Ray Gelato

In addition to regular headline slots at ‘Ronnie’s’, Ray has also performed throughout the UK, Europe, USA, Canada and Brazil at prestigious venues, festivals and events such as The Blue Note (NYC), Edinburgh Festival, VE Day celebrations in Trafalgar Square, Proms In The Park, Montreal Jazz Festival, Sir Paul McCartney’s wedding, The Ritz London for HM The Queen and opened for Robbie Williams at The Royal Albert Hall. Recently Ray headlined the 1940’s Torch Club at the inaugural Vintage At Goodwood Festival held in August 2010. His multiple award nominations include BBC Radio 2 Jazz Awards, Jazz Artist Of The Year, Best Of Jazz, BBC Radio 2 ‘Heart Of Jazz’ Award. In 2007 Ray won Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Award for ‘Best UK Small Band’. Gelato has performed live with his band on TV shows such as Strictly Dance Fever, ITV’s This Morning, TOTP2 , The Terry & Gaby Show and BBC News. Ray's songs have made many TV and movie appearances including Enigma, Scandal, Inventing The Abbotts, The Perfect Man, Levi’s Dockers commercial, No Reservations and most recently his version of ' If You Were The Only Girl In The World' was featured in the US TV series ‘Hung’. Ray’s first musical influences stemmed from his father, a US airman, living in London. Ray's dad had a huge collection of records by artists such as Sammy Davis, Dean Martin and Bill Haley. Later Ray discovered the sounds of Louis Jordan and Louis Prima, who would become huge influences on his music

. On taking up tenor sax as a teenager, Ray was introduced to such sax greats as, Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young, Illinois Jacquet, Ben Webster etc. Around this time, Ray would ask to sit in with any live band that would let him! It was then that he realised that music was to be his life. Now considered by many to be one of the last in a long line of classic jazz entertainers and a true showman, Ray’s live repertoire includes a mixture of classic swingin’ standards from ‘the greats’ mixed with original self- RAY GELATO GIANTS