Biography
Renowned for his forceful, high-note style, Ray Wetzel commanded deep respect among fellow trumpeters. He held the lead trumpet chair in Woody Herman’s band from 1943 to 1945 and then in Stan Kenton’s orchestra from 1945 to 1948, injecting vitality into every group he joined. In 1947 he appeared on sessions with the Metronome All-Stars—recorded as part of Kenton’s ensemble—alongside Vido Musso and Neal Hefti. He married bassist Bonnie Addleman in 1949. That same year Wetzel anchored one of the era’s standout trumpet sections in the Charlie Barnet Orchestra, seated beside Maynard Ferguson, who would soon assume his Kenton post, Doc Severinsen, and Rolf Ericson. Wetzel and his wife spent several months with Tommy Dorsey, after which he rejoined Kenton briefly in 1951; while touring once more with Dorsey, he died in a car accident at age twenty-seven, having never led a recording date of his own.