HMR Project: History of Music & Modern Recording

Ray McKinley

Birth of Swing Jazz: Ray McKinley

Ray McKinley

Photo: William P. Gottlieb

Drummer, Ray McKinley, was born in Fort Worth, Texas on 18 June 1910. He is believed to have met Glenn Miller in Dallas in 1929 when Miller was with Smith Ballew. Miller already had studio experience, having first recorded in 1926, largely with Ben Pollack. Glenn and Ray found themselves together on McKinley's first issued recordings in 1931 for Red Nichols: 'Just a Crazy Song', 'You Rascal You' and 'Moan You Moaners'. A second session in June the same year with Nichols yielded 'How Long Blues' and two takes of 'Fan It'.

'Just a Crazy Song' Red Nichols and His Five Pennies

26 May 1931 in NYC Matrix E-36830-A Brunswick 6133

Trumpet: Red Nichols Trombone: Glenn Miller

Clarinet / alto sax: Jimmy Dorsey Tenor sax: Babe Russin

Piano: Jack Russin Guitar: Perry Botkin

Bass: Art Miller Drums: Ray McKinley

Composition: Bessie Smith / Clarence Williams

'You Rascal You' Red Nichols and His Five Pennies

26 May 1931 in NYC Matrix E-36831-A Brunswick 6133

Trumpet: Red Nichols Trombone: Glenn Miller

Clarinet / alto sax: Jimmy Dorsey Tenor sax: Babe Russin

Piano: Jack Russin Guitar: Perry Botkin

Bass: Art Miller Drums: Ray McKinley Vocal: Red McKenzie

Composition: Sam Theard

In the summer of 1932 McKinley and Miller recorded 'Let's Try Again' and 'The Lady I Love' with Ballew before joining the Dorsey Brothers in 1934 together. Doing session work while with the Dorseys, McKinley soon began backing such as Ethel Waters, the Boswell Sisters and Louis Armstrong. When the Dorsey Brothers Orchestra made its last recording in September of 1935 McKinley continued onward with the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra. He had first recorded with Jimmy in 1931 with Nichols (above).

'Cowboy from Brooklyn' Jimmy Dorsey and His Orchestra

22 April 1938 in NYC Matrix 63658-A Decca 1799

Trumpet: Ralph Muzzillo / Shorty Sherock

Trombone: Bobby Byrne / Sonny Lee / Don Matteson

Alto sax: Jimmy Dorsey (clarinet) / Milt Yaner / Leonard Whitney

Tenor sax: Charlie Frazier (flute) / Herbie Haymer

Piano: Freddie Slack Guitar: Roc Hillman

Bass: Jack Ryan Drums / vocal: Ray McKinley

Composition: ?

Tom Lord's discography has McKinley putting away his first tracks as a bandleader in Los Angeles on March 31, 1936 with two takes of 'Shack in the Back' among those titles. In 1939 McKinley exchanged Jimmy for Will Bradley's operation, sharing leadership of Bradley's band as a drummer and vocalist. McKinley's partnership with Bradley was significant among big band swing approaches to boogie woogie, early driving toward rock n roll. One such example is tunes gone down in the early forties toward the 1947 release of the album on 10" shellac, 'Boogie Woogie'. McKinley recorded the boogie woogie tune, 'Down the Road a Piece', in 1940, with his Ray McKinley Trio consisting of Freddie Slack on piano and Doc Goldberg at bass issued as the Will Bradley Trio.

'Down the Road a Piece' Will Bradley and Trio

12 Aug 1940 Matrix 27872-1 Columbia 35707

Piano: Freddie Slack Bass: Doc Goldberg

Drums / vocal: Ray McKinley Vocal: Will Bradley

Composition: Don Raye

'Chicken Gumboogie' Will Bradley and His Orchestra

Short film: 'Barnyard Bounce' 1941

Trumpet: Pete Candoli Trombone: Will Bradley

Drums / vocal: Ray McKinley

Composition: Joan Whitney

See 'Swinging Flicks' on Kaydee Records KD-8 / 1979

McKinley began recording with his Quartet in 1941, then with his full orchestra in 1942 with Imogene Lynn at vocals. Like his close friend, Miller, McKinley wanted to contribute to the effort of World War II, joining the army in 1942 to be recruited into the Glenn Miller Army Air Force Band. His first recordings with that operation were for CBS at Yale University in Connecticut on June 5, 1943. I don't know what were McKinley's financial circumstances before he joined the army, but Miller had sacrificed a weekly income ranging from $15,000 to $20,000. He then lost his life on 15 December 1944 over the English Channel due to a faulty plane carburetor. McKinley and Jerry Grey then ran the Army Air Force Band until discharged from service in latter 1945. In 1946 Tex Beneke, Miller's saxophonist and vocalist, assumed leadership of the Glenn Miller ghost band until 1950. Henry Mancini had been an arranger and pianist in that organization. McKinley meanwhile formed his own orchestra upon release from the army, but his career meandered until Miller's widow, Helen, asked him to lead a Glenn Miller legacy band in 1956. He hired his comrade, Will Bradley, to play trombone and that orchestra choo chooed down the track until 1966.

'Big Boy' Ray McKinley and His Orchestra

16 July 1942 in NYC Matrix NY 501 Capitol 131

Trumpet: Larry Brooks / Dick Cathcart / Jack Steele / Pete Candoli

Trombone: Jim Harwood / Brad Gowans (valve)

Alto sax: Mahlon Clark (clarinet) / Herb Tompkins

Tenor sax: Jerry Feld / Paul Thatcher Baritone sax: Walt Wegner

Piano: Lou Stein Guitar: Dennis Sandole

Tuba: Joe Park Bass: Gus Van Camp Drums: Ray McKinley

Vocal: Imogene Lynn

Composition: Jack Yellen / Milton Ager

'Hard Hearted Hannah' Ray McKinley and His Orchestra

16 July 1942 in NYC Matrix NY 502 Capitol 131

Trumpet: Larry Brooks / Dick Cathcart / Jack Steele / Pete Candoli

Trombone: Jim Harwood / Brad Gowans (valve)

Alto sax: Mahlon Clark (clarinet) / Herb Tompkins

Tenor sax: Jerry Feld / Paul Thatcher Baritone sax: Walt Wegner

Piano: Lou Stein Guitar: Dennis Sandole

Tuba: Joe Park Bass: Gus Van Camp Drums / vocal: Ray McKinley

Composition: Charles Bates / Jack Yellen / Milton Ager/ Robert Wilcox Bigelow

'Hoodle-Addle' Ray McKinley Quartet

12 August 1946 in NYC Matrix CT867-6 Majestic 7207

Piano: Lou Stein Guitar: Mundell Lowe

Bass: Ward Erwin Drums / vocal: Ray McKinley

Composition: Ray McKinley

'Jiminy Crickets' Ray McKinley and His Orchestra

18 Dec 1946 in NYC Matrix T-1022 Majestic 7216

Composition: Ray McKinley Arrangement: Eddie Sauter

'A Man Could Be a Wonderful Thing' Ray McKinley and His Orchestra

17 Dec 1947 in NYC Matrix D7VB2818 Victor 20-2768-B

Vocal: Marcy Lutes

Composition: Leo Corday / Leon Cary

'Rhythm-A-Tic' Ray McKinley and His Orchestra

22 July 1953 in NYC Matrix 84738-A Decca 28788

Trumpet: Billy Butterfield / Chris Griffin / Yank Lawson

Trombone: Will Bradley / Cutty Cutshall / Lou McGarity

Clarinet: Peanuts Hucko Alto sax: Toots Mondello / Bill Stegmeyer

Tenor sax: Al Klink

Piano: Lou Stein Guitar: Tony Mottola

Bass: Jack Lesberg Drums: Cliff Leeman Drums / vocal: Ray McKinley

Music: Gene de Paul Lyrics: Don Raye

'Pennsylvania 6-5000' Television 1961

Ray McKinley and the New Glenn Miller Orchestra

'Glenn Miller Time' on CBS

Music: Jerry Gray Lyrics: Carl Sigman

Wikipedia

'A String of Pearls' Television 1965

Ray McKinley and the New Glenn Miller Orchestra

Music: Jerry Gray Lyrics: Eddie DeLange

McKinley's last recordings are thought to have gone down on June 5, 1977, with just Lou Stein at piano in New York City for Chiaroscuro, 'Stompin' 'Em Down' the title of that album.