Its soloists during the war years included Art Pepper, briefly Stan Getz, altoists Boots Mussulli and Bob Lively, and singer Anita O'Day, who starred on Kenton's first big hit, 1944s "And Her Tears Flowed Like Wine."
When Kenton disbanded in early 1949, Harry Betts, Art Pepper, Buddy Childers, and Laurindo Almeida were hired by Earle Spencer.
His 1946 band included former Glenn Miller sideman Wilber Schwartz on clarinet and alto sax and Ray Linn, who had played with Tommy Dorsey, on trumpet.
Through his numerous associations, Lively played alto saxophone, clarinet, and piano among the trumpets of Johnny Carroll, Buddy Childers, John Anderson, Gene Roland, Mel Green, the drums of Gene Krupa, John Varney, and saxophonists Stan Getz, Art Pepper, Bob Gioga (1905–1999) and Boots Mussulli (1915–1967).
Lively performed with Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Nat King Cole, Woody Herman, Tommy Dorsey, and Benny Goodman.