Alvino Rey

Alvino Rey

Source: Big Band Library

Born Alvin McBurney on 1 July 1908 in Oakland, California, steel guitarist Alvino Rey began his professional career in 1927 with the Ev Jones band. Rey is said to have invented the steel guitar at age fifteen (1923), a 1927 version of which he started playing in 1928 upon joining the Phil Spitalny Orchestra. He first debuted steel guitar on NBC radio in 1933 [KLC]. The next year he changed his name to better align with Latin jazz. ("Rey" is "king" in Spanish.) In 1934 Rey joined the Horace Heidt Orchestra. The following year he issued his prototype to the Gibson Guitar Corporation, resulting in Gibson's first commercially successful electric guitar, the ES-150.

Rey may have participated in earlier recordings on radio broadcasts with Heidt's operation, but his first determinable recordings were made with Heidt in 1937, also the year he married Luise King of the King Sisters. In 1939 Rey invented the singing guitar (vocoder talk box), not to be confused with Gilbert Wright's similar Sonovox also of 1939. Rey also formed his first orchestra in 1939, recording such as 'A Bee Gezindt' and 'In the Mood' in November that year with the Four King Sisters. Per 'Once In a While' below, that was recorded on the same date as 'Sweet Varsity Sue' issued flip side.

'Once In a While'   Alvino Rey (steel guitar) w Horace Heidt's Brigadiers

3 Oct 1937 in NYC   Matrix B 21702   Brunswick 7977

Vocal: Larry Cotton

Music: Michael Edwards   Lyrics: Bud Green

Bandcamp   Grokipedia

'For Alemite' (radio broadcast)   Alvino Rey w Horace Heidt's Alemite Brigadiers

1 Jan 1938 at Radio City Music Hall in NYC

'A Bee Gezindt'   Alvino Rey directing the Alvino Rey Orchestra

13 Nov 1939 in Hollywood   Matrix PBS-042246   Bluebird B-10512

Trumpet: J.D. Wade / Rafael Méndez / Jack Cathcart

Sax: Skeets (Arthur) Herfurt   Piano: Buddy Cole

Guitar: Dick Morgan   Upright bass: Don Whitaker

Drums: Charles Price   Vocals: Four King Sisters

Composition: Henry Nemo

'My Buddy'   Alvino Rey (steel guitar) w Luise King   Radio   1940

Apparently recorded w Gilbert Wright's Sonovox (not Rey's similar vocoder)

Composition: Rey

'The Whistler and His Dog'   Alvino Rey Orchestra

From the Soundie film 'The Whistler and His Dog' released 30 March 1941

Barking: Dick Morgan / Arthur "Skeets" Herfurt

Composition: Arthur Pryor

'St. Louis Blues'   Alvino Rey Orchestra w the Four King Sisters

From the film short 'St. Louis Blues' released 5 May 1941

Composition: W.C. Handy   1914

IMDb

Rey and his orchestra made several releases which populated Billboard's higher tiers in the forties. Those reaching a Top Ten category were:

   I Said No!   1942 at #2   Vocal by Yvonne King
   Deep in the Heart of Texas   1942 at #3   Vocals by Bill Schallen & Skeets Herfurt
   Strip Polka   1942 at #8   Vocals by the Four King Sisters
   Cement Mixer (Put-Ti Put-Ti)   1946 at #5   Vocal by Rocky Coluccio
   Near You   1947 at #3   Vocal by Jimmy Joyce
   I'm Looking Over a Four Leaf Clover   1948 at #6

'I Said No!'   Alvino Rey & His Orchestra

21 Nov 1941 in Hollywood   Matrix PBS-061915   Bluebird B-11391

Trumpet: John Fallstitch / Paul Fredricks / Danny Vanelli

Trombone: Charles Lee / Bill Schellenberger

Sax: Justin Gordon / Charles Brosen / Skeets (Arthur) Herfurt / Jerry Sanfino

Piano: Buddy Cole   Guitar: Dick Morgan   Upright bass: Sanford Block

Drums: Eddie Julian   Vocal: Yvonne King

Composition: Frank Loesser / Jule Styne

'St. Louis Blues'   Alvino Rey Orchestra

From the film 'Jam Session' released 13 April 1944

Composition: W.C. Handy   1914

Grokipedia   IMDb   TCM

'Blue Rey'   Alvino Rey & His Orchestra

Recorded sometime 1946 in NYC

See 'The Uncollected Alvino Rey Vol.2 1946' on Hindsight Records HSR-167   1981

See also 'By Request' on Hindsight Records HCD249   1993

Rey's band celebrated the grand opening of Disneyland's first season on July 18, 1955, which festivity he performed each year into the latter eighties. In the latter fifties Rey began issuing Christmas and other recordings for Warner Brothers as Ira Ironstrings. Later recordings for Warner included his Polka Marching Band.

'Five Foot Two Eyes of Blue (Has Anybody Seen My Girl?)'   Alvino Rey as Ira Ironstrings

See the album 'Charleston in HIFI' on Warner Bros. Records 1297   1959

Album cited by Way Gone Music above at Discogs

Music: Ray Henderson   Lyrics: Sam M. Lewis / Joseph Widow Young   1925

In 1965 Rey became musical director for the King Sisters, as well as for the 'King Family Show' for its run of five seasons. He formally joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1969. 1980 saw the recording of 'Dance With Me'.

'King Family Show'   Alvino Rey w the King Sisters   Television

Episode 19 on 29 May 1965

Sequence:

'Idaho' composed by Jesse Stone   1941

'I've Got a Gal in Kalamazoo' composed by Mack Gordon / Harry Warren   1942

'Tiger Rag' composed by Original Dixieland Jass Band   1917

'Guitar Boogie' composed by Arthur Smith   1945

'Nighty Night'

'Temptation'   Alvino Rey

See the album 'The Big Band Steel Guitar' on Steel Guitar Record Club No.13   1977

Music: Nacio Herb Brown   Lyrics: Arthur Freed   1933

Rey gave his last public performance in 1994, retiring with his wife, Luise, in Salt Lake City, where he died on 24 February 2004 [obit].