Ray Gelato
| Ray Gelato | |
|---|---|
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Ray Keith Irwin |
| Also known as | "The Godfather of Swing" |
| Born |
25 October 1961 London, England |
| Genres | Jazz, swing, jump blues |
| Occupation(s) | Saxophonist, singer, songwriter and bandleader |
| Instruments | Tenor saxophone, vocals |
| Years active | 1980s–present |
| Website | Official website |
Ray Keith Irwin (born 25 October 1961), and known professionally as Ray Gelato, is a British jazz, swing and jump blues saxophonist, singer and bandleader. He is known as one of the major forces in the revival of swing music. Gelato has performed in a private capacity for Richard Branson, Paul McCartney and the Queen amongst others.
AllMusic noted that "Gelato has been hugely successful, finding a niche and retaining his dominance in it through hard work, good musicianship and a flair for showmanship".Jools Holland meanwhile opined that "He plays what he means, and means what he plays".
Gelato was born in London, England, the son of an American soldier who was stationed in the UK. Through his father's record collection, Gelato heard the music of the swing bands of the 1940s, and the R&B and rock and roll prevalent in the 1950s. Music provided by Louis Jordan and Louis Prima proved inspirational, a love nurtured in his teens when Gelato visited local clubs to hear music played live. His admiration for the playing of Sam Butera, led Gelato to commence learning to play the tenor saxophone at the age of 19, and was sufficiently competent to begin playing semi-professionally the following year. By 1982, Gelato had teamed up with the French guitarist, Patrice Serapiglia, and their small band became known as the Chevalier Brothers. Gelato gained his stage name around this time and, following success at a talent show held in London's Camden Palace, they appeared around the UK, and toured Europe and Japan playing their stylised swing revival music. The group played at the Montreux Jazz Festival, and the North Sea Jazz Festival, but by 1988 had disintegrated. Briefly working solo, Gelato then played and sang in the British film, Scandal (1989), before forming Ray Gelato and the Giants of Jive. They played at Carnegie Hall, which was filmed in 1992 for Italian television. The group also recorded Gelato Express (1993), although they disbanded the following year.
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Wikipedia