1955	Wardell Gray Chronology
	Created by Leif Bo Petersen	Last updated: December 15, 2024.
Date	Event	References/Further Details
January early	Wardell Gray – Al Hibbler Bee Hive, Chicago, IL.	“Swing Row Is My Beat,” Kansas City Call, January 7, 1955, 7.
January 19	Wardell Gray Quintet Gene Phipps (tp); Wardell Gray (ts); Tate Houston (bar); Norman Simmons (p); Victor Sproles (b); Vernell Fournier (d). Unidentified studio, Chicago, IL. Commercial recordings for Vee-Jay.	For details see: http://www.wardellgray.org/discography.html
February late	Stan Getz – Wardell Gray Release of Dawn DEP 101, Highlights in Modern Jazz 7” 45 rpm. EP record. Reissue of Seeco 10-003. Wardell Gray only appears on 101 B Stan Getz and the Al Haig Quintet Recorded December May 12, 1949 DEP 101 A Pennies From Heaven Skull Buster Wardell Gray and the Al Haig Quintet Recorded December 1948/January mid 1949 DEP 101 B It’s the Talk of the Town Sugar Hill Bop	“Jazz Opinion Via the Family Plan,” San Francisco Examiner, February 27, 1955, 18.
February late?	Stan Getz – Wardell Gray Release of Dawn 45-204. 7” 45 rpm. single record. Reissue of Seeco 10-003B. Wardell Gray only appears on 45-205 B Stan Getz and the Al Haig Quintet Recorded December May 12, 1949 45-204 A Pennies From Heaven Wardell Gray and the Al Haig Quintet Recorded December 1948/January mid 1949 45-204 B It’s the Talk of the Town
February late/March early	Wardell Gray Band Including Sonny Stitt (as); Philly Joe Jones (d).. Blue Note, Philadelphia, PA.	L. Porter (ed.), The John Coltrane Reference (2008), 97.
February early	Count Basie Release of Epic LG 1021. The Old count and the New Count 10” 33 rpm. record. Wardell Gray only appears on Nails, Howzit, and Little White Lies. Count Basie and His orchestra Epic LG 1021 A Recorded August 8, 1940 The World Is Mad (part I) The World Is Mad (part II) April 5, 1939. Miss Thing (part I) Miss Thing (part I)I Epic LG 1021 B Recorded April 10, 1951. Nails November 3, 1950. I’ll Remember April Recorded April 10, 1951. Howzit Little White Lies	Ad for House of Jazz, Down Beat , February 9, 10 Ad Epic LG 1021. “Some Basie Issues and Other Albums,” San Francisco Chronicle, March 6, 1955, This World 19.
February early	Count Basie Release of Epic EG 7029. 7” 45 rpm. EP record. Count Basie and His Orchestra Recorded April 10, 1951. EG 7029 A Howzit EG 7029 B Nails	“Some Basie Issues and Other Albums,” San Francisco Chronicle, March 6, 1955, This World 19.
March	Wardell Gray Possibly John Jenkins (as); Wardell Gray (ts); Norman Simmons (p); Victor Sproles (b); Bert Dahlander (d). Bee Hive Lounge, Chicago, IL. March? 1955. Private recordings exist .	For details see: http://www.wardellgray.org/discography.html .
March	Wardell Gray Including Pepper Adams (as & bars). Prob. Klein’s, Detroit, MI.	http://www.pepperadams.com/Chronology/EarlyYears.html
March 31	Frank Morgan Septet Conte Candoli (tp); Frank Morgan (as); Wardell Gray (ts); Carl Perkins (p); Howard Roberts (g); Leroy Vinnegar (b); Lawrence Marable (d) Unidentified studio, Los Angeles, CA. Commercial recordings for Gene Norman Presents.	For details see: http://www.wardellgray.org/discography.html
April 2	Jazz a la Carte Concert Ella Fitzgerald Dave Brubeck Quartet Including Paul Desmond. Red Norvo Trio Including Tal Farlow. Modern Jazz All Stars Wardell Gray, Zoot Sims, Harry Edison, Arnold Ross, Jackie Mills, John Simmons, Conte Candoli, and Barney Kessel. Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, CA. Irving Granz (prod.).	“Jazz a la Carte,” Daily Trojan, Friday, April 1, 1955, 2. Ad in Daily Trojan, Friday, April 1, 1955, 2.
Probably Spring	Wardell Gray Release of Vee-Jay VJ 235 10” 78 rpm. record. Vee-Jay VJ 135 7” 45 rpm. single record. Wardell Gray and His Quintette Recorded January 19, 1955. VJ 135 A Oscar’s Blues VJ 135 B Hey There
May 17?	Jam session Jack Millman (flh), Wardell Gray (ts), Leroy Vinegar (b), Lawrence Marable (d), a. o. Jazz City, Hollywood, CA. A Tuesday night few days before Wardell Gray’s death.	Photo in Malcolm Walker Collection. http://www.wardellgray.org/photogalleryp4.html
May 23	Benny Carter Orchestra New Moulin Rouge Hotel, Las Vegas, NV. Rehearsals for the Tropi-Can-Can Revue.	“Wardell Gray Slain…” Chicago Defender, June 4, 1955, 1: photo of Wardell Gray with the chorus line two days before his death.
May 24	New Moulin Rouge Hotel. Official opening of New Moulin Rouge Hotel, Las Vegas, NV.	“Music Notes,” Variety (Daily), May 23, 1955, 8: Hotel opens Tuesday (24).
May 25	Wardell Gray Las Vegas, NV. In a pause between first and second set of the show at Moulin Rouge (7:30–8:00 p.m.) Wardell Gray dies of an overdose of heroin in dancer Teddy Hale’s apartment. Hale subsequently transports the body to a ditch 4 miles outside Las Vegas.	“Wardell Gray Slain…” Chicago Defender, June 4, 1955, 1. “Gray Buried in Detroit Teddy Hale Gets 90 Days,” Chicago Defender, June 11, 1955, 1. Teddy Edwards interviewed in Cadence Magazine, vol. 20, No. 4, April 1994, 16.
May 26	Benny Carter Orchestra New Moulin Rouge Hotel, Las Vegas, NV. Official premiere of the Tropi-Can-Can Revue. Wardell Gray’s dead body is found at 4 p.m. few hours before the opening of the revue.	“Nitery Review: Moulin Rouge,” Variety (Daily), May 27, 1955, 8: Review of opening night dated May 26. “Wardell Gray Slain…” Chicago Defender, June 4, 1955, 1.