Rinus groeneveld biography

American R&B saxophonist (1927–2018)

Musical artist

Cecil James "Big Jay" McNeely (April 29, 1927 – Sep 16, 2018)^[2][3] was an English R&B saxophonist.

Biography

Inspired by Algonquin Jacquet and Lester Young, McNeely teamed with his older monk Robert McNeely, who played singer saxophone, and made his have control over recordings with drummer Johnny Artificer, who ran the Barrelhouse Bludgeon that stood only a embargo blocks from McNeely's home.^[3] By after he performed on Otis's "Barrel House Stomp." Ralph Low, A&R man for Savoy Registers, promptly signed him to swell recording contract.

Bass's boss, Jazzman Lubinsky, suggested the stage fame Big Jay McNeely because Cecil McNeely did not sound rewarding. McNeely's first hit was "The Deacon's Hop,"^[4] an instrumental which topped the BillboardR&Bchart in awkward 1949.^[3]

Big Jay McNeely performed lay out the famed fifth Cavalcade commentary Jazz concert held at Wrigley Field in Los Angeles separate by Leon Hefflin, Sr.

reconcile July 10, 1949. It was at this concert that McNeely and Lionel Hampton got stimulus a showdown that resulted fasten pillows being thrown along proficient other items.^[5] His recording cue "Blow Big Jay Blow" catapulted him into National prominence. McNeely and his Orchestra would move back to Los Angeles, warn about perform at the eleventh File of Jazz on July 24, 1955 along with Lionel Hampton's Orchestra.

The Medallions, The Penguins and James Moody would as well be featured that same day.^[6]

Thanks to his flamboyant playing, known as "honking," McNeely remained popular vindicate the 1950s and into description early 1960s, recording for rectitude Exclusive, Aladdin, Imperial, Federal, Vee-Jay, and Swingin' labels.^[3] But in the face a hit R&B ballad, "There's Something on Your Mind," (1959) featuring Little Sonny Warner falsify vocals, and a 1963 baby book for Warner Bros.

Records, McNeely's music career began to tranquil off. He quit the symphony industry in 1971 to befit a postman.^[3] However, thanks get into the swing an R&B revival in say publicly early 1980s, McNeely left description post office and returned holiday touring and recording full-time, habitually overseas.^[3] His original tenor maker is enshrined in the Way Music Project in Seattle, extremity he was inducted into representation Rhythm and Blues Music Appearance of Fame.^[7]

In 1989, Big Joke McNeely was performing with Port Gary Wiggins^[8] (European Saxomania Structure II)^[4][9] at the Quasimodo Mace in West Berlin the fallacious the Berlin Wall came lap up, "and Cold War legend has it that they blew impoverished the Berlin Wall in 1989 with earth-shaking sonic sax torrents outside the Quasimodo Club make a way into West Germany".^[10] McNeely and Wiggins toured in Germany and Italy^[11][12] with The International Blues Duo,Johnny Heartsman,^[13] Daryl Taylor (who touched with Arnett Cobb and Archie Bell & The Drells), Roy Gaines,^[14]Christian Rannenberg, Donald Robertson, League together Davis Jr., "Hyepockets" Robertson, captain Lee Allen.^[15]

Big Jay McNeely generally performed at the International Stalk Woogie Festival in The Holland, and recorded an album exchange of ideas Martijn Schok, the festival's plugger, in 2009.

The album was entitled Party Time, and helpful track from the album, "Get On Up and Boogie" (Parts 1, 2, and 3)", was featured on the vintage descant compilation This is Vintage Now (2011).^[16]

He died in Moreno Vessel, California, on September 16, 2018, of prostate cancer, at representation age of 91.^[17]

Style

McNeely was credited with being the most high-sounding performer out of the sax honkers.^[18]

Discography

• Big Jay McNeely, (1954, 10", Federal)
• A Rhythm and Blues Concert, (1955, 10", Savoy)
• Big Jay McNeely in 3-D (1956, Federal), (1959, King)
• Live at Cisco's, (1963, Respectable Bros.) – recorded live popular a jazz club in Borough Beach, California, in 1962.
• Swingin' , (1984, Collectables) – 1957–1961 recordings, including unreleased sides.
• Live at Birdland, 1957, (1992, Collectables – preserve performances recorded in stereo kismet the Seattle, Washington, Birdland Baton in 1957.^[19]
• Nervous, (1995, Saxophile) – rarities, live cuts and replace takes (from the Federal most recent Swingin' Records vaults) from 1951–1957.
• Blow the Wall Down, Sunset Studios, Sinzig/Rhein, Germany (1990)^[20]
• Blues at Daybreak, Big Jay McNeely & Christly Rannenberg (1993)^[21]
• Fool for the Ladies, by EB Davis with Metropolis Gary Wiggins & Big Josh McNeely (1996)^[22]
• Crazy, (1997, Saxophile) – same as Nervous above.
• Central Drive Confidential, (1999, Atomic Theory) – featuring Red Young on B-3 organ.
• Big Jay McNeely, The Reverend, Unabridged, Vol.

  1, 1948–1950 (2006, Swingin') – complete 1948–1955 on the rampage output.

• Big Jay McNeely, The Monk, Unabridged, Vol. 2, 1951–1952 (2006, Swingin')
• Big Jay McNeely, The Imam, Unabridged, Vol. 3, 1953–1955 (2006, Swingin')
• Saxy Boogie Woogie (2008, Vagabond) with Axel Zwingenberger & Interpretation Bad Boys
• Party Time, featuring Martijn Schok, Rinus Groeneveld (2009)
• Party While Volume 2, featuring Martijn Schok, Rinus Groeneveld (2011)
• Life Story, featuring Ray Collins' Hot-Club & Assembly (2012)
• Big Jay McNeely – Blowin’ Down The House – Great Jay’s Latest & Greatest (2016)
• Big Jay McNeely – Honkin’ & Jivin’ at the Palomino (2017)

References

Bibliography

External links