Mitchell Ayres

Photo of Mitchell Ayres

The Mitchell Ayres Orchestra was a cooperative effort founded in the mid-1930s by former members of the Little Jack Little Orchestra. Violinist Ayres served as president and front man. An atypical collection of performers, the band at first glance appeared more like a group of homely scientists than an orchestra. Nevertheless, they proved themselves one of the more musical hotel ballroom bands. Using the catch phrase “Fashions in Music,” they employed a unique sound that emphasized melody. The orchestra never truly swung hard but did present good arrangements, specializing in novelty numbers and swing versions of the classics.

Born in Milwaukee, Ayres was considered a violin prodigy as a teenager but put aside his musical studies to attend Columbia University in New York, where he became an all-around athlete. After graduation, he returned to the violin and took a job with the pit band at the Roxy Theater. He later played with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra before joining his first dance band, led by Jimmy Carr. After working with Ben Marden, he ended up with Little Jack Little. When Little walked away from his orchestra in late 1936, the musicians decided to continue on as a cooperative unit, electing Ayres as their leader.

Bandleading Years

The band spent the first eight months of 1937 at the Hollywood Restaurant in New York, where they began to attract attention, signing with Master Recordings in early spring and making sides for the Variety label. Ruth Gaylor was vocalist by April, with songwriter Abner Silver recording one of his songs with them that same month. When Ayres left the Hollywood in August to begin a road tour, Gaylor stayed behind at the club. Mary Ann Mercer had joined as female vocalist by January 1938. Competent on ballads and novelty numbers, she remained with the band for three-and-a-half years, becoming one of its star attractions.

Ayres recorded on Vocalion in early 1939 and later that year signed with RCA Victor, where the band was placed with their Bluebird subsidiary, becoming one of the label’s top selling artists. Tommy Taylor joined as male vocalist in late 1939. He and Mercer made a formidable duo, often singing and recording together. In late 1940, Ayres brought in trombone player and singer Warren Covington, who remained with the band through at least mid-1942. 1940 also saw the addition of comedy singer Gee Gee, who performed child and animal roles in novelty songs.

Mid-1941 saw big changes in Ayres’ vocal lineup. Taylor left the band in July 1941, wooed away by Benny Goodman, with Mercer leaving in August for radio work. Trumpet player and novelty vocalist Johnny Bond joined the band to replace Taylor, with Meredith Blake taking Mercer’s position. Gee Gee was gone by the end of the year. Both Bond and Blake left in October 1942. By March 1943, Dick Dyer and Ruth McCullough were vocalists. Bond returned in May 1943. Other vocalists over the years included Frances Holbrook, Marilyn Day, Roberta Quinlan, and Dick Craig, though no dates are found for their time with the band.

In early 1943, Ayres began an association with the Andrews Sisters, the two acts having the same management. Ayres toured with the sisters, backing them during shows. When the Paramount Theater in New York tried to book another band in place of Ayres as part of an Andrews Sister appearance, the sisters held firm and forced theater management to hire Ayres instead. The orchestra appeared in two films with the Andrews Sisters, their first being Universal’s 1943 musical western Moonlight and Cactus, where they play members of a merchant marine band who end up on a California ranch run by girl cowhands. Swingtime for Johnny soon followed, which also featured Harriet Hilliard, of Ozzie and Harriet fame.

Break-up and Post-Band Career

In early 1944, the draft board reclassified Ayres as 1-A. When he faced induction in April, the band voted to carry on without him while still using his name, bringing in female trumpet player Stelle Slavin as their new leader. Due to Ayres’ age and new draft regulations, however, selective service suspended his induction, and he rejoined the band as it returned to the East Coast, ending a grueling 42 weeks on the road.

Once back in New York, McCullough and Dyer both left for Sonny Dunham. Jimmy Foster came in on vocals, but at that point most of the musicians decided that they didn’t want to go out on tour again, and they voted to disband, with several of the members heading to the West Coast. Ayres then settled into leading the studio orchestra on Jack Pepper’s CBS radio program, with seven of his former musicians joining him. In August, he organized a new orchestra for a date at the Paramount Theater to back the Andrews Sisters but decided not to form a permanent touring unit, preferring to remain in New York and on the Pepper show.

In 1945, Ayres became the musical director for Columbia Records, where he stayed until early 1949. He also orchestrated several television programs, including that of Perry Como, for whom he worked from 1948 throughout the 1950s. Mitchell Ayres passed away in 1969 when he was struck by an automobile while crossing the street in Las Vegas.

Vocalist Timeline

1937
1938
1939
1940
1941
1942
1943
1944
Ruth Gaylor
Mary Ann Mercer
Tommy Taylor
Gee Gee
Warren Covington
Johnny Bond
Meredith Blake
Dick Dyer
Ruth McCullough

Note: Dates may be approximate. Some vocalists may not be listed due to lack of information on their dates of employment.

Sources

  1. “Orchestra Notes.” Billboard 17 Apr. 1937: 14.
  2. “Night Club Reviews: Hollywood Restaurant, N.Y.” Billboard 1 May 1937: 18.
  3. Ayres, Mitchell. “Ayres Particular As Hell About Arrangements.” Down Beat Sep. 1937: 3.
  4. Advertisement. “Mitchell Ayres.” Billboard 6 Nov. 1937: 27.
  5. “Club Chatter.” Billboard 20 Nov. 1937: 24.
  6. Advertisement. “Season's Greetings from Mitchell Ayres.” Billboard 1 Jan. 1938: 25.
  7. “Night Club Reviews: Village Barn, New York.” Billboard 2 Jul. 1938: 18.
  8. “The Reviewing Stand: Mitchell Ayres and His 'Fashions in Music.'” Billboard 21 Oct. 1939: 12.
  9. “New Names Will Appear on Disks.” Billboard 16 Dec. 1939: 68.
  10. “Vaudeville Reviews: Paramount, New York.” Billboard 20 Apr. 1940: 22.
  11. Advertisement. “Mitchell Ayres.” Warren Times-Mirror [Warren, Pennsylvania] 11 Jul. 1940: 2.
  12. “Tommy Taylor Honored.” Down Beat 15 Aug. 1940: 23.
  13. Advertisement. “Mitchell Ayres.” Billboard 28 Sep. 1940: 40.
  14. “Mitchell Ayres.” Billboard 9 Nov. 1940: 4.
  15. “Mitchell Ayres Gets New Theme From Tchaikowsky.” Down Beat 15 Dec. 1940: 13.
  16. “Night Club Reviews: Hotel St. George, Bermuda Terrace, Brooklyn.” Billboard 21 Dec. 1940: 18.
  17. “On the Records: Mitchell Ayres.” Billboard 15 Feb. 1941: 67.
  18. “The Yankees Got Their Kicks.” Down Beat 15 May 1941: 20.
  19. Oldfield, Barney. “Theater Topics.” Billboard 25 May 1941: D-6.
  20. “Tommy Taylor To Goodman.” Down Beat 15 Jul. 1941: 2.
  21. “Orchestra Notes.” Billboard 6 Sep. 1941: 11.
  22. Doudna, William L. “Notes for You...” The Wisconsin State Journal [Madison, Wisconsin] 3 Oct. 1941: 1, 9.
  23. “New Ayres Singer.” Down Beat 1 Nov. 1941: 13.
  24. “Joins Bob Strong.” Down Beat 1 Jan. 1942: 6.
  25. “Al Donahue, Sellout; Mitchell Ayres Ditto.” Down Beat 1 Feb. 1942: 8.
  26. “Vaudeville Reviews: Hippodrome, Baltimore.” Billboard 13 Jun. 1942: 16.
  27. “Vaudeville Reviews: State, New York.” Billboard 19 Sep. 1942: 16.
  28. “It's Meredith.” Down Beat 15 Nov. 1942: 16.
  29. “Orchestra Notes.” Billboard 13 Feb. 1943: 23.
  30. “Vaudeville Reviews: Lyric, Indianapolis.” Billboard 3 Apr. 1943: 14.
  31. “Vaudeville Reviews: Earle, Philadelphia.” Billboard 12 Jun. 1943: 16.
  32. “Vaudeville Reviews: Paramount, New York.” Billboard 3 Jul. 1943: 18.
  33. “Band Dug by the Beat: Mitchell Ayres.” Down Beat 15 Jul. 1943: 13.
  34. “Ayres Canary.” Down Beat 15 Jul. 1943: 14.
  35. “Ayres Draws Another Pic.” Down Beat 15 Oct. 1943: 4.
  36. “Mitch Ayres Band Plays Wide Open Spaces.” Down Beat 15 Oct. 1943: 6.
  37. “On the Beat in Hollywood.” Down Beat 15 Oct. 1943: 7.
  38. “Mitch Ayres Set For Khaki Drape.” Down Beat 15 Mar. 1944: 1.
  39. “Mitch Asks His Men To Pick New Leader.” Down Beat 15 Apr. 1944: 1.
  40. “'Over 26' Draft Order to Keep Orks Together.” Down Beat 1 May 1944: 1.
  41. “Vaudeville Reviews: State, New York.” Billboard 6 May 1944: 26.
  42. “Vaudeville Reviews: State, New York.” Billboard 13 May 1944: 26.
  43. “Ex-Mitch Ayres Bandsmen Audition for Commercial.” Billboard 10 Jun. 1944: 11.
  44. “Chicago Band Briefs.” Down Beat 15 Jun. 1944: 4.
  45. “Strictly Ad Lib.” Down Beat 1 Aug. 1944: 5.
  46. “Mitch Ayres May Re-Form For Date.” Down Beat 15 Aug. 1944: 2.
  47. “Mitch Ayres Plans To Remain In NYC.” Down Beat 15 Sep. 1944: 1.
  48. “Vaudeville Reviews: Paramount, New York.” Billboard 16 Sep. 1944: 26.
  49. “Gets Singing Lead.” Down Beat 8 Sep. 1948: 9.
  50. “Ayres To Conduct Como Radio Show.” Down Beat 22 Sep. 1948: 2.
  51. “Ayres Assembles New Studio Crew.” Down Beat 20 Oct. 1948: 6.
  52. “Capsule Comments.” Down Beat 29 Dec. 1948: 11.
  53. “Hugo In For Ayres.” Down Beat 22 Apr. 1949: 16.
  54. “Fantastic.” Down Beat 21 Oct. 1949: 3.