Tell Me About Violinist Ray Perry

Jim Sangrey · March-22nd-2003, 10:34 AM

Saw an item listed in the new Cadence that looked interesting - OUT OF NOWHERE: The Complete 1944 C.W. French & 1945 Rosenkrantz Apartment Transcriptions on the AB Fable label (delivered by Mable, no doubt...).

Anyway, I notice appearances on this disc by the under-recorded Big Nick Nicholas & the similarly under-represented Argonne Dents Thornton (aka Sadik Hakim), which piques my curiosity. The '44 stuff's from Boston, and the '45 stuff from NYC.

Anbody know of Perry? I'm totally unfamiliar with him, but the review makes it sound like an interesting look at a relatively unknown player. Just wondering if deeper afficianados than I could provide some input on Ray Perry and/or this disc.

Thanks in advance.

Jim Sangrey · March-24th-2003, 10:30 AM

Up for Monday. Anybody?

yardbird · March-24th-2003, 12:12 PM

Perry (1915-1950) played alto sax and violin with Hampton, Blanche Calloway, Ethel Waters a.o. Slam Stewart heard him with with Dean Earl's band in Boston where Perry was humming in unison with his bowing, thus inspiring Stewart to develop humming in octaves with his bowing on the big fiddle.

José Domingos Raffaelli · March-24th-2003, 12:30 PM

Jim,

According to some musicians, including Lionel Hampton, Jimmy Smith and Benny Carter, saxophonist and violinist Ray Perry was a very talented musician who remained almost unknown because he died too young. One of the reasons is that when he started to play in the early forties a recording ban lasted two years (1942-44) and no oficial records were made during that period. Anyway, he recorded some sides with the Lionel Hampton orchestra around 1945 playing a few short solos. Organist Jimmy Smith called him "a genius".
It is difficult to measure his talent with so few records available.
His brother guitarist Bay Perry recorded a few sides with Jimmy Smith.
Sorry I can´t inform more.
José

Pete C · March-24th-2003, 03:09 PM

JDR, good to see you back on the site. I hope we see more of you.

Jim Sangrey · March-24th-2003, 04:41 PM

Much thanks for the info. Perry definitely sounds like he's worth checking out, and having Big Nick along is just icing on the cake.

Again, thanks!

yardbird · March-25th-2003, 06:18 AM

Jim, if you get your hands on some Ray Perry, maybe you would like to share your opnions with us?

Sand · March-25th-2003, 03:04 PM

Welcome, Yardbird! Usually, I leave the welcome work to the others here, as I am not polite in the American way, but I am learning.

Did you ever post on the old board?

And tell us more about Perry and bowed, jazz playing.

Jim Sangrey · March-25th-2003, 03:06 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by yardbird
Jim, if you get your hands on some Ray Perry, maybe you would like to share your opnions with us?

Will do!

yardbird · March-26th-2003, 09:06 AM

Thanks for your welcome, Sand. I posted a couple of times on the old JC, but primarily spent my time on BNBB (under another name) - partly because the old JC was extremely slow loading, but also because BNBB's where I started - and I was familiar with a lot of the posters there - at least to the extent that I knew their musical preferences etc.

After the death of BNBB I'm posting a little here, on Organissimo
and AAJ - so my world has become a bit more complicated.

Re Ray Perry, I'm sorry I can't tell you much beyond what I wrote in my fIrst post on this thread, because I never heard him play.
I trust Jimwill come back, however, with a musical evaluation (see his latest post)