kitty gray & her wampus cats

Biography

Very little is known about Kitty Gray’s life beyond a brief but noteworthy appearance on record in San Antonio, Texas in 1937. Contemporary discographical research identifies her as an African American pianist and singer who led a small group billed as Kitty Gray & Her Wampus Cats, active—at least in the recording studio—in the late 1930s.[1][2][6] On October 30–31, 1937, she recorded a series of sides for the Vocalion label in San Antonio, placing her within the Texas blues and ragtime-blues recording scene of that era.[1][2][6]

The Wampus Cats sessions show Gray fronting a combo that blended ragtime, blues, and early swing elements, with piano-led rhythms, slide guitar, scrub-board percussion, and occasional mandolin.[1][2][7][9] Discographical notes and later commentary agree that guitar on these records was "probably" or "almost certainly" provided by the Louisiana–Texas slide guitarist Oscar "Buddy" Woods, an important figure in the Texas–Louisiana slide guitar tradition.[2][7][9] Titles such as "Baton Rouge Rag" and "Round and Round" exhibit a ragtime-derived rhythmic feel combined with blues phrasing, placing Gray stylistically in what later writers have called ragtime blues.[1][3][5][7] Despite the musical quality and historical interest of these sides, no firm documentation has surfaced regarding her birth, background, or activities outside the 1937 session, and there is no evidence of a long recording career; her legacy today rests almost entirely on this small but distinctive body of work preserved on 78 rpm records and modern reissues.[1][2][6][7][9]

Fun Facts

• Kitty Gray & Her Wampus Cats recorded roughly ten titles over just two days (October 30–31, 1937) in San Antonio for Vocalion, making her recorded legacy both compact and historically well‑defined.[1][2]
• "Baton Rouge Rag"—one of her key titles—was not issued on 78 rpm at the time but became known only much later through archival and reissue work, increasing its status as a collectors’ and historians’ item.[1][5][7]
• Discographical notes suggest that Oscar "Buddy" Woods, one of the most important early slide guitarists from the Texas–Louisiana region, probably plays on her records, linking her output directly to the classic Texas slide‑guitar tradition.[2][7][9]
• Modern researchers and collectors still describe Kitty Gray as an "obscure" artist, and even specialized blues and ragtime discographies have not uncovered firm biographical data such as her birthplace or dates of birth and death.[1][2][4]

Musical Connections

Key Collaborators

• Oscar "Buddy" Woods - Likely slide guitarist in Kitty Gray & Her Wampus Cats; part of the same late‑1930s San Antonio recording circle. ("Baton Rouge Rag" and other October 30–31, 1937 Vocalion sides recorded in San Antonio, Texas (credited to Kitty Gray & Her Wampus Cats).) [October 30–31, 1937]
• Kid West - Probably played mandolin on the Kitty Gray & Her Wampus Cats session, according to discographical reconstruction of the San Antonio dates. (Unspecified individual titles; likely part of the October 30–31, 1937 Kitty Gray & Her Wampus Cats recordings for Vocalion.) [October 30–31, 1937]
• Unidentified scrub‑board player and drummer - Provided rhythm accompaniment in the Wampus Cats ensemble on the San Antonio Vocalion recordings. (Kitty Gray & Her Wampus Cats titles recorded for Vocalion in San Antonio, including "Baton Rouge Rag," "Round and Round," "Posin'," and "Swingology.") [October 30–31, 1937]

Discography

Albums

Top Tracks

1. I Can't Dance (I Got Ants In My Pants) (Texas Piano Vol. 2 1927-1938)
2. Round And Round (Texas Piano Vol. 2 1927-1938)
3. You're Standing On The Outside Now (Texas Piano Vol. 2 1927-1938)
4. Swingology (Texas Piano Vol. 2 1927-1938)
5. My Baby's Ways (Texas Piano Vol. 2 1927-1938)
6. Baton Rouge Rag (Texas Piano Vol. 2 1927-1938)
7. Weeping Willow Swing (Texas Piano Vol. 2 1927-1938)
8. Getting' Away (Texas Piano Vol. 2 1927-1938)
9. Posin' (Texas Piano Vol. 2 1927-1938)
10. Doing the Dooga (Texas Piano Vol. 2 1927-1938)

External Links

• Spotify