{{Short description|American jazz violinist and saxophonist (1915–1950)}} {{for|the baseball player and manager|Ray Perry (baseball)}} {{more citations needed|date=May 2017}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Ray Perry | image = | image_upright = | image_size = | landscape = <!-- yes, if wide image, otherwise leave blank --> | alt = | caption = | background = non_vocal_instrumentalist | birth_name = | alias = | birth_date = {{birth date|1915|02|25}} | birth_place = | origin = United States | death_date = {{death year and age|1950|1915}} | death_place = | genre = Jazz | occupation = Violinist, saxophonist | instrument = Violin, saxophone | years_active = <!-- YYYY–YYYY (or –present) --> | label = | associated_acts = | website = <!-- {{URL|www.example.com}} --> }} '''Ray Perry''' (February 25, 1915 – 1950) was an American jazz violinist and saxophonist.

Perry was born in 1915 to a musical family and began playing the violin at a young age, while his brothers Joe and Bay became a baritonist and drummer, respectively. Perry sang during his violin solos, inspiring Slam Stewart to continue the practice on bass. <ref>{{allMusic | first=Scott | last=Yanow | label= Biography for Ray Perry | id= p113761 | tab = biography | accessdate=2007-02-23}} </ref> He performed more frequently on alto saxophone.

He worked bread and butter gigs with the best in the business, including Dean Earl (1935), Clarence Carter (1937–39, not the R&B singer), Blanche Calloway (1940), and Lionel Hampton (1940–43). Despite his short career, Ray Perry worked with many jazz artists, including:

*Shadow Wilson *Illinois Jacquet (1946–47, 1950) *Vernon Alley *J. C. Heard (1946) *Joe Newman *Fred Beckett *Sabby Lewis (1948) *Sir Charles Thompson *Irving Ashby

Many of his records failed to gain a wide following, but he was very successful until poor health prevented him from touring. Two of Perry's albums remain popular - ''Jumpin' Jacquet'' and ''50 Sublimes Chanteurs de Jazz''. Some of his more famous songs are ''Flyin' Home'', ''How High the Moon'', ''Love is the Thing'', ''Boog It'', and ''I Want a Little Girl''.

==References== <references />

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Perry, Ray}} Category:1915 births Category:1950 deaths Category:American jazz violinists Category:American male violinists Category:20th-century American violinists Category:20th-century American male musicians Category:American male jazz musicians

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