According to none other than Quincy Jones, in his autobiography, it was Ray Charles who first used the term "Combo" to describe the "combination" he put together in Seattle, Washington that consisted of Ray on piano (typically his old tube-type Wurlitzer 100 at the time), Bass, Drums, Trumpet, Sax and Trombone.

Ray worked out a voicing for the horns that obviated the need for the entire bigband yet still approximated the sound.

In Quincy's autobiography, he describes Ray running across the street and dragging Quincy back to his apartment to let him hear his new discovery. The Combo, as Ray defined it.

Benny Goodman did indeed use a small combination onstage that preceded Ray, as a matter of fact it was the FIRST integrated jazzband to gather nationwide acclaim when Benny included Lionel Hampton on vibes in the lineup. However, there is no known description of that outfit as being a "Combo" prior to Ray Charles' coining of the word.

There were, however, articles to be found in "Metronome" and "Downbeat" - jazz afficionado magazines of the era, that did indeed describe Benny Goodman's quintet and sextet as "combinations" occasionally.


--Mac