Ray Gelato

Born Ray Keith Irwin on 25 October 1961 in London, England, the future musician absorbed an eclectic array of sounds from his father’s record collection during childhood. An American soldier posted in Britain, his father owned discs by Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jnr., and the swing orchestras of the 1940s, alongside 1950s rock ’n’ roll and R&B; the bands fronted by Louis Jordan and Louis Prima left the deepest mark, the latter especially through Prima’s vocals and the tenor saxophone work of Sam Butera. Irwin took up the tenor saxophone in 1979 and, a year later, had advanced sufficiently to perform professionally with the Dynamite Band, whose style reflected the influence of Bill Haley.

In 1982 he formed a duo with French guitarist Patrice Serapiglia, who performed under the name Maurice Chevalier; together they founded the Chevalier Brothers. Early leaders in London’s rediscovery of 1940s and 1950s R&B and jump-band repertoire, the group soon grew to five members. After winning a talent contest at Camden Palace they toured widely across Britain and Europe, their line-up comprising Gelato on tenor saxophone and vocals, Chevalier on guitar, Clark Kent on bass, John Piper (d. 2000) on drums, and Roger Beaujolais on vibraphone, with only the drummer retaining his given name. Chevalier encouraged Gelato both to adopt his lasting stage name and to sing on a regular basis. The band quickly became fixtures on the London circuit and gained broader recognition through appearances at the Montreux Jazz Festival, the North Sea Jazz Festival, and a tour of Japan. Chevalier eventually departed, pianist Marc Adelman taking his place, before Beaujolais exited to pursue a solo career.

The Chevalier Brothers disbanded in 1988, prompting Gelato to assemble his own seven-piece outfit, the Giants Of Jive. Kent and Piper stayed on, and Adelman soon joined as well. Strong popularity in Italy secured a 1992 Carnegie Hall booking for an Italian television special. When Ray Gelato And The Giants Of Jive dissolved in 1994, the leader immediately launched the Ray Gelato Giants. The new ensemble preserved much of the original quirky character and vigorous stage energy, yet its repertoire shifted toward the mainstream, drawing heavily on material associated with Nat ‘King’ Cole, Duke Ellington, Dean Martin, and Sinatra, even while Gelato’s singing retained its allegiance to Prima and his saxophone playing its debt to Butera. Additional festival engagements followed at Umbria, Montreal, Molde, Marciac, and San Sebastian, together with tours of the United States and Italy that underscored his continuing appeal there. In 2001 the band supported Robbie Williams at the Royal Albert Hall during the Swing When You’re Winning concert, and the following year performed at Paul McCartney’s wedding; Gelato also appeared at private functions for prominent figures, among them Queen Elizabeth II. After earlier successful visits to the Umbria Jazz Festival, the group returned in 2003.

By the early 2000s the personnel included Danny Marsden on trumpet, Richard Busiakiewicz on piano (associated with Gelato since 1994), Alex Garnett on saxophones (with the band since 1996 and also a member of the intermittently convened Tough Tenors), Andy Rogers on trombone, Tom Gordon on drums, and Kent on bass, the latter serving additionally as Gelato’s business partner. Through consistent effort, solid musicianship, and a talent for performance, Gelato established and maintained a distinctive position in the music landscape.