Ray Conniff
PMP Network Presents
Ray Conniff is a renowned bandleader, arranger, and composer. He discusses the evolution of music from the 1930s through the 1970s, reflecting on how new styles often echo earlier forms.
Ray Conniff
Bandleader, arranger, composer
About Ray Conniff
Ray Conniff was a bandleader, arranger, and composer who worked as a trombonist and arranger with Bunny Berigan, Bob Crosby's Bobcats, and Artie Shaw before launching his signature sound. He formed the Ray Conniff Singers in 1959 and recorded over 100 albums that sold more than 70 million copies worldwide. His 1956 album 'S Wonderful remained a best-seller for nine months, and he charted 28 Top 40 albums between 1957 and 1968.
In this interview
- Discusses how new musical styles often echo earlier forms from decades past
- Recalls the eight-to-bar rhythm popularized by Will Bradley and Ray McKinley
- Compares Beat Me Daddy eight-to-bar to later Beatles-era music
- Reflects on tremendous changes in music from the 1930s through the 1970s
“You see things that are new, but actually they're just kind of a little different twist on something that happened many years ago.”— Ray Conniff, in this interview
Since this interview
Ray Conniff died on October 12, 2002, at age 85 in Escondido, California.
