Ray Nance

Willis Raymond " Ray" Nance (born 10 December 1913 in Chicago, Illinois, † January 28, 1976 in New York City, New York ) was an American jazz trumpeter, violinist and singer.

Nance began in 1932 to work as a musician. He led until 1937 a separate group in Chicago, then played with Earl Hines (1938 ) and Horace Henderson ( 1939). From 1940 to 1963 he played with the band from Duke Ellington, Cootie Williams after he had replaced as a trumpeter in Ellington's orchestra. To hear the first time he is on Duke Ellington at Fargo, 1940 Live. In addition, he was the only violinist in Ellington's orchestra, heard in songs like " Moon Mist", he also emerged as a singer with titles like " A Slip of the Lip". Nance had a major role in the Ellington composition " Take the A -Train and shone in the absorption of 1941 as a soloist. With its humorous interludes he was an important part of the stage show of the Ellington orchestra. Nance remained until 1963 in his band and started after a solo career; 1964 and 1965 he played with Paul Lavalle, and then again perform with Ellington he can also be heard on records with Barney Bigard, Johnny Hodges, with Una Mae Carlisle, Ahmed Abdul- Malik, Rosemary Clooney and Slam Stewart., and Jaki Byard and Chico Hamilton with. on a UK tour in 1974, he played with Chris Barber.

Recordings under his own name

• The Non - Ducal Violin Recordings, 1940 - 1949, From Fable 2005