[Dixielandjazz] Ina Ray Hutton

[Dradjazz at aol.com]

Regarding Ina Ray Hutton, you can read more about her, see a picture of the 
Melodears or stream a audio clips at my website in the extensive section 
about Women of Jazz:

http://jazzhotbigstep.com/170.html
(scroll halfway down the page until you see a headline and pics of Ina Ray &
 the Melodears)


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INA RAE HUTTON AND HER MELODEARS

Singer, and leader of the 14 piece all-female ‘Melodears,’ Ina Ray began 
her show business career tap dancing at age 8 or 9. She later appeared in 
several Broadway shows, the 1934 Ziegfield Follies, movies and television.

A platinum blonde in the jean harlow mold, Hutton fronted the Melodears 
from 1934-39. She went on to lead all-male bands through the late ‘40; 
reorganizing an all-woman band again in in the ‘50s which appeared on her nationally 
televised “Ina Ray Hutton Show.”

I would’nt call the Melodears a swing band, but a ‘big band,’ in that they 
seem to be playing mostly from the written page: tight playing of good 
arrangements, but lacking the riffing and spontaneous solos of a great swing 
orchestra. Though only a half dozen sides were commercially issued, the 
Melodears appeared in several short films in the mid-1930s.

Incidentally I don’t mean to give the impression Melodears were the only 
all-women band of the ‘30s -- just the only to make records. There were 
several all-female bands playing and touring in the late ‘30s and early ‘40s who 
did not record, such as: Darlings of Rhythm; The Harlem Play-girls; Dixie 
Rhythm Girls; Eddie Durham’s All Star Girl Orchestra and Prarie View Co-eds. 
One of the best known all-female ensembles was Phil Spitalny’s Hour of Charm 
Orchestra, with harp and strings. Neither a swing, jazz or big band, the 
very sweet, bland Hour of Charm was the complete opposite of the sassy 
Melodears fronted by ‘Blonde Bombshell” Ina Ray Hutton!