Skinnay Ennis

One might search for a connective thread between the rustic wit of Bob Hope and the elegant orchestrations of Gil Evans, yet Skinnay Ennis supplies that link, his nickname apparently fashioned to lend extra heft to the adjective “skinny.” Born Robert Ennis, he first crossed paths with Hal Kemp—his earliest important musical associate—while enrolled at a North Carolina university. Before the 1920s ended, Ennis had both joined and co-founded the ensemble that later performed under Kemp’s name. The alliance produced recordings and tours, among them journeys to Europe, and endured until 1938, even though Ennis had taken up drumming only a few years before meeting Kemp. He then struck out independently, forming a band whose commercial ambitions quickly secured steady work in Hollywood. Leading the group, Ennis displayed a comedic gift that radio producers promptly exploited on the programs where the musicians appeared. The arrangement culminated in a long-running slot on Bob Hope’s radio program. Viewers familiar with 1940s films will likely glimpse the Ennis outfit on screen. During this intense period the youthful Gil Evans was engaged as the band’s arranger. Ennis assembled a military ensemble for the Second World War and returned to Hollywood activity once the armistice was signed. The concluding chapter of his career unfolded more quietly. As the 1950s waned, audiences could hear his group live at prominent Los Angeles hotels. Rediscovered in the new millennium as a facet of lounge music or space age jazz, Ennis would doubtless have remained active had he not died from choking on a bone while dining at a Beverly Hills restaurant.