|
Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZCONNIFF, Ray(b 6 November 1916, Attleboro MA; d 12 October 2002) Trombone, arranger, bandleader. He worked for Bunny Berrigan, Bob Crosby, Artie Shaw '37-41; led his own octet '41; later Harry James, Shaw again, freelance, studio work; on ABC staff NYC '54, to CBS '55. He gave up the trombone and arranged pop records for Don Cherry, Guy Mitchell, Johnnie Ray, Johnny Mathis etc. It was said to be Mitch Miller who suggested that Conniff rework his Swing Era stuff with male and female choruses, making a long series of successful and danceable easy-listening LPs, recycling standards for grownups who didn't like rock'n'roll: 37 albums reached the Billboard top 100 albums '57-73, 28 in the top 40, eleven in the top ten. (Eleven LPs charted in the UK '60-72.) Trumpeter Billy Butterfield featured on Conniff Meets Butterfield '59, Just Kidding Around '63. Two-disc set Somewhere My Love was a no. 3 LP '66, the title track (theme from Dr Zhivago) was a top ten single; Bridge Over Troubled Water was a top 50 LP '70 etc. There were more than 20 CD reissues and compilations available '97, plus several by the Ray Conniff Singers, while Ray Conniff Plays Broadway appeared late enough to include tunes from Phantom Of The Opera and Les Misérables. |