Kenny Ball will always be associated with his huge 1961 hit "Midnight in Moscow," cut in the days when it was possible for a Dixieland song to make it onto the charts. He started playing trumpet at age 15 and gained experience playing in the bands of Charlie Galbraith, Eric Delaney, and
Sid Phillips. In 1958, he formed his own group and quickly became a leader in Britain's trad jazz movement. "I Love You Samantha" was his first hit, and after "Midnight in Moscow" and "So Do I,"
Ball was set. He has remained active into the mid-'90s (touring the Soviet Union in 1985) and remained a household name in England. ~ Scott Yanow