Kenny Ball

Kenneth Daniel Ball (22 May 1930 – 7 March 2013) was an English jazz musician, best known as the bandleader, lead trumpet player and vocalist in Kenny Ball and His Jazzmen.

Career Ball was born in Ilford, Essex. At the age of 14 he left school to work as a clerk in an advertising agency, but also started taking trumpet lessons.

In 1961 their recording of Cole Porter's "Samantha" (Pye 7NJ.2040 – released February 1961) became a hit, Their next single "March of the Siamese Children" (Pye 7NJ.2051 – released February 1962), from The King and I, topped the pop music magazine New Musical Express's chart on 9 March 1962,

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, Acker Bilk, Chris Barber, Alex Welsh, Ken Colyer, Monty Sunshine, Bob Wallis, Bruce Turner, Mick Mulligan and Ball. The same year, Ball was awarded the honorary citizenship of New Orleans, 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 said 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. He charted fourteen top 40 hit singles in the UK.

Ball continued to tour until shortly before his death, his last scheduled concert being with Acker Bilk and Chris Barber at Manchester's Bridgewater Hall on 21 February 2013. He died at Basildon Hospital, Essex, where he was being treated for pneumonia.

Since 2018, the band has continued in the form of a show titled Kenny Ball's Greatest Hits, which is produced by trombonist Ian Bateman, who played many times with the band in its later years as deputy for John Bennett and then under the leadership of Kenny's son, Keith. The show features musicians who were either in Kenny's band or were involved in the 3B's shows.

The Jazzmen

The line-up changed greatly over the years, but the following personnel were in situ when the musical ensemble was at its commercial peak: Kenny Ball (trumpet); died 2013 Ron Weatherburn / Johnny Parker / Hugh Ledigo (piano) Paddy Lightfoot (banjo) Ron Bowden (drums)

– 13

– 24

– 28

2 2

88 4

87 7

– 14

– 23

– 10

– 21

– 24

– 27

– 30

– 43

Albums Invitation to the Ball – Pye Records – 1960 Kenny Ball and His Jazzmen – Pye Jazz – 1961 Gary Miller and Kenny Ball and His Jazzmen – Gary on the Ball – Pye Records – 1961 The Kenny Ball Show – Pye Jazz – 1962 Recorded Live! Kenny Ball and His Jazzmen – Kapp Records – 1962 Midnight in Moscow – Kapp Records – 1962 (No. 13, US albums chart ) The Big Ones – Kenny Ball Style – Pye Jazz – 1963 The Big Ones Kenny Ball Style – Kapp Records – 1963 Tribute to Tokyo – Pye Jazz – 1964 Hello Dolly and 14 Other Big Hits – Pye Golden Guinea Records – 1964 Kenny Ball & His Jazzmen in Berlin – Amiga – 1969 King of the Swingers – Fontana Records – 1969 At the Jazz Band Ball – Marble Arch Records – 1970 Kenny Ball and His Jazzmen in Berlin 2 – Amiga – 1970 Let's All Sing a Happy Song – Pye Records – 1973 Saturday Night at the Mill – Spiral Records – 1977 In Concert – Nevis – 1978 Cheers! – Ronco – 1979 Play the Movie Greats – Music for Pleasure – 1987 Lighting Up the Town – Intersound – 1990 Kenny Ball and His Jazzmen – Live in Concert Kenny Ball and His Jazzmen – The Golden Collection – 2007 Kenny Ball and the Jive Aces: Happy Happy Christmas – 2009 Kenny Ball's Golden Hits- Mode Disques – (unknown) Hello Dolly – Golden Hour – (unknown) King of the Swingers – Contour – (unknown)

Compilation albums Kenny Ball's Golden Hits – Marble Arch Records – 1966 The Sound Of Kenny Ball – Marble Arch Records – 1968 Golden Hour of Kenny Ball and His Jazzmen – Golden Hour – 1970 Motoring Melodies of Kenny Ball and His Jazzmen – Pye tape-only compilation – 1973 Kenny Ball and His Jazzmen, Chris Barber and His Jazz Band, Mr. Acker Bilk and His Paramount Jazz Band – The Best of Ball, Barber and Bilk – Pye Golden Guinea Records – 1975

Singles and EPs "Midnight in Moscow" – Pye Jazz – 1961 "I Still Love You All" – Pye Jazz – 1961 "Kenny's Big 4" – Pye Records – 1961 "Samantha" – Pye Records – 1961 "Kenny Ball Hit Parade" – Pye Jazz – 1961 "Kenny Ball Plays" – Pye Records – 1962 "So Do I" – Pye Jazz – 1962 "Midnight in Moscow" – Disques Vogue – 1962 "Sukiyaki" / "Hazelmere" – Vogue, Pye Records – 1962 "It's Trad, Dad!" (Kenny Ball and His Jazzmen / Bob Wallis and His Storeyville Jazzmen) – Pye Jazz – 1962 "Kenny Ball Plays" – Pye Jazz – 1962 "Sukiyaki" – Pye Jazz – 1962 "The Pay-Off" – Pye Jazz – 1962 "March of the Siamese Children" – Pye Jazz – 1962 "The Green Leaves of Summer" – Pye Jazz – 1962 "Washington Square" – Pye Jazz – 1963 "Rondo" – Pye Jazz – 1963 "Morocco '64" – Pye Records – 1963 "Serate Di Mosca" / "My Mother's Eyes" – Pye Records – 1963 "Casablanca" – Pye Jazz – 1963 "Hello Dolly" – Pye Jazz – 1964 "Rosie" (Max Bygraves / Kenny Ball and His Jazzmen) – Pye Records – 1967 "Shake 'em Up and Let 'em Roll" – Pye Records – 1970 "Listen to My Song" – Pye Records – 1971 "I'd Like to Be a Friend to You" – Pye Records – 1972 "Titillating Tango" – Pye Records – 1976 "March of the Siamese Children" – Pye Records – 1979 "I Still Love You All" – Vogue – 1981 "When I'm Sixty-Four" – Astor – (unknown) "Marocco '64" – Vogue Schallplatten – (unknown) "Cast Your Fate to the Wind" – Eric Records – (unknown) "Acapulco 1922" – Pye Jazz – (unknown) "So I Do" / "Cornet Chop Suey" – Pye Jazz – (unknown) "Brazil" – Pye Records – (unknown)