Loading detailsβ¦
Artist
The Ray Ellington Quartet
12+ albums
jazzswingUKjazzfanatics
about
Ray Ellington (17 March 1915 β 27 February 1985) was a popular English singer, drummer and bandleader. He is best known for his appearances on The Goon Show from 1951 to 1960. The Ray Ellington Quartet had a regular musical segment on the show, and Ellington also had a small speaking role in many episodes, often as a parodic African, Native American or Arab chieftain (but also often, with no attempt to change his normal accent, as a female secretary or a Scotsman). Ellington was born Henry Pitts Brown, at 155 Kennington Road, Kennington, London, the youngest of four children. His father was Harry Pitts Brown (c.1877β1920), an American black music-hall comedian and entertainer, his mother was Eva Stenkell Rosenthal (b. c.1879), a Russian Jew. His father died when Brown was four years old. Ellington was brought up as a strictly Orthodox Jew and attended the South London Jewish School (1924β30), before entering show business at the age of twelve, when he appeared in an acting role on the London stage. Ellington specialised in jazz but experimented with many other genres throughout the show's history and his musical style was heavily influenced by the comedic jump blues of Louis Jordan. Ellington's band was one of the first in the UK to feature the stripped-back guitar/bass/drums/piano format that became the basis of rock and roll, as well as being one of the first groups in Britain to prominently feature the electric guitar. They were also reputedly the first jazz band in the
top songs
albums
The Three Bears
That's Nice!
β₯
That's Nice
β₯
British Beat Before The Beatles 1955-1962
β₯
Original Hits - 50s
β₯
The World of The Goons
β₯
50's 120 Original Hits
β₯
50's 120 Original Hits Disc 1 TFM...2011.08.16
β₯
The Essential Collection
β₯
The Ray Ellington Quartet with Ray Nance - EP
β₯
Vocal Music - Troup, B. / Gay, N. / Churchill, F. / Wallace, O. C. / Mcgeoch, D. (Teddy Bears' Picnic - Nostalgic Children's Songs and Music)
β₯
50's 120 Original Hits (6 CD) CD3