Wedding and Dance Bands, Entertainers
Of the Italian American bands in Los Angeles that specialize in international dance, Italian popular classics from the 20's, 30's and 40's, with a smattering of dialect and regional songs to flavor special events, the better known (those which frequently perform at community events) follow:
TinoProductions
Tel: (949) 597-8466
E-mail: Tino@TinoProductions.com
Web: www.TinoProductions.com
ìOne of Disneyís favorite bandsî from a 4-piece band to a 10-piece orchestra. Since 1981.
Roman Holiday Italian Music Ensemble
Tel: (619) 283-1898 or (619) 993-9550
Fax: (619) 281-3626
romanholiday@cox.net
www.romanholidaymusic.com
(Joanne and Tony DiBona)
San Diego-based ensemble which frequently performs in street festivals, and heritage events throughout the Southland.
Rhythm Kings
2260 N. Gower St
Hollywood, CA 90068
Tel: (323) 467-8255
Bands, orchestras, music for all occasions. Play frequently
for Italian community events.
The Sicilian Band
Tel: (562) 697-9643 or(323) 888-5020
Anthony Ciaramitaro
Music for all occasions
Tony De Bruno Orchestra
1838 S. Gladys Ave.
San Gabriel, CA 91776
Tel: (626) 572-8503
Latin, Italian and American music, singer and M.C.
Terry Cano: tcmusic@pacbell.net
Nick D'Egidio & the
Dry Martini Orchestra,
Fontana, CA (c/o Casa Italiana)
A Bit of History: Pete Pontrelli's orchestra, one of the early Italian bands, played at Italian Hall weekly dances. See: COMMUNITY SITES, Italian Hall
Serenading gondoliers at Venice Beach. Many Italian
musicians were imported to Venice at the turn of the 20th C. to provide
the acoustical accompaniment for canal-plying gondoliers in
the Venice Beach canal. See: ARCHITECTURE, Points of Interest.
Popular Music ñ Entertainers
Eduardo DiamanteTel: (310) 466-7881
Filippo Voltaggio
Tel: (888) 345-4776
E-mail: filippoandthechef@mac.com
Web: http://www.filippoandthechef.com/Filippo_and_the_Chef/Home.html
For all other information:
Randy Warner
R-Train Management
P.O. Box 56642
Los Angeles, CA 91413
Tel: (310) 860-6262
Sings popular Italian songs. "High-voltage Italiano! Filippo brings people to their feet." Now a celebrity chef of ìThe Filippo and the Chef Show.î
Marco Missinato
Music M
8205 Santa Monica Boulevard, #1-470
West Hollywood, CA 90046
Tel: (323) 656-1211
E-mail: musicm@earthlink.net
http://www.marcomissinato.com/
A leading solo performer of Italian popular music. Roman-born composer, singer, songwriter and producer, in Los Angeles since the early 1990s.
Frank Salerno:
Frankpiano@yahoo.com
Web:www.franksalerno.com
Italian-American
composer/singer.
Frank Stallone:
Web: http://www.frankstallone.com/ (singer)
Other entertainers: Tony Danza, Bill Conti, Jimmy Darren, Deana
Martin, Mike Marino, Daniela Spagnolo, Romina Arena, Emilio
Baglioni, Joe Vento, Musumeci , Joyce Garro (c/o
CELEBRATIONS, Folk Festivals, San Gennaro)
Accordionists
Norm (Nunzio) Panto
442 Hillsborough St.
Thousand Oaks, CA 91361-1330
Tel: (805) 446-1481 or 800-54 PANTO
westlake982000@yahoo.com
Web: http://www.normanpanto.com/
Accordion player for over 60 years and a frequent performer at heritage festivals as a wondering musician.
Emilio Baglioni, Joe Vent (See: CELEBRATIONS, Folk Festivals, San Gennaro)
Nick Ariondo:
c/o ACCO-Music Publishing
The Artistry of Nick Ariondo
P.O. Box 11126
Glendale, CA 91226-7126
Fax (323) 550-1060
Web: http://www.concentric.net/~accomuse/
ìThe irrepressible avant-garde accordionistî and composer. Plays classically as well as traditionally, American, Italian and French standards. ìI want respectability for the accordion.î
Guitarists
Christopher Caliendo:
caliendo@caliendo.com
Web: http://www.christophercaliendo.com/
Composer/guitarist of note. Among his 500 works, are commissioned works from the Vatican for ìEncounters of Sacred Contemporary Music,î as well as ìChamber Jazz,î ìTango Americano,î ìGypsy Americano,î etc.
Simone Sello:
info@MusicDemoProducer.com
Web:http://musicdemoproducer.com/
ìMusic producer, session guitar player, songwriter, and writes articles for music magazines.î Formerly the Sanremo Festival orchestraís guitar player for 4 years.
Others: Joe Diorio , Phil Cordaro
Drummers
See: Musicians' Supply , Remo Inc. (below)
Danny Pucillo Sr
dannydpq@yahoo.com
Web: http://www.dannypucillojr.com/
Contemporary jazz, the Danny Pucillo Quartet.
Danny Pucillo Jr:
Tel: (818)700-3240
E-mail: dpucillo@socal.rr.com
Web: http://www.dannypucillojr.com/
ìCable TVís Dan the Drumming Manî
Jazz
It would be impossible to name even the most significant musicians of Italian heritage who have made jazz, pop, and big band history. Here is a local:
John Pisano, jazz guitarist, has played with Buddy DeFranco, Red Norvo, Bud Shank and Benny Goodman, and has accompanied in concert or recording: Peggy Lee, Tony Bennett, Burt Bacharach, Frank Sinatra, Michael Franks, Clare Fischer, Julie London, Bobby Troup, Natalie Cole, Joe Pass Barbra Streisand and Diana Krall. Pisano is a founding member of Herb Alpert's Tijuana Brass worked with Brazilian, Sergio Mendes. "John Pisano's Guitar Night," held Tuesdays at the Sherman Oaks, California club, Spazio (http://www.spazio.la/cgi-bin/calendar/calendar.cgi).
"For nearly 40 years, John Pisano's playing has provided a model for improvisational creativity, technical excellence, and a seamless blend of jazz and Latin elements. Today, John and his [Ö] vocalist wife, Jeanne perform [Ö] as "The Flying Pisanos." [Ö] John continues to perform throughout the nation and around the world with today's biggest musical luminaries." For more on John Pisano, see: http://www.flyingpisanos.com/JohnBio.htm
Bacco Tabacco e Venere (`Bacchus, Tobacco, and Venusí)
Web: http://www.myspace.com/lorenzoguitar
ìItalian Contemporary Pop Revival and Spaghetti Funkî (folk, funk, hip hop)
A recent Los Angeles-based Italian music ensemble which promotes contemporary Italian and Italian-American pop music (mixed with jazz, Latin, and Mediterranean tones), performing at Italian venues, private events, and festivals. Repertorie includes: Gino Paoli, Battisti & Mogol, Mina, Pino Daniele, Caterina Caselli film composers such as Ennio Morricone, Piero Piccioni, Nino Rota, Henry Mancini and others.
Of related interest:
Italian Hip Hop (ìthe only site in English dedicated to Italian Hip Hop.î): http://www.italianrap.com/masterfr.html