Ray Ventura

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Raymond Ventura (April 16, 1908, Paris - March 30, 1979, Palma de Mallorca, Spain) was a French jazz bandleader. He played a significant role in popularizing jazz in France in the 1930s.^[1]

Ventura played piano in a group called The Collegiate Five from 1924, which recorded under the name The Collegians for Columbia Records in 1928 and subsequently. He led the group from 1929 and recorded for Decca Records and other labels through the 1930s, becoming a popular dance ensemble in France in that decade. His sidemen included Philippe Brun, Alix Combelle, and Guy Paquinet. He led a big band in South America in 1942-44 before returning to lead a group in France from 1945-49.