Kenny Ball

Kenny Ball (born Kenneth Daniel Ball, 22 May 1930, Ilford, Essex,^[1] England) is an English jazz musician, best known as the lead trumpet player in Kenny Ball and his Jazzmen.

Contents 1 Career 2 The Jazzmen 3 Discography 4 References 5 External links

Career

Ball began his career as a semi-professional sideman in bands, whilst also working as a salesman and for an advertising agency. He played the trumpet in bands led by Charlie Galbraith, Sid Phillips, Eric Delaney and Terry Lightfoot before forming his own trad jazz band in 1958.^[1] His dixieland band was at the forefront of the early 1960s UK jazz revival.^[2]

In 1961 their recording of Cole Porter's 'Samantha' became a hit,^[1] and in March 1962, Kenny Ball and His Jazzmen reached both #2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart, and the UK Singles Chart, with "Midnight in Moscow".^[2] The record sold over one million copies, earning gold disc status.^[3] Further hits ensued, including a version of 'March of the Siamese Children' from 'The King and I', which topped the pop music magazine, New Musical Express chart in March that year,^[1] and such was their popularity in the UK that Ball was featured, alongside Cliff Richard, Brenda Lee, Joe Brown, Craig Douglas and Frank Ifield, on the cover of the New Musical Express in July 1962, although in the U.S. they remained a 'one-hit wonder'.

In January 1963, New Musical Express reported that the biggest trad jazz event to be staged in Britain had taken place at Alexandra Palace. The event included George Melly, Diz Disley, Bilk, Barber, Alex Welsh, Ken Colyer, Monty Sunshine, Bob Wallis, Bruce Turner, Mick Mulligan and Ball.^[4] The same year, Ball became the first British jazzman to become an honorary citizen of New Orleans.,^[3] and appeared in the 1963 film, Live It Up!, featuring Gene Vincent.^[1]

In 1968 the band appeared with Louis Armstrong during his last European tour.^[1] Ball later appeared on the BBC Television's highly rated review of the sixties music scene Pop Go The Sixties, performing "Midnight In Moscow" with his Jazzmen on the show broadcast on BBC 1, on January 1, 1970, and his continued success was aided by guest appearances on every edition of the first six series of the BBC's Morecambe and Wise Show. He later claimed that the peak of his career was when Kenny Ball and His Jazzmen played at the reception for the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana.^[1]

Ball and his band have enjoyed one of the longest unbroken spells of success for bands of their generation. Their traditional, 1960s hits like "Samantha" and "Midnight in Moscow", remain popular in dixieland and trumpet circles today, and his status rivals contemporaries Acker Bilk and Chris Barber. Their joint album, The Best of Ball, Barber and Bilk, reached #1 in the UK Albums Chart.^[5][6]

Ball continued to tour well into the 2000s. He has charted fourteen Top 50 hit singles in the UK alone, the most by any jazz artist.^[2] All such releases were issued on the Pye record label.

In 2001 Ball was part of the recording of an album on the Decca label. It featured Don Lusher, Bilk, John Chilton and the Feetwarmers, John Dankworth, Humphrey Lyttelton and Melly, and was entitled British Jazz Legends Together.

The Jazzmen

The line-up has changed greatly over the years, but the following personnel were in situ when the musical ensemble was at its commercial peak:

• Kenny Ball - (trumpet)
• John Bennett - (trombone) - still in the present day line-up
• Dave Jones - (clarinet)
• Ron Weatherburn - (piano)
• Paddy Lightfoot - (banjo)
• Ron Bowden - (drums)
• Vic Pitt - (bass)(bass guitar)

Discography

• The Big Ones Kenny Ball Style - Kapp Records (KS-3340)
• Midnight in Moscow - Kapp Records (KL-1276) - 1962

References

External links

• Kenny Ball's official website
• Jazzco Jazz Agency which represents Kenny Ball
• Kenny Ball biography and discography at 45-rpm.org.uk

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Persondata
Name	Ball, Kenny
Alternative names
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Date of birth	22 May 1930
Place of birth
Date of death
Place of death