1.Basin Street blues/Sleepy time down south 2.Undecided 3.Dark eyes 4.Don't let it go to your head 5.Forget about livin' 6.That's amore 7.That's life 8.Exactly like you 9.Up a lazy river 10.Orange coloured sky 11.Apple honey 12.Under a blanket of blue 13.As time goes by 14.Since you moved in with me 15.Caterina 16.The old black magic
Ray Gelato
There's a lot of stuff that calls itself 'Swing-Jive' around these days, but these guys are the real deal!
"We've called them the kings of Italian-American swing but these cats are based in swinging London with charismatic mainman Ray workin' the clubs in Florida for most of the year. These are the guys behind the track 'Americano' which was used a while back in the Levi Dockers commercial and is a perennial favourite on the dancefloor at Vegas. The Ray Gelato Giants perform a set of swinging standards plus plenty of quality Ray Gelato originals. If you've heard Sam Butera and the Witnesses you know what to expect from the Giants." www.vegasscotland.co.uk
"Ray Gelato and the Giants' music is a joyous celebration of the bygone days of jump, jive and swing ... seek, find and enjoy." Rhythm Magazine
"Toe-tapping favourites (Up a Lazy River, That Old Black Magic) performed with verve and aplomb and Claire Martin guesting on vocals. A cheerful set of goodtime goodies in the jump/jive/jazz genre à la Louis Prima." Sheffield Telegraph
"The spirit of Harlem jump bands is alive and well in Britain. Tenor saxist and vocalist Ray Gelato leads a group who produce exuberant, happy music over a deliberately stressed-off beat much of the time, the kind of thing to get the feet tapping. There is never an attempt to produce facsimile sound of any particular band (Gelato's own preference is the vocal style of Louis Prima and the work of the great swing tenor players) but all of the music is played not only with conviction but with a real appreciation of the tradition. 'Apple honey' will bring a smile of satisfaction to the faces of all Herman fans, for this little band actually achieves the big band feel of Woody's Herd by the use of a very skilled arrangement. Ray Gelato is the principal singer although the splendid Claire Martin makes a guest appearance on two tracks." Gramophone
Ray Gelato Giants
Nominated for the first time in the small group section of the BT British Jazz Awards 1996, the Ray Gelato Giants are a band with a mission to entertain, but also a commitment to move from their popular jump 'n' jive into the mainstream of top jazz groups. As Ray says, "The arrangements are jazzier, though we still keep the humour of course: the Louis Prima thing is very important to us. We do more varied material, from the likes of Basie, Joe Williams and Ellington". Another sign of the Giants' shift of musical emphasis is the band's 1995 CD, 'The Full Flavour', featuring award-winning jazz singer Claire Martin on two tracks. It has been generally agreed that the Ray Gelato Giants have upped their jazz credentials without sacrificing one iota of their entertainment value. All this is the story of the change from 'Ray Gelato & The Giants of Jive' to 'The Ray Gelato Giants', a small but significant change that coincided with the band's first release on Linn. Tenor saxist/singer Ray Gelato first found a home for his ebullient personality in 1982 when he started playing professionally with the Chevalier Brothers, live-wire pioneers of the revival of interest in small band jump and jive of the 1940's. The Chevaliers with their 'organised chaos' soon gained a cult following on the university circuit and in London Clubs. When, in 1988, Ray formed his own band, The Giants of Jive, the band's sphere of influence extended internationally, particularly in Italy where Ray soon became a star, with tours every year from 1990 leading to many television appearances. In 1992, the band even appeared at Carnegie Hall, New York, on the same bill as the great Lionel Hampton for an Italian television special! Ray Gelato's Giants of Jive were, by any yardstick, a highly successful and enjoyable band. Over the years they starred at many of the top festivals - Molde, Nice, the JVC festival at the Royal Festival Hall. Tours of Spain, Greece and Scandinavia boosted their European reputation. But Ray decided on a change of emphasis. A major development was the arrival of tenor saxist Al Nicholls from King Pleasure & The Biscuit Boys replacing Mart Winning. Al took over the arranging from Pete Thomas, and as a result, says Ray, "It's a more musical band, freer, we're not slaves to the arrangemements". Pianist Richard Busiakiewicz also joined about the same time, a highly respected jazzer much in demand from visiting Americans like Teddy Edwards, Hal Singer and Spike Robinson. Drummer Alan Cox and ex-Pasadena Roof Orchestra trumpeter Enrico Tomasso completed the line-up of newcomers, joining Giants of Jive survivors Dave Keech (trombone) and Clark Kent (double bass - OK - Anders Janes). And what sort of music do the Giants play now? "We like to think there are no real barriers and we try to be open-minded about our music, not just a jump and jive band. That's the way we hope to develop". Commenting on a 1995 gig at Pizza On The Park, Chris Parker of The Times found that Ray Gelato conjured up "The spirit of the great jazz showmen of the past: Lionel Hampton, Louis Jordan and - his chief inspiration - Louis Prima". The Ray Gelato vocal style and repertoire make the Prima comparison inevitable, but when it comes to his tenor playing, Jack Massarik was reminded of Sam Butera, Charlie Ventura, Don Byas and Illinois Jacquet. The fact is that Ray is a fine tenor player, in demand for Echoes of Ellington gigs, and featured on the Billie Holiday tribute at Birmingham's 50's Festival. The fullness and quality of the Ray Gelato Giants' datesheet are proof that the band's reinvention of itself has been an unqualified success. Residencies at Pizza On The Park and Ronnie Scott's, Birmingham, are regular occurences: further proof, if it were needed, that their sets generate a feelgood factor which is hard to beat!
Ray Gelato Giants - classy swing and jive.