Biography of Jimmy Raney

One of the most fluid, melodic, and enjoyable guitarists directly connected to the bop tradition, and a superior accompanist. Raney worked as a teen in local groups in both Chicago and New York, then joined Woody Herman for a short stay in 1948. Raney played with a host of groups in the late 40s and early 50s, among them Al Haig, Buddy Defranco, Artie Shaw, and Terry Gibbs and was a member of Stan Getz's quintet in 1951-1952 and later replaced Tal Farlow in Red Norvo's trio in 1953-1954. Raney then spent six years with pianist Jimmy Lyon and rejoined Getz in 1962-1963. During the remainder of the 60s and 70s, Raney did various gigs, from backing vocalists to session work. Reissues from the late 80s spotlight Raney's ability to interact with players as diverse as Sonny Clark, Sam Jones, and Billy Higgins. ~ Ron Wynn