Big Jay McNeely › Similar Artists

Joe Houston - 78% match to Big Jay McNeely

1927, Austin, Texas, USA. Joe Houston was inspired to take up the saxophone after seeing Count Hastings playing with Tiny Bradshaw’s Orchestra, and lists Joe Thomas, Charlie ‘Bird’ Parker and Arnett Cobb among his other influences. By 1949 he became associated with ‘Big’ Joe Turner, and made his recording debut on Turner’s sole release on the Ro Read more

Tiny Bradshaw - 67% match to Big Jay McNeely

Myron Bradshaw, 23 September 1905, Youngstown, Ohio, USA, d. 26 November 1958, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. While studying psychology at Wilberforce University, Ohio, Bradshaw became involved in the campus’ flourishing musical subculture. He joined Horace Henderson’s Collegians as the band’s singer. In 1932, he went to New York where he played drums with several ban Read more

Nappy Brown - 62% match to Big Jay McNeely

Napoleon Brown Goodson Culp, 12 October 1929, Charlotte, North Carolina, USA. Brown began his career as a gospel singer, but moved to R&B when an appearance in Newark, New Jersey, led to a recording contract with Savoy Records in 1954. A deep-voiced, highly individual R&B singer, he had a number of hits during the 50s, including ‘Don’t Be Angry’ (1955) Read more

Roy Milton - 61% match to Big Jay McNeely

31 July 1907, Wynnewood, Oklahoma, USA, d. 18 September 1983, Los Angeles, California, USA. Growing up on his Chickasaw grandmother’s reservation, Milton encountered blues music when his family moved to Tulsa. In the late 20s, he was a vocalist with the Ernie Fields Orchestra; while on tour in Texas, he replaced the band’s drummer after the latter was arrested. He Read more

Earl Bostic - 53% match to Big Jay McNeely

Eugene Earl Bostic, 25 April 1913, Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA, d. 28 October 1965, Rochester, New York, USA. The romantic and smooth sound of Bostic’s band, usually featuring the vibes of Gene Redd, piano of Fletcher Smith, bass of Margo Gibson, drums of Charles Walton, guitar of Alan Seltzer, and the marvellous alto saxophone of Bostic, was one of the great and distinctive s Read more

Wynonie Harris - 48% match to Big Jay McNeely

24 August 1915, Omaha, Nebraska, USA, d. 14 June 1969, Los Angeles, California, USA. This stylish, flamboyant blues shouter enjoyed several R&B hit singles in the immediate post-war period. As a youth Harris played drums in and around his home town before moving to Los Angeles in the early 40s. There he played, danced, sang and worked in several non-musical capacities in Read more

The Dominoes - 47% match to Big Jay McNeely

Donnie Elbert - 44% match to Big Jay McNeely

25 May 1936, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, d. 31 January 1989. Elbert’s prolific career began in the 50s as a member of the Vibraharps. His first solo hit, ‘What Can I Do?’, was released in 1957, but the singer’s career was interrupted by a spell in the US Army. Discharged in 1961, recordings for Parkway Records and Checker then followed, before Elbert the Read more

Amos Milburn - 41% match to Big Jay McNeely

1 April 1927, Houston, Texas, USA, d. 3 January 1980, Houston, Texas, USA. After service in the US Navy in World War II, Milburn formed his own blues and R&B band in Houston in which he played piano and sang, and in 1946 he was offered a contract by the Aladdin label. Between November 1948 and February 1954 he and his band, the Aladdin Chicken Shackers, had an extraordin Read more

Bull Moose Jackson - 41% match to Big Jay McNeely

Benjamin Clarence Jackson, 22 April 1919, Cleveland, Ohio, USA, d. 31 July 1989, Cleveland, Ohio, USA. Jackson become interested in music at an early age, and received singing and violin lessons by the age of four. In high school he learned to play the saxophone, and upon his graduation in the late 30s he was hired by legendary trumpeter Freddie Webster to play alto and teno Read more

Brenda & The Tabulations - 40% match to Big Jay McNeely

This R&B vocal group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, comprising Brenda Payton (d. 14 June 1992), Jerry Jones, Eddie Jackson, and Maurice Coates, was recognizable for the fetchingly innocent-sounding vocals of Payton on a series of intensely sung ballads. Their biggest hit was their 1967 debut single on the Dionn label, ‘Dry My Eyes’ (number 8 US R&B char Read more

The Incredibles - 37% match to Big Jay McNeely

The original members of this vocal group from Los Angeles, California, USA, were lead Cal Waymon (1942, Houston, Texas, USA), Carl Gilbert (b. 1943, Toledo, Ohio, USA) and Jean Smith (b. 1945, Arkansas, USA), all graduates of Los Angeles’ Jefferson High School. Waymon, the writer and producer of the group, had a background as a folk singer, and had for a time lived in N Read more

Lee Allen - 36% match to Big Jay McNeely

2 July 1926, Pittsburg, Kansas, USA, d. 18 October 1994, Los Angeles, California, USA. One of the great tenor saxophonist session men of the classic R&B era, Allen played with a verve and excitement equalled by few musicians. He is best known for his notable instrumental hit from 1958, ‘Walkin’ With Mr. Lee’ (number 54 pop). Allen began his professional ca Read more

Young Jessie - 35% match to Big Jay McNeely

Obediah Donnell Jessie, 28 December 1936, Lincoln Manor, Dallas, Texas, USA. Young Jessie is one of the great unheralded singers of the Los Angeles R&B scene. He is best known for recording the original version of ‘Mary Lou’ (1955), which, although not a national hit, became a huge hit in California and Texas. The song was subsequently recorded with great succe Read more

The Five Keys - 33% match to Big Jay McNeely

This US R&B vocal group helped shape the rhythm and blues revolution of the early 50s. The ensemble was formed as the Sentimental Four in Newport News, Virginia, USA, in 1945, and originally comprised two sets of brothers - Rudy West (25 July 1932, Newport News, Virginia, USA, d. 14 May 1998, USA; first tenor) and Bernie West (b. 4 February 1930, Newport News, Virginia, Read more