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2 unusual facts about Big Jay McNeely


Big Jay McNeely

The honking style was fading somewhat by the early 1950s, but the honkers themselves suddenly found themselves providing rousing solos for doo wop groups; an example was Sam "The Man" Taylor's eight-bar romp on The Chords' 1954 "Sh-Boom." Bill Haley also used honking sax men Joey D'Ambrosio and Rudy Pompilli on his rock and roll records, including "Rock Around the Clock."

Ermelo

In 2010 the latter featured amongst others pianist Little Willie Littlefield and saxophonist Big Jay McNeely.


Ron Kavana

During this era, Kavana and members of the band toured and recorded with many legendary American acts, including Big Jay McNeely, Clarence "Frogman" Henry, Willie Egan, Dr. John, Doug Sahm, Augie Meyers and Flaco Jiminez, Wallace Davenport, Gatemouth Brown, Memphis Slim, Champion Jack Dupree, and Slim Gaillard.

There's Something on Your Mind

The song was originally recorded as "There Is Something on Your Mind" in 1957 by Big Jay McNeely and his band in a small Seattle recording studio, and leased more than a year later to Los Angeles disc jockey Hunter Hancock's Swingin' Records label, where it reached #42 on Billboards pop chart and number 2 on the R&B chart in early 1959.


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