Ray Ventura was the most prominent French Jazz band leader of the late 1920s and 1930s. In 1924 he assembled his first band Le Collegiate Five with four of his classmates at the Lycée de Sailly. By 1929 Ventura had become leader of the band and the band became known as Ray Ventura et ses Collegiens. Ventura and his band became very popular during the 1930s. They were heard on radio, toured internationally and Ventura starred in the movies "Feux de Joie" and "Tourbillon de Paris". During World War II (1942 to 1944) Ventura fled France for Argentina from where he continued to record and perform with his orchestra. After the war he returned to France and continued to have a very successful career in show business.

Thanks to Yves Francois for his help with the recordings on this page.