dr, voc, 1926-1980 US, Fort Worth, Texas
Musician of Jazz and Pop
A.k.a. Raymond McKinley Z. (12)
American jazz drummer and Big Band leader, born June 18, 1910 in Texas and died May 7, 1995 in Largo, Florida. The drumming of Ray McKinley was a driving force that contributed greatly to the success of Jimmy Dorsey before WWII and the Glenn Miller American Band Of The Allied Expeditionary Forces during the war. As part of the Will Bradley aggregation, which he co-led between his stints with Dorsey and Miller, his personable and humorous vocals were an added attraction. McKinley's first sides were recorded with Red Nichols for the Brunswick record label. Glenn Miller and Jimmy Dorsey were also members of this nine piece Nichols group that waxed five sides over two sessions in the spring and early summer of 1931. In 1932 McKinley again worked with Glenn Miller in the Smith-Ballew band as well as in the Dorsey Brothers Orchestra in 1934-5. In May of 1934 he recorded four sides with a Benny Goodman small group that included Charlie and Jack Teagarden, Teddy Wilson and others. When the fueding Dorsey Brothers broke up in 1935 McKinley joined Jimmy Dorsey, in his new orchestra, where he remained until 1939. Although the Jimmy Dorsey band did not achieve the fame that brother Tommy’s band did, it waxed some fine swinging sides driven by McKinley on skins. Parade Of The Milk Bottle Caps and John Silver were two of the most well known instrumental recordings of the group and both were enhanced greatly by McKinley's impeccable timekeeping and occasional fiery outbursts. In 1939 Ray McKinley became a partner of trombonist Will Bradley co-leading a band that recorded under Bradley's name. This band, that also featured Freddie Slack on piano, cut dozens of boogie-woogie laden sides for Columbia between September of 1939 and January of 1942. Many were hits, some featuring McKinley’s humorous and personable vocals and one line shouts like on Celery Stalks At Midnight and Fry Me Cookie In A Can Of Lard. Unfortunately there was friction between the two stars. Beat Me Daddy Eight To The Bar and Bounce Me Brother With a Solid Four type numbers wore on Bradley, as so did the syrupy trombone ballads of Bradley wear on McKinley. The two had a less than amicable split in 1942 as reported by Down Beat magazine. In 1942 McKinley formed his own short-lived band recording briefly for Capitol and then joined the Army. While in the service he joined Glenn Miller’s AEF band and while in Europe formed his own “Swing Shift” group culled from the heart of Miller’s band and spotlighting, among others, pianist Mel Powell and reed man Peanuts Hucko. The Miller Allied Expeditionary Forces band waxed numerous incredibly swinging tunes in London's Abbey Road studios during the war. These recordings have since been released on CD and find McKinley really driving the very large outfit on numbers like Bubble Bath, Jeep Jockey Jump, Anvil Chorus et. al. After Miller’s disappearance McKinley co-led Glenn Miller's American Band Of The Allied Expeditionary Forces briefly with Jerry Gray. Back in the U.S. Ray formed his own civilian band again recording for Majestic in 1946 and Victor from 1947-50, this time using the rich arrangements of Eddie Sauter and Dean Kincaide and featuring players like Peanuts Hucko and Mundell Lowe, and later adding Joe Farrante, Sam Butera, Buddy Morrow and others. From ’50-‘55 McKinley free-lanced, occasionally leading his own bands, and working as a TV singer in NYC. In 1956 he was commissioned by the widow of Glenn Miller to organize a new band under Miller’s name using the original library and style. This band made a successful tour of Iron Curtain countries in 1957 and continued to tour the U.S. until 1966. McKinley then free-lanced again, leading an orchestra under his own name and recording for Dot in 1966. He also played drums in yet another incarnation of the Glenn Miller Orchestra, fronted by Buddy DeFranco, and recorded for Columbia House in 1972. His last recording session was cut with just himself on drums and pianist Lou Stein, who recorded five sides together for the Chiaroscuro label in 1977.
Track list and 30sec audio provided by
Title | Artist | Year | Type |
---|---|---|---|
The New Glenn Miller Orchestra | Ray McKinley | 2017 | Album |
Celery Stalks At Midnight / Beat Me Daddy, (Eight To The Bar) | Will Bradley And His Orchestra Featuring Ray McKinley | 2011 | Single |
The Lonesome Road / You're Lucky To Me | Will Bradley And His Orchestra Featuring Ray McKinley | 2011 | Album |
Beat Me Daddy To A Boogie Woogie Beat | Will Bradley And His Orchestra Featuring Ray McKinley | 2011 | Album |
Something Old, New, Borrowed And Blue / The New Glenn Miller Orchestra In Hi Fi | Ray McKinley, The New Glenn Miller Orchestra | 2010 | Compil. |
Howdy, Friends | Ray McKinley | 2005 | Compil. |
The Miller Sound / On Tour | The New Glenn Miller Orchestra Directed By Ray McKinley | 2004 | Compil. |
It's Square, But It Rocks | Will Bradley Featuring Ray McKinley | 2002 | Compil. |
One Night Stand With Ray McKinley | Ray McKinley | 2001 | Album |
Hallelujah | Will Bradley And His Orchestra Featuring Ray McKinley | 1999 | Compil. |
Will Bradley And Ray Mckinley: Best Of The Big Bands | Will Bradley, Ray McKinley | 1990 | Compil. |
Best Of Big Bands | Will Bradley & Ray McKinley | 1990 | Compil. |
The Greatest Recordings Of The Big Band Era | Lionel Hampton / Sonny Dunham / Ray McKinley / Seger Ellis / George Paxton / Ted Straeter | 1983 | Compil. |
Dancing Mood for Lovers | The New Glenn Miller Orchestra Directed by Ray McKinley | 1983 | Compil. |
Stompin' 'Em Down | Lou Stein, Ray McKinley | 1977 | Album |
On The Air | Will Bradley And His Orchestra Featuring Ray McKinley | 1975 | Compil. |
1946-1949 | Ray McKinley | 1974 | Album |
The New Glenn Miller Orchestra Under The Direction Of Ray McKinley | The New Glenn Miller Orchestra, Ray McKinley | 1972 | Compil. |
Echoes Of Glenn Miller | The New Glenn Miller Orchestra Directed By Ray McKinley | 1962 | Album |
Glenn Miller Time | The New Glenn Miller Orchestra Directed By Ray McKinley | 1961 | Album |
Ray McKinley And The New Glenn Miller Orchestra | Ray McKinley And The New Glenn Miller Orchestra | 1958 | Single |
La Nueva Orquesta de Glenn Miller En Stereo | The New Glenn Miller Orchestra Directed By Ray McKinley | 1958 | Album |
The New Glenn Miller Orchestra In Hi Fi | The New Glenn Miller Orchestra Directed By Ray McKinley | 1957 | Album |
The New Glenn Miller Orchestra In Hi Fi | The New Glenn Miller Orchestra Directed By Ray McKinley | 1957 | Single |
One Band Two Styles | Ray McKinley | 1955 | Album |
Steve Allen's All Star Jazz Concert Vol. 2 | Lawson-Haggart Jazz Band, Billy Butterfield Jazz Band, Sylvia Syms, Ray McKinley | 1954 | Single |
Boogie-Woogie | Will Bradley And His Orchestra With Ray McKinley | 1954 | Album |
Boogie-Woogie | Will Bradley And His Orchestra With Ray McKinley | 1954 | Single |
Boogie-Woogie | Will Bradley And His Orchestra With Ray McKinley | 1954 | Album |
Boogie Woogie | Will Bradley And His Orchestra Featuring Ray McKinley | 1947 | Album |
Boogie Woogie | Will Bradley And His Orchestra Featuring Ray McKinley | 1946 | Album |
The Atomic Era / I'm Just Wild About Harry | Bud Freeman And Ray McKinley / Bud Freeman's All Star Orchestra | 1946 | Album |
Fry Me Cookie, With A Can Of Lard / Request For A Rhumba | Will Bradley And His Orchestra Featuring Ray McKinley | 1944 | Album |
Scrub Me Mama With A Boogie Beat / Relaxin' At The Touro | Will Bradley And His Orchestra Featuring Ray McKinley / Muggsy Spanier And His Orchestra | 1944 | Album |
I Guess I'll Be On My Way / Seeing You Again Did Me No Good | Will Bradley And His Orchestra featuring Ray McKinley | 1942 | Album |
This Little Icky Went To Town / Break It To Me Gently | Will Bradley And His Orchestra Featuring Ray McKinley | 1941 | Album |
Call Me A Taxi / Shadows In The Night | Will Bradley And His Orchestra, Ray McKinley | 1941 | Album |
I'm Tired Of Waiting For You / City Called Heaven | Will Bradley And His Orchestra featuring Ray McKinley | 1941 | Album |
Call It Anything, It's Love / Basin Street Boogie | Will Bradley And His Orchestra Featuring Ray McKinley / Will Bradley's Six Texas Hot Dogs | 1941 | Album |
Boogie Woogie Conga / I Need Somebody To Love | Will Bradley And His Orchestra Featuring Ray McKinley | 1941 | Album |
I Boogied When I Should Have Woogied / That's Her Mason Dixon Line | Will Bradley And His Orchestra featuring Ray McKinley | 1941 | Album |
Bounce Me Brother With A Solid Four / Southpaw Serenade | Will Bradley And His Orchestra Featuring Ray McKinley | 1941 | Album |
Stardust / Chicken Gumboog | Will Bradley And His Orchestra, Ray McKinley | 1941 | Album |
Swingin' Down The Lane / Flamingo | Will Bradley And His Orchestra featuring Ray McKinley | 1941 | Album |
Tea For Two / Think Of Me | Ray McKinley Quartet / Will Bradley And His Orchestra Featuring Ray McKinley | 1941 | Album |
Beat Me Daddy (Eight To The Bar) | Will Bradley And His Orchestra Featuring Ray McKinley And Freddie Slack | 1940 | Album |
Dearest, Darest I / Five O'Clock Whistle | Will Bradley And His Orchestra Featuring Ray McKinley | 1940 | Album |
Scrub Me, Mama, With A Boogie Beat / There I Go | Will Bradley And His Orchestra Featuring Ray McKinley | 1940 | Album |
Scramble Two / Rock-A-Bye The Boogie | Will Bradley And His Orchestra Featuring Ray McKinley | 1940 | Album |
I Get A Kick Outa Corn / Gotta Get Home | Will Bradley And His Orchestra featuring Ray McKinley | 1940 | Album |
Ray McKinley's Greatest Hits | Ray McKinley | Album | |
Big Brass! | Les Elgart - Ray McKinley - Jan Garber | Compil. | |
Make With The Kisses / Fit To Be Tied | Will Bradley And His Orchestra, Ray McKinley | Album | |
Drum Beat For Dancing Feet | Cozy Cole All Stars Featuring Gene Krupa, Ray McKinley, Panama Francis | Album | |
Red Roses For A Blue Lady / Everybody Loves Somebody | The Glenn Miller Orchestra Under The Direction Of Ray McKinley | Single | |
Bradley Will, McKinley Ray, And Bradley Junior | Will Bradley, Ray McKinley And Junior Bradley | Album | |
Plays Sauter And Others | Ray McKinley | Album | |
Waltzing Matilda | Ray McKinley | Single | |
Don't Be That Way / I'm Thrilled | Ray McKinley and The Glenn Miller Orchestra | Single | |
The Swingin' 30s | Ray McKinley, Peanuts Hucko | Album | |
The New Glenn Miller Orchestra Under The Direction Of Ray McKinley | The New Glenn Miller Orchestra Under The Direction Of Ray McKinley | Album | |
Jazzmen In Uniform (Paris 1945) | Ray McKinley, Bernie Privin, Peanuts Hucko, Mel Powell, Carmen Mastren, Joe Shulman | Album | |
Don't Be That Way | Ray McKinley And The Glenn Miller Orchestra | Single | |
A Legend | Gene Krupa, Ray McKinley, Anita O'Day, Lynne Gardner | Album | |
Bring Back The Bands (Shows No. 95-96) | Woody Herman And His Orchestra With Ray McKinley | Compil. |