dancing In The Blue Room DECCA Records DL74589 Stereophonic Sound.
Here are two links to real audio files of Leon Kelner's band That's A Plenty , and Alley Cat, both on the Joe Enroughty Guy Lombardo site.

   [ Hal Kemp Orch ]
b. March 27, 1904, Marion, AL, USA, d. Dec. 21, 1940, Madera, CA, USA
né: James Hal Kemp
Theme: "(How I'll Miss You) When The Summer is Gone"
Here's an autographed photo (source: 'The Joe Sanders Collection' (Coon-Sanders Orch. -ed), the Kansas City Library) of Hal Kemp, that reads " Here's wishing you --Joe -- my sincere best. Hal Kemp" . and here's another photograph of Hal Kemp, who,as a child, studied piano, later taking up the trumpet, Clarinet and Alto Sax. While still a youngster, he obtained a position playing piano at the Bonita Theater, in his home town of Marion. When Kemp's family moved to Charlotte, N.C., he attended and graduated from Central High School. It was in this school that he organized his first dance band, a five-piece combo called the Merrymakers.

In 1922, Kemp entered the University of North Carolina (UNC) in Chapel Hill, NC. He never matriculated from UNC, but was quite active in various campus activities. In addition to being a member of the band and orchestra, he was also a member of the glee club, and both Delta Sigma Phi and Lambda Phi Epsilon fraternities. For a time he was president of the schools dramatic arts club, -'The Wigue and Masque'. He again organized a campus band, -the Carolina Club Orchestra. This band not only recorded for Okeh Records, but also toured Europe during UNC summer vacations. In addition he formed a smaller 7 man 'combo' whose members included Skinnay Ennis, John Scott, and Saxie Dowell.

In the 1920s, Kemp's orchestra, based in New York city, toured the United States and Europe. It has been noted that Kemp's first big band had trumpeters Bunny Berrigan and Jack Purvis. Bunny had accompanied Kemp on the band's 1930 tour to Europe. Famed leader Fred Waring thought so highly of the group that he gave them financial support as well as musical advice. Among the bands arrangers were John Scott Trotter, followed by Hal Mooney and Lou Busch (aka: Joe "Fingers" Carr). Among the (future) bandleaders who got a start with the Kemp orchestra are Russ Case, and Claude Thornhill.

In the 1930s, among the band's singers were Bob Allen, shown here in a publicity photograph of the time. When Kemp died, and the band fell apart, Allen took over Vince Patti's Orch. (in Cleveland, OH), which lasted only briefly before it too fell apart. In 1944, Allen joined the Tommy Dorsey band, went into the US Army in 1945, was discharged in '46, and then worked in such bands as Isham Jones, Carmen Cavallaro, and Hoagy Carmichael. With the end of the Big Band era, he retired and went into the woodworking business in Encino, CA. Allen died April 24, 1989. Arguably, Drummer-singer Skinnay Ennis, was the band's best known singer. Another was Maxine Gray, (Lawrence Welk's first 'Champagne Lady'; she also worked with Jan Garber, David Rose, and Ted Weems). Among Skinnay's great hits were; " Heart of Stone"; "Lamplight"; "Its Easy to To Remember"; "You're the Top"; "The Touch of Your Lips"; "It's Easy to Remember"; and "Got a Date With an Angel". In the late 1930's and early '40's, the band had a singer whose name was Janet Lafferty but sang under the name of Janet Blair, the same name she later used in Films.

Hal was twice married. His first marriage, in 1932, to Bessie Slaughter ended in divorce in 1937. His second marriage, to debutante Martha Stevenson produced a baby girl, Helen, but also ended in divorce. (Six months after Kemp's death, Martha married actor Victor Mature -June 18, 1941- but that marriage also failed.) Here's a photograph of Martha and Victor Mature, before they broke up. During his career, Kemp appeared in 4 films -always portraying himself as a bandleader. The films were 'No Other One' (1936), 'Radio City Revels of 1938', 'Hal Kemp and His Orch.' (1938), and again in 'Hal Kemp and His Orch.' (1941). He was the recipient of two awards in 1938. Variety magazine named him 'the favorite sweet-swing band of 1938', and he also received the Associated Collegiate Press All-American Musical award. In 1939, he was a guest conductor of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. His band was also heard on several radio shows including 'Music From Hollywood' (1937), the 'Penzoil Parade', 'Time To Shine', and the 'Chesterfield Program'. Another bandleader, Kay Kyser, has credited Hal with encouraging him to enter the entertainment field.

For Hal, it all ended on December 19, 1940 in a head on auto collision. While driving from Los Angeles to San Francisco for a gig, he collided with another auto sustaining severe injuries including a punctured lung. Two days later, he was dead, at age 36.
The Big Bands Database thanks Bob Conrad of Fort Lee, NJ, USA, for his contributions to the above entry on Hal Kemp.

   [ Ronnie Kemper Orch. ]
b: August 1, Missoula, MT, d: Feb., 16, 1997, Sacramento, CA. USA.
Theme: "Cecilia" (a Dave Dreyer/Herman Ruby composition. The Dick Jurgens Orch. release with Ronnie Kemper, on Columbia Records (78rpm) sold over a million copies.
Here's a photograph of Ronnie Kemper, who at age 6 began studying the piano, and was an accomplished musician by the time he entered Sacramento (CA) High School. He even formed his own band when he enrolled in Sacramento Junior College. Ronnie would go on to great fame while working with the Dick Jurgens Orchestra from 1934 to 1940. His vocal on "Cecilia (Does Your Mother Know You're Out)" made him so popular that Horace Heidt hired him away from Jurgens. He had two major vocals while with Heidt, "G'bye Now" (hit the Million mark in sales) and, I'll Be Back In A While" (both from 1941). He also appeared with the Heidt band in the the movie 'Pot Of Gold' and their radio show of the same name. While with Heidt, his recording of "I'm A Little Teapot" also sold over a Million discs, and the tune was used by the Lipton Tea Company in their radio commercials

He wanted to leave Heidt in 1941 to form his own band but Heidt refused to let him out of his contract, but he did appear in the 1941 film Pot Of Gold, that starred Jimmy Stewart and Paulette Goddard. It wasn't until the fall of 1942 when Heidt allowed him to leave.

Ronnie formed his own band, that included trumpeter and future band leader Claude Gordon, with Ruth Russell as the 'girl' vocalist. The band was based in California and played major engagements in Los Angeles and Lake Tahoe. It lasted less than a year, breaking up when Kemper was drafted into the Army in 1943. The band left no recordings as a recording ban was in effect during its existence.

During WWII, Ronnie saw service with the 100th Infantry Division, after which he returned to resume his music career. Throughout the 1950's, he performed in clubs, and on radio and television in the Hollywood and Los Angeles (CA) area.

During the 1960s, he was in San Francisco, playing in the Domino Club, and also producing the San Francisco Press Club's variety shows, called "Kemper's Klambakes". In the Sacramento (CA) area, he was a regular singer/pianist at such clubs as the Palomino Room, El Rancho and the Cordova Lodge. In addition to working on cruise ships, he was seen in his own 'Kemper Musicales', at the Mather Air Force Base and other locales.

Kemper was also a successful songwriter. Two of his songs were also heard on the Lucky Strike Cigarettes 'Hit Parade' radio show; "Knit One-Purl Two" (recorded by Glenn Miller in 1942), and "It's A Hundred To One I'm In Love", which was made popular on records by Dick Jurgens (but an Eddy Howard vocal), as well as by the Jan Savitt orchestra with vocalist 'Bon Bon' (George Tunell). Among the other tunes that Kemper composed were "Downhearted Blues", "What Ya Gonna Do With Somebody Else", "Constantly", "Rose of Japan", and "The Doodle Bug Song".

Ronnie also had his own shows, appearing at times on The Ronnie Kemper Show, from Hollywood, CA, on the ABC Network. His own Kemper's Kapers, was seen on Hollywood's TV Channel 13, and Ronnie also appeared on The Platter Panel, along with Johnny Carson, Frank DuVol, Bill Ballance, Dick Whittinghill, and Ira Cook.

Kemper also made a few records as a solo artist after the war before retiring from the music industry. He was 89 years of age when he died, and was survived by his daughter, Tiffany Urness and his two sons, Kevin and Clay Kemper.
The BigBands Database Plus thanks Mr. Clay Kemper, Ronnie's son, for his gracious help with the above entry on his father.

   [ Stan Kenton and his Progressive Jazz ]
b. Feb. 15, 1912, Wichita, KS, d. August 25, 1979, Los Angeles, CA, USA
né: Stanley Newcomb Kenton
(Later) Theme Song: "Artistry in Rhythm"
Prolog:
Some confusion exists as to the exact date of Kenton's birth. Some sources claiming Feb. 19, 1912 while other say Feb. 15, 1912. According to Noel Wedder (Stan's long time publicist), " Stan was born a little early in an age when people were overly fond of subtraction. His mother (Stella) listed his birthdate as February 19, 1912, and Stan deferred to her. " Stella was a traditionally-trained musician. She noticed her son's irrepressible aptitude for the piano and became his first teacher. Subsequent research has shown that Kenton was indeed born on Feb. 15, 1912.
Overview
Here's a photographs of Dolly Mitchell, a vocalist with one of Kenton's early bands. And, a pair of photos, one of Stan Kenton, and an earlier photo of Stan, who, from 1940 on, was a pianist and occasional arranger, but chiefly the organizer and trainer of a succession of 'Progressive' Jazz orchestras, with names from 'Artistry in Rhythm' to 'Creative World', and using some inventive instumentation ranging from all strings to no strings.

His groups was characterized by an ensemble precision that also served as a framework for such sideman as Getz, Mulligan, and Rogers, and for vocalists such as June Christy (Nov. 20, 1925 - June 21 1990); and Anita O'Day (b. Oct. 18, 1919), as well as a vehicle for arrangers Rugulo and Graettinger. Graettinger's "City of Glass" recording in 1951 was one of the notable 'arrangers originals' that distinguished this orchestra's repertory.

Raised in Colorado, family moved to California in 1917. Stan took 14 lessons from a local pianist, Frank Hurst. He played in a quartet in Bell High School, L.A.

1930 Kenton went on a six week tour with the Flack Brothers Septet to Las Vegas, following which he played with a 'territory' band in Arizona.

1933-34 He was pianist with the Everette Hoaglund Orchestra when the band played the Rendezvous Ball Room in Balboa Beach, CA.

1935, when Hoagland took his band on tour, Kenton stayed behing and became the pianist with the Russ Plummer Band, which replaced Hoagland's band in Balboa Beach. later in the same year, he played with the Hal Grayson Orchestra in San Francisco.

In 1936, he was pianist with the Gus Arnheim orchestra.

In August of 1938, he was pianist, and straw boss, with the Vido Musso Band when it played the Villa Venice, in L.A.

From 1939 to 1940, he played piano in the pit band of the Los Angeles production of the Earl Carroll's Vanities.

In 1941, he formed a rehearsal band that was then booked into the Rendezvous Ball Room in Balboa Beach. Later in 1941, the band had its first big booking, going into the Hollywood Palladium. Here's a photo of the 1943 Kenton Orch., as they appeared on stage of the Panther Room of the Hotel Sherman. The vocalist is probably Dolly Mitchell, who in 1944 joined the Kay Kyser band, when she was replaced by Anita O'Day in Kenton's band.

In 1942, Kenton appeared in an early 'Panoram Soundie', playing
  "Jammin' At The Panoram"   with Helen Huntley vocal. In 1942, the singers were still not the prime focal point of a performance, - the band was most important. The band singers were often called "stand-up" singers. Sitting in a chair off to one side of the band, they would 'stand up' and come forward for their chorus, and then go back to their chair. This is clearly seen in this Soundie when Helen Huntley goes back to her seat.

In 1946, the Soundie Productions Company again filmed Kentor, and here's the band playing
  "Southern Scandal"   A very interesting Soundie because it does somewhat show the progression from what was the 'standard' big band sound of the early 1940s, to what Kenton, and the public, began to call "Progressive Jazz" - a screaming Brass section.

Kenton called it the 'Artistry in Rhythm' Orchestra. The imaginative sax voicings were paired with a powerful brass section. While the initial 'book' for this band was geared to the commercial needs of dance hall performance, the band quickly became a 'concert' type orchestra, developing a youthful following who liked their music loud and brash.

Along with the youngsters who were listening, a number of young jazz musicians came to play with the band; men such as Shelly Manne; Kai Winding; Buddy Childers; Art Pepper; Bob Cooper, and Laurindo Almeida were playing arrangements by Kenton, Gene Roland and Pete Rugolo. The band's vocalists included Chris Connor; Anita O'Day, and June Christy.

In the late 1940's, with the big band era coming to an end, and with many of the best orchestras disbanding, Kenton was able to keep and even to increase his following, immune to the declining fortunes of other bands.

In the 1950's, he introduced his 'Innovations In Modern Music' Orch., a 43-piece band. Shelly Manne and Art Pepper were still with the band and newcomers Maynard Ferguson and Bud Shank were added. Arranger Bob Graettinger (and others) introduced complex quasi-classical scores, which proved to be less popular than the music of the 'Artistry in Rhythm' band. Even so, the band's 1953 European tour was successful and gave Kenton world-wide fame. In 1956, Kenton's was the first American big band to work without restriction in Great Britain.

Kenton then reduced the 'Innovations' orchestra to a much more manageable 19-piece 'New Concepts In Artistry' Orch., with arrangements by Roland, Gerry Mulligan and Johnny Richards.

In the 1960's, Kenton introduced two new orchestras. One was the 23-piece 'New Era in Moden Music Orch.' using mellophoniums, and the second orchestra, 5-pieces larger, was called the 'Neophonic Orch.', which tempted the Jazz fates by playing neo-classical music.

Here's a photo of the 1963 Kenton Orch., featuring the 4 'Mellophoniums' seen on the extreme left side...one obscured by Kenton's body. From September 1960 through November 1963, the orchestra prominently featured this four man section of mellophoniums that forever changed the use of the instrument. The mellophonium, was a standard mellophone except it utilized a large "bell-front" design as opposed to the traditional "wrapped" configuration of the French horn. The C. G. Conn company had devised the mellophonium as an alternative for the French horn and the mellophone in marching bands. Its ability to project sound effectively and its design for outdoor playing made it quite useful for marching bands, and especially for Kenton's "screeching" style of music.

In the 1970's, Kenton, looking as though he might go on forever, began to embrace the new 'Rock Rhythms' (later acknowledging this to be an error.) Throughout the decade of the 1970's, Kenton was busy talking and working in schools and colleges. This was in accordance with his oft stated belief that the future of 'progressive' jazz lay with schools rather than with commercially oriented interests, Kenton devoted much of his time to courses and performances on university campuses and to the training of young musicians.

Kenton's health began to deteriorate. In 1977, he had a serious operation, but returned from the hospital and continued to lead his band. In June 1978, Kenton appeared at Newport Jazz Festival's Silver Jubilee concert at Saratoga, N. Y., but his bandleading days were almost over. Kenton died August 1978.

Kenton is remembered today as a leader who brought unbridled enthusiasm to jazz performance. That muscial enthusiam persisted long after he could have retired in comfort to study his other consuming passion, psychology.

   [ Jack Davies and His Kentuckians ]
Currently no information available.
Pete Dailey (aka Daily) was playing cornet and bass sax with the orchestra, and made several records in 1930 with the band. This band MAY also have been known only as 'The Kentuckians'.

   [ Freddie Keppard Olympia Band ]
Trumpet. born: New Orleans 1889 died: Chicago July 15, 1933
(Please also see our other entry on Freddie Keppard shown on the Dixieland Jazz pages.) Here's 'Freddie Keppard and His Jazz Cardinals' playing (1926) Stockyard Strut, digitally re-engineered by Mr. Verne Buland.
Freddie Keppard-Cornet
Johnny Dodds-Clarinet
Arthur Campbell-Piano
Jasper Taylor-Wood Blocks
Papa Charlie Jackson-Vocals
("Stock Yard Strut" was written by Jasper Taylor, who also played Washboard and Wood Blocks. Jasper also recorded under the name of 'The Original Washboard Band with Jasper Taylor'.)

One of the major musicians playing Jazz in New Orleans before WW1.

Brief Chronology:
=================
1907 ? played with the Olympia Brass Band, taking over direction of the band later.
1913 ? Joined the Original Creole Band
1914 Went to Chicago with the Original Creole Band
1915-16 Went to New York City with the Orig. Creole Band.
1918. Original Creole Band disbands.
1918 Freddie goes to Chicago. Forms Freddie Keppard Orchestra. Later played in the Erskine Tate Band, in the Vendome Theatre.

   [ Frank "Pee Wee" King Orch. ]
né: Julius Frank Anthony Kuczynski
b. Milwaukee, WI, USA. d. Louisville, KY, USA. age 86 (Heart Attack)
At just age 14, Pee Wee was not only working in his father's band, but had also formed the first of his own bands. Perhaps his most successful group was the Golden West Cowboys. In 1947, King, along with fellow band member Redd Stewart, wrote his biggest and best remembered hit "Tennessee Waltz". In a later interview, Pee Wee said the idea struck them while they were riding in Stewart's truck, and they wrote the song on an unfolded matchbook cover.

King's own recording of the song did well, but it was Patti Page's version that became a No. 1 pop hit, - selling 65 million copies. In 1965, the tune was adopted by the state of Tennessee as their official song. King would go on to compose many other hits including "You Belong to Me," "Slow Poke," "Silver and Gold," "Bonaparte's Retreat" and "Changing Partners."

Pee Wee King not only did much to meld 'Country' music with 'Western' music, but he also introduced Polish polka rhythms and waltzes to country music. The accordion-playing King, and his band, performed at the Grand Ole Opry for 10 years. During this time, he set a Western dress style for the formerly "Hillbilly"-garbed cast and also introduced trumpets, drums and electric guitars to the show. One member of King's band was Eddy Arnold, who went on to establish himself as a hit country singer. Arnold later said he "learned a lot about showmanship" from Pee Wee. King's band appeared in several 'Western Movies' with Gene Autry and with Johnny Mack Brown and the Durango Kid. King was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1974.

   [ Henry King Orch. ]
b. ca. 1903, d. 1974.
Theme Song:
Early On: "My Day Begins and Ends With You"
Later On: "Blues Serenade"
Here's a photo of Henry King, a Leader of a popular hotel/society style dance band of 1930s-'40s. King's piano was featured prominently in the band's arrangements. Throughout the band's top years in the '30s, the only featured vocalist was Joe Sudy (who later led his own band with a style very similar to King's). In the late 1930's and into the '40s, King abandoned his familiar style and switched to mostly Latin America music. In 1936-'37, the band was on the 'Burns and Allen Radio Show'. Henry King appeared in the 1945 film "Out of This World", along with other popular pianist bandleaders of the day. He remained active in music through the 1950s, but not prominently.
Thanks to Mr. Kenneth Tidwell for this information on Henry King.

   [ Wayne King, the Waltz King. ]
b. Feb. 1901, Savannah, IL, USA. d. July 16, 1985
Tag: "Wayne King. The Waltz King"
Theme: "The Waltz You Saved For Me"
Here's a photograph of Wayne King, who began his professional career as a saxophonist in the Del Lampe Orchestra, then resident in Chicago's famed Trianon Ballroom. In 1927, when his own large orchestra made its debut at the nearby Aragon Ballroom, he adopted a smoother, - not Jazzy - style. The band would be resident at the Aragon for 8 years. The band included sidemen Bill Egner, Wayne Alexander, Tony Hillis, Louis Henderson, Lee Keller, Burke Bibens, Johnny Kozel, Andy Hansen, Ernie Birchill, Bill Heller, Paul Mack, Roger Wilson, Harry Waidley, Dick Harry, Sugar Harold, G. Belogh, Wayne Barclay, Oscar Kobelk, Herbert Miska, Art Ellefsen, Bay Bluett, Louis Kastler, Emil Vanda, George Bay, Earl Schwaller, Kenneth La Bohn, Ray Johnson, Bill Kleeb and Jerry Vaughan. The vocalists included included Elmo Tanner (later recalled for his whistling with the Ted Weems Orch., the Barry Sisters, Charles Farrell, Linda Barrie, the Aragon vocal trio, and Buddy Clark, who later became a huge star as a solo performer. During this time, he became a household name throughout America due to his many Radio shows including 'The Lady Eshter Serenade', 'The Elgin-American Watch Company Show' and, later, his own Wayne King Show, sponsored by the United Drug Company, made.

In 1929, King began recording and produced some of his most popular hits during the 1930s and early 1940s, including such hits as "The Waltz You Saved For Me" (his theme song), "I Don't Know Why (I Just Do)," "Intermezzo," "Goofus," "Dream A Little Dream Of Me," and "Josephine (1937)."

In 1942, King enlisted in the U. S. Army, returning to bandleading after receiving his Service discharge.

Most all of his most productive years were spent with RCA Victor records, although he did briefly record for the Brunswick label in the mid 1930s. Many great orchestras disbanded at the close of the Big Band era (late 1940s and early 1950s) but Wayne's was one of the few orchestras to buck this trend, and he kept performing well into the 1980s. In 1964, he was living in semi-retirement in Scottsdale, Arizona, when he was invited back to again play the Aragon Ballroom in February before the Ballroom closed its doors forever.

In later years, the orchestra had many of its older songs, -and some new ones also, stereo re-mastered onto various record labels that would release unannotated "greatest hits" type collections of the old songs. Mostly these stereo remasters were the 'waltz-y' tunes that were cut in later years. His better recordings from that earlier era haven't been made widely available by RCA/BMG or other companies except for a handful of inclusions in various Readers Digest collections of the music of the 1930s and 1940s. "The Waltz King" passed away in 1985.

   [ Ray Kinney and His Hawaiian Musical Ambassadors ]
b. Sept. 26, 1900, Hilo, Hawaii, USA. (Irish-Hawaiian parents) d. Feb. 1, 1972, Honolulu, Oahu, USA.
Tag: The "Hawaiian boy with an Irish name" (Father: William Kinney. Mother: Pilialoha)
Vocalist, -but also played Ukulele, and the Bass Fiddle.
Here's a photo of Ray, who was first a singer and later a bandleader. Homebase was Hollywood, CA, USA, and he had quite a few hit releases. As a vocalist, he had an excellent recording of "It's Just A Little Brown Gal In A Little Grass Skirt In A Little Grass Shack In Hawaii", backed by 'Dick McIntire's Harmony Hawaiians.' (composers: Don McDiarmid and Lee Wood.) Another of his 'Hawaiian' hit releases was "Dusky Polynesian" a song chastising a 'beachboy' for ocean-fishing when he should be in the kitchen doing the dishes for the tourists. Kinney was also a composer in his own right, composing such tunes as Ululani", "Kalapaki Bay", "Not Pau", "Island Serenade", "Hawaiian Hospitality", and "Leimana."

In 1915, at just age 15, Ray (already singing and playing the ukulele) was sent to Salt Lake City, UT, USA for schooling. His Irish father sent him as well as his six brothers to the mainland US for schooling. Very soon, Ray and his 6 brothers formd their own band and toured the Western U. S. area.

In 1920, when his Hawaiian mother died, Ray returned to the Islands. In 1925, composer Charles E. King selected him for the cast of King's opera "Prince of Hawai`i". Ray played the Lead part, and the show toured the USA in 1926. In 1928, bandleader Johnny Noble chose Kinney for Noble's hour-long national radio show originating at station KPO in San Francisico. The show promoted Hawaiian tourism. Noble's orchestra, with Kinney as one of the singers, cut 110 singles for the Brunswick label.

In 1934, Kinney was working at a "day job" in a Taro factory when bandleader Harry Owens called on him to join his orchestra for their opening at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel. The next year, in 1935, Kinney was heard on the first broadcast of Webley Edwards' famed "Hawai`i Calls" radio show, and continued to perform there for many years.

In 1936, Decca Records contracted Johnny Noble and His Orchestra, specifying Kinney as vocalist, for a series of Hawaiian recordings. The contractual relationship lasted four years producing "phenomenal" sales for Decca, while also increasing the fame of Ray Kinney as well as Johnny Noble. In 1938, Ray and his "Aloha Maids" found time to also perform in the Olsen and Johnson Broadway revue "Hellzapoppin'", the first time a Hawaiian entertainer had been in a major Broadway production. And again in 1938, Ray actually scored higher than Rudy Vallee and Guy Lombardo in a New York popularity poll of American singers.

Later, Ray led his own ochestra that played at New York's Hotel Lexington. (The hotel featured "Hawaiian" orchestras.) And, here's a photo of Ray Kinney and His Hawaiian Musical Ambassadors' (Kinney is at the far right holding his Ukulele) as they appeared in the Hawaiian Room of the Hotel Lexington (circa 1939-'40s.)

On a trip home to Hawaii, Kinney signed Alfred Apaka, Jr, as his featured vocalist, and Apaka also appeared with Kinney's band at the Hotel Lexington. Alfred Apaka was featured on several Kinney recordings. However, Apaka's home life was deteriorating, and he and his wife divorced. In 1943, Apaka was still on the mainland USA, where he was rejected for military service due to having flat feet.

During WWII, Kinney served by touring 157 military bases and clubs, and was a special favorite of Hawai`i's own 442nd Regiment.

At the end of WWII, Kinney returned to Hawaii, and rejoined Don McDiarmid's Orchestra, at the Kewalo Inn, where he played bass, as well as singing. In 1949, Kinney "discovered" still more Hawaiian talent, taking Eddie Kamae on tour with him, and, in 1959, adding Kamae to his 'Royal Hawaiian Hotel orchestra'.

Ray had married Dawn Holt, and they had two sons, Rayner, Rankin, and three daughters Meymo, Raylani, Leimana. When Kinney died in 1972, he still had his beautiful "high tenor" voice, that could range from bass to falsetto with ease, and he still took great pains to articulate each sound of the Hawaiian lyric.

   [ John Kirby Sextet ]
b: Dec. 31, 1908, Baltimore, MD, USA. d: June 14, 1952, Hollywood, CA, USA
Tag: "The Biggest Little Band in the World"
Here's a photo of John Kirby, -a bassist who had honed his craft in the Fletcher Henderson Orch. He also worked with both Chick Webb and the Lucky Millinder band. He formed his sextet in 1937 with such sidemen as Billy Kyle (piano); Buster Bailey (Clarinet); Charlie Shavers (trumpet); O'Neil Spencer (Drums) and Russell Procope (sax), all from the Lucky Millinder band.

The 'girl' singer was John's wife, Maxine Sullivan. (Who became famous for her rendition of "Loch Lomond". In fact, she would be introduced to audiences as "Maxine Sullivan - Miss Loch Lomond". The band was pretty much local to the N.Y.C. area.

   [ Andy Kirk and His Twelve Clouds of Joy Orch ]
né: Andrew "Andy" Dewey Kirk.
b. May 28, 1896, Newport, KY, USA, (raised in Colorado). d. Dec. 11, 1992, New York, New York, USA
Theme Song:
Early On: "Clouds"
Later On: "Until The Real Thing Comes Along"
Overview
In 1929, Kirk formed his band in Kansas City, and remained active until 1948. His band played a traditional form of Kansas City Jazz. Their pianist, and the band's arranger, was Mary Lou Williams, who went on to become one of the most influential American Jazz figures. Kirk was one of the earliest American bands to use the amplified guitar (listen to his recording of "Floyd's Guitar Blues"). One of the band's big hits was "Until The Real Thing Comes Along", a song first heard in the 1932 Revue 'Rhapsody in Black'. This 'Torch song' has long been known to Black audiences as "The Slave Song".

Andy was born and raised in Denver, CO. His teacher was Wilberforce Whiteman, father of Paul Whiteman. (Incidentally, Jimmy Lunceford was also trained by Wilberforce Whiteman. Wilberforce must have been a rather remarkable music teacher.) In 1921, Andy played tuba in George Morrison's Orch. in Denver, Colorado.

In 1925, he moved to Dallas, Texas, where he played (doubling on baritone and bass saxophones) with Terrence Holder's 'Dark Clouds of Joy' orchestra, and in 1928, Andy took over as leader of Holder's first orchestra, moving the band to Kansas City, MO, for an engagement at Kansas City's prestigious Pla-Mor Restaurant. (Terrence Holder took over George Corley's 'Royal Aces Orch.', for his 3rd "Clouds of Joy" band.) Andy played Bass Sax and Mary Lou Williams was the Pianist-arranger-soloist (her husband, John Williams was on alto saxophone). Other members included violinist Claude Williams and trumpeter Edgar "Puddinghead" Battle. The band was now known as "Andy Kirk and his Twelve Clouds of Joy Orchestra". During this period, he had such sidemen as: Ben Thigpen on drums, Howard McGhee, tenor saxophonist Dick Wilson, electric guitarist Floyd Smith, Harold "Shorty" Baker, Jimmy Forrest, Don Byas, "Fats" Navarro, and (briefly) Charlie Parker.

The 12 Clouds of Joy disbanded in 1948, following which, Andy went to California where he formed a new band, which disbanded in 1951. In 1952, Andy went to New York City, entering the real estate business, doing some part time gigs with pick-up groups. In 1958, he became mananger of the Hotel Theresa, in New York City, and served as an official in the Musicians' Union. .

Vocalist was Pha Terrell (a male vocalist - Pha - pronounced 'Fay', b. May 25, 1910, Kansas City, MO, USA, d. Oct. 14, 1945, Los Angeles, CA, USA), whose hit song, "Until The Real Thing Comes Along" helped put the band on the map. One of the great Kansas City bands.

   [ George Kelly's Jazz Sultans ]
b. July 31, 1915, Miami, Florida, USA, d. May 24, 1998, New York, NY, USA.
Saxophone, arranger, bandleader
Kelly's had originally came from the Bahamas. His first instrument was the piano, and he was accomplished enough by the age of 12 to accompany blues singer Mamie Smith. In his mid-teens, his grandmother gave him a saxophone, and a part-time musician neighbour gave him his initial lessons. In 1932, at age 17, he formed his first band, 'The Cavaliers', and recruited one of his friends, David "Panama" Francis, as the drummer. The band toured regularly throughout the south, but gigs were hard to come by during those years of the great world-wide Economic Depression, and Kelly returned to his home in Miami, and found work as an accompanist for a vaudeville act.

In 1941, he moved to New York city, took up residencce in Harlem, and became one of the original members of 'Al Cooper's Savoy Sultans'. He worked with the band for the next three years (1941-'44) at the famed Savoy Ballroom in (Harlem) New York. During World War II, he served in the U.S. Air Corps. In 1946, after his service discharge, he joined a band led by the former Ellington trumpeter Rex Stewart. He also began to arrange for other orchestras.

During the 1950s, he split his time between freelancing as a player and arranging. He also played in 1950 on a Frank Sinatra television special. In the 1960s, he first worked as a regular member of drummer Cozy Cole's, quintet, and in the 1970s, toured in Europe with Jay McShann, Tiny Grimes and Ram Ramirez. Also in the '70s, George formed his own quintet, "George Kelly's Jazz Sultans". From 1970-'76, he worked as pianist, accompanist and musical director of the vocal group, 'The Inkspots'.

In 1979, he and Panama Francis reunited with a revived 'Panama Francis, and the Savoy Sultans', a band that made a number of recordings, and enjoyed some success touring the European festival circuit, Eventually they disbanded due to a difference of opinion with Francis over the band's musical policy. Kelly then joined the 'Harlem Jazz and Blues Band', another swing revival band that toured the festival circuit.