Herbie Kay, born Herbert Kaumeyer (1904 – May 11, 1944, Dallas, Texas) was an American guitarist, trumpeter and big band leader.

Kay's career began while he was a student at Northwestern University, where he played in dance bands in the mid-1920s. He led his own group from the late 1920s, and played extensively in the Chicago area from the early 1930s to the early 1940s, including a longstanding residency at the Blackhawk Restaurant.^[1] Kay hired Dorothy Lamour as a vocalist in 1934, and married her in 1935; by 1936, Lamour had moved to Hollywood to pursue a film career, and her marriage to Kay ended in 1939.^[2]

He recorded for Vocalion and Columbia Records and toured throughout the Western US; his band’s songs included its theme, “Violets and Friends”, “Remember Last Night”, “Swing, Mister Charlie”, and a specially-written novelty dance tune, “Rhythm Steps”.

For most of his career, he led a band with four saxophones, four brass instruments, and four rhythm instruments. Singers included Shirley Lloyd, Elvan “Fuzzy” Combs, King Harvey, and a vocal trio called “The Three Kays” (Combs, Harvey and Sam Chase). Bud Dant was the band’s arranger. He dissolved the group in the early 1940s and moved to Dallas, where he died in 1944.

“Rhythm Steps”

Perhaps the best-known tune by Herbie Kay, by virtue of recent Internet exposure, is “Rhythm Steps”, recorded for the Columbia Records label in the fall of 1935. The recording contains vocals by Shirley Lloyd and the Three Kays. The arrangement is easily recognizable by its use of glissando in the brass section, exciting and innovative vocals, and the instrumental call-back during the final performance of the chorus.

Its lyrics contain references to “putting the world on its feet”, has humorous interjections and ends with the phrase, “Simple as the day is long”. It has experienced a minor resurgence in popularity in recent years, having been played at weddings and social events, and has also been parodied on the Am I Right song parody site.

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