All   about   Ray   Conniff   is   featured   in   The   Ray   Conniff   Encyclopedia    on   its   411   pages   (downloadable,   searchable   pdf-file,   ca. 29 MB). The latest version is dated August 7, 2025. In order to view or download it, click on the cover scan above.
March 31, 2021, April 15/20/28 / May 15, 2021/ January 23, 2022 / February 10, 2022:
Ray Conniff‘s second album “DANCE THE BOP“ was recorded in mono only, but thanks to DES*-technology (*Digitally Extracted Stereo) quite a few tracks from this album are now available in glorious stereo. Click on the scans on the left and below and enjoy! (Thanks to Bob Zwolinski, who produced two of them., others are by Jacob6657 and Clemens.) Also, check YouTube and other channels for more.
Added April 15, 2021: “Hand Around“; added April 20, 2021: “Honky- Tonk Rock Around“, added April 28, 2021: “Just Boppin‘“ (audio produced by Jacob6657, video by Clemens); added May 15: “Walkin‘ and Whistlin‘“ and “Monica Lewis‘ ‘Somebody Else Will‘“ / Click on the scans of the other ones and enjoy!
July 2, 2021:
Attention, vinyl lovers: On July 30, 2021 a compilation 12“ LP was released (at least in Germany) with the title LATIN ROCK. Originally, it was a 10“ LP with 8 tracks released in Japan. The 12“ LP features 18 tracks from Ray‘s early albums. For details click on the scan on the right. Available from e.g. jpc.de and amazon.de.
Released Sept. 24, 2021: An Lp titled THE BEST OF RAY CONNIFF
October 5, 2024:
Join us for a special screening of A Life in Rhythm: The Ray Conniff Story at the GRAMMY Museum in Los Angeles, celebrating the legacy of one of American music’s most innovative arrangers. The event will feature a panel discussion with Tamara Conniff, Ray Conniff’s daughter, and a distinguished music executive who has held leadership roles at Roc Nation, AMR Songs, and was the first female Editor-in-Chief of Billboard Magazine. Joining her will be the film’s director, Jonathan McHugh, who brings his extensive experience producing films about pop culture icons like Justin Bieber, Britney Spears, and Snoop Dogg. The discussion will be moderated by Schyler O'Neal, Sr. Manager of Education and Community Engagement at the GRAMMY Museum. The evening will also include a live performance by students from the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz, paying tribute to Conniff’s enduring impact on modern music. This special program is made possible thanks to the generous support of the Ray & Vera Conniff Foundation.
This is the website that has collected decades of information about Ray Conniff's extraordinary and long career. Here you will find details about his recordings, musicians and singers he worked with and much more. It is written, designed, created, and maintained by Manfred Thönicke in Hamburg, Germany.
On a personal note: My radio show „Listen Up with Manfred“ on internet radio station Humboldt 101 ended in July 2025. If you want to listen to the last shows (again), click on the picture on the left.
Ray Conniff's timeless We Wish You A Merry Christmas has been the holiday soundtrack for generations of families. This beloved platinum chart-topping holiday classic is on 180 gram vinyl (Del Ray Records DR10034), and remastered for superior quality. This is a must-have for collectors! Includes: Ring Christmas Bells, The Twelve Days of Christmas, Deck The Halls, The Little Drummer Boy, We Wish You A Merry Christmas.
November 16, 2024:
November 16, 2024:
Jonathan McHugh and Tamara Conniff at the Grámmy Museum on October 12, 2024
December 7, 2024 / January 23, 2025:
50 years ago, Ray Conniff was the first artist from the USA to record an album in the (then) Soviet Union. In order to celebrate the 50th anniversary of RAY CONNIFF IN MOSCOW, fan club member Igor Karpov wrote an article about it for the Paul Mauriat Fan Club of Russia. Click on the album cover on the left and read it in English. The link to the original article (in cyrillic) is in it. Added on January 23, 2025 a hitherto unpublished story from the memoirs of Irina Palmova, a well-known Russian authoress about an incident that happened during her encounter with the Conniffs in Moscow in 1974.
Search YouTube for more tracks by Ray in DES.
June 7, 2025:
The European premiere of A LIFE IN RHYTHM - THE RAY CONNIFF STORY took place during a Ray Conniff Fan Reunion in Haarlem (The Netherlands) on May 24, 2025. The fans applauded after the screening and found the documentary both very informative and entertaining. Tamara wrote, “This film will be played in a number of music schools as part of their curriculum, which was part of my goal. I purposely tried to make it appeal to the next generation. It will also be available to stream once we finish.“
The world premiere of the documentary A LIFE IN RHYTHM: THE RAY CONNIFF STORY took place at the Woodstock Film Festival on October 18. Following the screening the Q&A was moderated by BMI’s Vice President, Creative, Film, TV & Visual Media; Tracy Mcknight featuring the films New Yorker born and bred director Jonathan McHugh, producer and Ray Conniff’s daughter Tamara and the films Woodstock based composer David Kitay. After the brief Q&A, local orchestral musicians/singers from the Woodstock community and Bard College performed a short set of Ray Conniff’s classic arrangements music directed and conducted by Kitay. The show closed with New York City based DJ Javi performing a brief set of remixed versions of Ray's songs that have been sampled by new artists as well as featured in films & TV commercials as well. The set closed with an original DJ Javi remix world premiered that night! This show is a perfect musical combination of the best of music of the 50’s- 70’s (when Ray topped the charts and sold millions of albums) updated into the contemporary music of 2024. Jonathan McHugh’s documentary A Life in Rhythm: The Ray Conniff Story chronicles the life and legacy of Ray Conniff. From his beginnings as a trombonist/arranger during the heyday of swing working with Bunny Berigan, Bob Crosby and Artie Shaw to his acclaim as the leader of his own orchestra and chorus, Grammy winner Ray Conniff is among the few musicians to have had a successful career that spanned 65 years. He recorded over 100 studio albums, selling over 70 million copies, and created the “Ray Conniff Sound” by being the first to use voices to double as instruments on his recordings. Through personal interviews and vibrant performances, this is a heartfelt tribute to an international musical legend whose melodies continue to inspire.
A LIFE IN RHYTHM - THE RAY CONNIFF STORY is a feature-length documentary about the lasting impact of Grammy Award winner Ray Conniff. From his roots as a trombonist and arranger during the golden age of Swing with Bunny Berigan, Bob Crosby, Artie Shaw, to his rise as the creator of the world-renowned “Ray Conniff Sound,” the film traces his evolution as one of America's most beloved musical figures. Visit https://www.therayconniffstory.com and sign up with your email address to receive news and updates from the Ray Conniff Estate. Also browse the subpages, such as the gallery at https://www.therayconniffstory.com/archive.
CURRENT NEWS:
ARCHIVED NEWS:
June 9, 2018:
In early May I was granted permission by Tamara Conniff to examine her dad‘s diaries and tons of material, such as photographs, vídeos, audio tapes etc. All the information I collected will gradually go into The Ray Conniff Encyclopedia. Check it out often for updates, corrections, modifications etc.
Doug Mitchell, Warren Pischke, Greyson Ray and Kevin DaProza, Tamara Conniff-DaProza, Manfred Thönicke, Ken Conlin, Perry and Tricia La Marca
One of my findings was a 27 page promo set for Ray Conniff‘s 1963 West Coast Tour. Click here or on the scan on the left to study it.
July 11, 2018:
February 23, 2017:
An interview with Ray Conniff by Wink Martindale (about 40 minutes) can be downloaded as an audiobook by clicking on the picture on the left. To me, it has been unknown so far. Enjoy! Some statements by Ray concerning Johnny Mathis and his recording of “The welfth of Never” are also included in another Wink Martindale interview (36 min). These audio books are available from Amazon worldwide.
The Ray Conniff Page  
This is the website that has collected decades of information about Ray Conniff's extraordinary and long career. Here you will find details about his recordings, musicians and singers he worked with and much more. It is written, designed, created, and maintained by Manfred Thönicke in Hamburg, Germany.
All      about      Ray      Conniff      is featured   in   The   Ray   Conniff Encyclopedia       on      its      411 pages                 (downloadable, searchable     pdf-file,     ca.     29 MB).     The     latest     version     is dated August   7,   2025.   In   order to   view   or   download   it,   click   on the cover scan on the left.
On a personal note: My radio show „Listen Up with Manfred“ on internet radio station Humboldt 101 ended in July 2025. If you want to listen to the last shows (again), click on the picture on the left.
Ray Conniff‘s second album “DANCE THE BOP“ was recorded in mono only, but thanks to DES*-technology (*Digitally Extracted Stereo) quite a few tracks from this album are now available in glorious stereo. Click on the scans on the left and below and enjoy! (Thanks to Bob Zwolinski, who produced two of them., others are by Jacob6657 and Clemens.) Also, check YouTube and other channels for more.
Added April 15, 2021: “Hand Around“; added April 20, 2021: “Honky-Tonk Rock Around“, added April 28, 2021: “Just Boppin‘“ (audio produced by Jacob6657, video by Clemens); added May 15: “Walkin‘ and Whistlin‘“ and “Monica Lewis‘ ‘Somebody Else Will‘“ / Click on the scans of the other ones and enjoy!
Attention, vinyl lovers: On July 30, 2021 a compilation 12“ LP was released (at least in Germany) with the title LATIN ROCK. Originally, it was a 10“ LP with 8 tracks released in Japan. The 12“ LP features 18 tracks from Ray‘s early albums. For details click on the scan on the right. Available from e.g. jpc.de and amazon.de.
Released Sept. 24, 2021: An Lp titled THE BEST OF RAY CONNIFF
Join us for a special screening of A Life in Rhythm: The Ray Conniff Story  at the GRAMMY Museum in Los Angeles, celebrating the legacy of one of American music’s most innovative arrangers. The event will feature a panel discussion with Tamara Conniff, Ray Conniff’s daughter, and a distinguished music executive who has held leadership roles at Roc Nation, AMR Songs, and was the first female Editor-in-Chief of Billboard Magazine. Joining her will be the film’s director, Jonathan McHugh, who brings his extensive experience producing films about pop culture icons like Justin Bieber, Britney Spears, and Snoop Dogg. The discussion will be moderated by Schyler O'Neal, Sr. Manager of Education and Community Engagement at the GRAMMY Museum. The evening will also include a live performance by students from the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz, paying tribute to Conniff’s enduring impact on modern music. This special program is made possible thanks to the generous support of the Ray & Vera Conniff Foundation.
Ray Conniff's timeless We Wish You A Merry Christmas has been the holiday soundtrack for generations of families. This beloved platinum chart-topping holiday classic is on 180 gram vinyl (Del Ray Records DR10034), and remastered for superior quality. This is a must-have for collectors! Includes: Ring Christmas Bells, The Twelve Days of Christmas, Deck The Halls, The Little Drummer Boy, We Wish You A Merry Christmas.
Jonathan McHugh and Tamara Conniff at the Grámmy Museum on October 12, 2024
December 7, 2024 / January 23, 2025:
50 years ago, Ray Conniff was the first artist from the USA to record an album in the (then) Soviet Union. In order to celebrate the 50th anniversary of RAY CONNIFF IN MOSCOW, fan club member Igor Karpov wrote an article about it for the Paul Mauriat Fan Club of Russia. Click on the album cover on the left and read it in English. The link to the original article (in cyrillic) is in it. Added on January 23, 2025 a hitherto unpublished story from the memoirs of Irina Palmova, a well-known Russian authoress about an incident that happened during her encounter with the Conniffs in Moscow in 1974.
Search YouTube for more tracks by Ray in DES.
CURRENT NEWS:
ARCHIVED NEWS:
In early May I was granted permission by Tamara Conniff to examine her dad‘s diaries and tons of material, such as photographs, vídeos, audio tapes etc. All the information I collected will gradually go into The Ray Conniff Encyclopedia. Check it out often for updates, corrections, modifications etc.
Doug Mitchell, Warren Pischke, Greyson Ray and Kevin DaProza, Tamara Conniff-DaProza, Manfred Thönicke, Ken Conlin, Perry and Tricia La Marca
One of my findings was a 27 page promo set for Ray Conniff‘s 1963 West Coast Tour. Click here or on the scan on the left to study it.
An interview with Ray Conniff by Wink Martindale (about 40 minutes) can be downloaded as an audiobook by clicking on the picture on the left. To me, it has been unknown so far. Enjoy! Some statements by Ray concerning Johnny Mathis and his recording of “The welfth of Never” are also included in another Wink Martindale interview (36 min). These audio books are available from Amazon worldwide.
A LIFE IN RHYTHM - THE RAY CONNIFF STORY is a feature-length documentary about the lasting impact of Grammy Award winner Ray Conniff. From his roots as a trombonist and arranger during the golden age of Swing with Bunny Berigan, Bob Crosby, Artie Shaw, to his rise as the creator of the world-renowned “Ray Conniff Sound,” the film traces his evolution as one of America's most beloved musical figures. Visit https://www.therayconniffstory.com and sign up with your email address to receive news and updates from the Ray Conniff Estate. Also browse the subpages, such as the gallery at https://www.therayconniffstory.com/archive.
November 16, 2024:
November 16, 2024:
The world premiere of the documentary A LIFE IN RHYTHM: THE RAY CONNIFF STORY took place at the Woodstock Film Festival on October 18. Following the screening the Q&A was moderated by BMI’s Vice President, Creative, Film, TV & Visual Media; Tracy Mcknight featuring the films New Yorker born and bred director Jonathan McHugh, producer and Ray Conniff’s daughter Tamara and the films Woodstock based composer David Kitay. After the brief Q&A, local orchestral musicians/singers from the Woodstock community and Bard College performed a short set of Ray Conniff’s classic arrangements music directed and conducted by Kitay. The show closed with New York City based DJ Javi performing a brief set of remixed versions of Ray's songs that have been sampled by new artists as well as featured in films & TV commercials as well. The set closed with an original DJ Javi remix world premiered that night! This show is a perfect musical combination of the best of music of the 50’s- 70’s (when Ray topped the charts and sold millions of albums) updated into the contemporary music of 2024. Jonathan McHugh’s documentary A Life in Rhythm: The Ray Conniff Story chronicles the life and legacy of Ray Conniff. From his beginnings as a trombonist/arranger during the heyday of swing working with Bunny Berigan, Bob Crosby and Artie Shaw to his acclaim as the leader of his own orchestra and chorus, Grammy winner Ray Conniff is among the few musicians to have had a successful career that spanned 65 years. He recorded over 100 studio albums, selling over 70 million copies, and created the “Ray Conniff Sound” by being the first to use voices to double as instruments on his recordings. Through personal interviews and vibrant performances, this is a heartfelt tribute to an international musical legend whose melodies continue to inspire.
October 5, 2024:
July 2, 2021:
March 31, 2021, April 15/20/28 / May 15, 2021 / January 23, 2022 / February 10, 2022:
July 11, 2018:
February 23, 2017:
Please note that some links of the menu above have to be corrected because of migration of this website. They will become available again soon.
THE RAY CONNIFF PAGE 
Please note that some links of the menu above have to be corrected because of migration of this website. They will become available again soon.