1. Ray Willis Nance was an American jazz trumpeter, violinist and singer.
12 Facts About Ray Nance
2.
Ray Nance is best remembered for his long association with Duke Ellington and his orchestra.
3.
Ellington hired Nance to replace trumpeter Cootie Williams, who had joined Benny Goodman, in 1940.
4.
Ray Nance's first recorded performance with Ellington was at the Fargo, North Dakota ballroom dance.
5.
Shortly after joining the band, Ray Nance was given the trumpet solo on the earliest recorded version of "Take the "A" Train", which became the Ellington theme.
6.
Ray Nance was often featured on violin, and was the only violin soloist ever featured in Ellington's orchestra.
7.
Ray Nance is one of the better known male vocalists associated with Ellington's orchestra.
8.
Ray Nance was absent from the Duke Ellington Orchestra for three or four months in 1946, including the date of that year's Carnegie Hall concert.
9.
In 1949, Ray Nance participated, along with Ellington sidemen Russell Procope, Johnny Hodges and Sonny Greer on several Ivory Joe Hunter sessions, for King Records of Cincinnati.
10.
Ray Nance left Ellington in 1963 during their Middle East tour after having played alongside his returned predecessor Cootie Williams for a year.
11.
Ray Nance continued to make several guest appearances in the orchestra over the years and later toured and recorded in England in 1974.
12.
Ray Nance made a few recordings as a bandleader, and recorded or performed with Earl Hines, Rosemary Clooney, Jaki Byard, Chico Hamilton and others.