Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Ray Wetzel was born on September 22, 1924 in Parkersburg, West Virginia. He played lead trumpet for Woody Herman from 1943 to 1945 and for Stan Kenton from 1945 to 1948. He recorded in 1947 with the Metronome All-Stars, Vido Musso and Neal Hefti before marrying bass player Bonnie Addleman in 1949.
While with the Charlie Barnet Orchestra in 1949, he played trumpet alongside Maynard Ferguson, Doc Severinsen and Rolf Ericson. He played with his wife in Tommy Dorsey’s ensemble in 1950 and with Kenton again in 1951.
Never recording as a leader, he did however compose the Stan Kenton tune “Intermission Riff”. While touring with Dorsey in 1951, trumpeter Ray Wetzel was killed in a car crash at the age of 27 on August 17, 1951 in Sedgwick, Colorado.
