Ray Gelato & The Giants

Ray Gelato maintains the tradition of the great jazz showmen of the 40s and 50s, performing original arrangements on compositions from the swing era. His overflowing show brings back to jazz its humour and entertainment components. The broad sound of Gelato’s tenor saxophone, based on those of Ike Quebec and Illinois Jacquet, coupled with his style as a singer (derived from Louis Prima and Louis Armstrong) and his skills as a showman, plus the magnificent arrangements written especially for his band, make it one of the main banners of swing of our time.

Ray’s father was probably his first musical influence. An American aviator, from New Jersey, who lived in London, and brought a huge collection of records. The young Ray remembers now having listened to Sammy Davis, Dean Martin, Bill Haley, Little Richard, and many more, at home when he was a child. This love for music developed even more when Ray was a teenager, in which most of the nights you could find him in the best Rock & roll and Rhythm & blues clubs. The discovery of the sounds of Louis Jordan and Louis Prima, among many other legendary artists, that would later be huge influences on Ray’s music. In 1979, Ray began studying sax and met great names such as Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young, Jacquet Illinois, Ben Webster, etc. These teachers became great influences for Gelato.