Jack McVea
| Jack McVea | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | John Vivian McVea |
| Born |
November 5, 1914 Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Died | December 27, 2000 (aged 86) Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Genres | Swing, rhythm and blues, Dixieland |
| Occupation(s) | Saxophonist, bandleader |
| Years active | 1930s–1992 |
John Vivian "Jack" McVea (November 5, 1914 – December 27, 2000) was an African American swing, blues, and rhythm and blues woodwind player and bandleader. He played clarinet and tenor and baritone saxophone.
Born in Los Angeles, California, his father was the noted banjoist Satchel McVea, and banjo was Jack McVea's first instrument. He played jazz in Los Angeles for several years, and joined Lionel Hampton's orchestra in 1940. From 1944 on he mostly worked as a leader. He performed at the first Jazz at the Philharmonic concert in 1944.
McVea was leader of the Black & White Records studio band and was responsible for coming up with the musical riff for the words "Open the Door, Richard".Ralph Bass persuaded him to record it in 1946 and it became immensely popular, entering the national charts the following year, and was recorded by many other artists.
From 1966 until his retirement in 1992, he led the Royal Street Bachelors, a group that played Dixieland jazz in New Orleans Square at Disneyland. The trio consisted of McVea on clarinet, Herman Mitchell on banjo, and Ernie McLean on guitar and banjo. According to McVea, he was not much of a clarinetist but learned overnight to play three songs to secure the job.
He is also known for his playing on T-Bone Walker's "Call It Stormy Monday (But Tuesday Is Just As Bad)". In 1945 he played tenor sax in a recording session for Slim Gaillard with Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie.
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