Biography
Ray Nance possessed remarkable versatility across several musical roles. As a trumpeter of considerable skill, he stepped into the chair vacated by Cootie Williams in Duke Ellington’s Orchestra and infused the plunger-muted position with a distinctly personal voice. Nance also ranked among the leading jazz violinists of the 1940s, delivered strong jazz vocals, and performed as a dancer. His formal training covered piano and violin, while trumpet technique remained entirely self-acquired. Between 1932 and 1937 he directed his own small ensemble in Chicago, later worked with Earl Hines from 1937 to 1938 and with Horace Henderson from 1939 to 1940, then spent several months performing solo before entering Duke Ellington’s ranks. His debut evening coincided with the orchestra’s historic Fargo concert. Within the band Nance proved indispensable, contributing the well-known trumpet solo to the first recording of “Take the ‘A’ Train,” executing effective wa-wa effects, supplying violin passages that enriched the “Black, Brown and Beige” suite as well as many other selections, and adding vocal highlights on “A Slip of a Lip Will Sink a Ship” and “Tulip or Turnip.” He remained with Ellington, aside from brief absences, until 1963, at which point the returning Cootie Williams reclaimed part of the spotlight Nance had enjoyed. Subsequent years brought only modest activity, limited to sporadic small-group appearances, engagements alongside Brooks Kerr and Chris Barber—including a 1974 English tour—and a handful of forward-looking sessions with Jaki Byard and Chico Hamilton.
Albums
