Talk:Sammy Nestico

Photograph

Could do with a copyright free photo of Sammy. Where to get one?--Light current 12:02, 12 January 2006 (UTC)

Biography

Became staff arranger for ABC radio station, WCAE, Pittsburgh, Pa.At 17 Received B.S. degree in music education from Duquesne University. Honorary Doctor of Music degree three times by the school , the Distinguished Alumni award. 1994, inducted into the �Century Club�.

Special music awards in 1978, 1979 and 1980 by North Texas State.

2005 he received an honorary doctor of music degree from Virignia's Shenandoah University.

Directed the music programs at

• Westinghouse Memorial High School,
• Wilmerding Pa.,
• Pierce College, Los Angeles, Ca.
• University of Georgia, Athens, Ga.

Sammy joined the USAF Band in Washington, D.C. as staff arranger, and then became leader of the famous Airmen of Note. After 15 years with the Air Force, he enlisted with the United States Marine Band in Washington, serving as chief arranger and director of the White House orchestra which performed for important judicial and congressional social functions during the Kennedy and Johnson administrations.

Between 1970 and 1984, Sammy was the composer/arranger for the Count Basie orchestra. He directed the recording of ten albums of original music, four of which won Grammy awards. Engaged by Capitol Records as arranger/orchestrator, co-writing the equivalent of 63 albums for that organization.

U,X and Z

Why no entries under these. Has he not got round to these letters yet? 8-)--Light current 22:26, 30 December 2006 (UTC)

Personal Experience

I have nothing to do with writing the article on Sammy Nestico but I would like to add my contribution in the discussion page as it would be inappropriate to put it in the article, however it does enhance the understanding of Sammy Nestico's music:

He is no ordinary arranger, he is one of the very best. I am a young(ish) self-taught jazz pianist from South London and I am also into Drum and Bass, Hip Hop, Punk and anything else that is fat powerful music.

Having played with a few Big-Band rehearsal bands with elderly retired musicians who know a lot more about big band than me, I can testify to the fact that his arrangements are by far the most powerful and awesome that we play. The article doesn't mention how he really is one of the very best at what he does and the extent to which his scores stand out amongst all the other stuff played by bands like these. Some tunes we play are interesting, challenging etc. But I've never had a big band session that doesn't include at least a couple of tunes by Nestico despite the vast catalogue of scores to choose from. His tunes are the ones that are pure entertainment, pure force, power and indulgence whether you are the punter or the musician !

I couldn't have written that in the main article page, but the article doesn't really give the full picture without mentioning the joy his scores have given to people so far detached from the scene Nestico was a part of compared to the stuff we play..

Alex__W —Preceding unsigned comment added by 87.194.40.66 (talk) 01:49, 27 November 2007 (UTC)

Removed arrangements, etc. as per Wikipedia policy

After having spent much time copy-editing them, have removed the following sections from the article - if any of them are his own compositions - and acknowledged as standards - or are in any way notable, as in Grammy winners, etc., they can go back in. But all arrangers and musicians make arrangements of numerous songs and it is not possible to include each and every one of them in each and every article - unless notable - and referenced as such:

List of arrangements and compositions

Big band arrangements

88 Basie Street A Little Blues, Please After the Rain Another Lazy Day All My Life Alright, Okay, You Win! A Time for love Back Home Bashful Albert Basie Straight Ahead Beautiful Friendship, A Big Band Milestones Billy May for President Blue Chip Blues Machine, The Boogie Express Brasilia Broadway Bundle O' Funk Bustling Caught Speeding CB Express Celebration Chelsea Bridge Coastline Cruise Color Me Warm Count The Aces Dark Orchid Dawdlin' Day In, Day Out Dimensions in Blue Doc's Holiday Doin' Basies Thing Don't Get Around Much Any More Double Exposure Dream Tree Early Morning Easy to Love Ev'ry Little Beat Helps Fascinating Rhythm Fancy Pants Featherweight Feelin' Free Flight to Nassau Fly Me To The Moon Freckle Face Front Burner Fun Time Go Fill Your Dreams Good News Great Debate, The Groovin' Easy Hang In There

Hard Hearted Hanna Hava Nice Day Hay Burner Heat's On, The High Five How High the Moon Honeydripper, The I Can't Give You Anything But Love I Get The Blues When It Rains I Gotta Right to Sing the Blues I'll Be Around I'm Beginning to See the Light I Remember Clifford It's a Wonderful World It's about Time It's Gonna Swing It's Oh, So Nice It's So Peaceful in the Country Ja-Da Jamie Jellybeans Joy of Cooking Just in Time Just the Way You Are Katy Latin Lustre Let's Do It (Let's Fall In Love) Light Vibrations Light-Hearted Like Someone in Love Little Brown Jug Little Happiness, A Lonely Street Look For the Silver Lining Look What I Found Magic Flea Marguerite Midnight Freight Minor Affair Montego Bay Moten Swing Muskrat Love My Cherie Amour My Friend Willy My Funny Valentine Nicole Nifty Night Flight Night in Tunisia, A No More No Time Like the Present Nobody's Perfect On the Sunny Side of the Street Opus One Orange Sherbert Passin' By Pick Yourself Up

Pleasin' Plunger, The Pressure Cooker Prime Time Put It Right Here Queen Bee, The Quincy and The Count Reachin' Out Reachin' for a rainbow Samantha Sam's Boogie Satin Doll Satin and Glass Scott's Place Shiny Stockings Shoreline Drive Show Me the Way to Go Home Slaughter on Tenth Avenue Smack Dab in the Middle Small Talk Soft As Velvet Soft Touch, A Splanky St. Louis Blues Stardust Strike Up the Band Sweet Georgia Brown Sweet Georgia Brown (Short Version) Sweet Gingerbread Man Swingin' on the Orient Express Switch in Time Take One Take the "A" Train Tall Cotton Tater Patch That Warm Feeling The Way You Look Tonight There! I've Said It Again This Guy's in Love with You This Way Time For Love, A Time waits for no one Tribute to The Count Tribute to The Duke TV Theme Montage Twice as Nice Warm Breeze, A Who's Sorry Now? Willow Gold Wind Machine Ya Gotta Try Ya Gotta Try harder You Came a Long Way From St. Louis You 'n' Me

Concert band arrangements

• A Fireside Christmas
• Eldorado
• Malagueña
• The Clock Shoppe
• Silent Night
• Salute to American Jazz
• All through the Night
• Model T
• Light Vibrations
• Silver Quill
• Traces
• When You Wish Upon a Star

Classical arrangements

• A Study in Contrasts
• Reflective Mood (Trombone and Piano)

Solo instrument arrangements

• Portrait of a Trumpet (Trumpet and Concert Band)
• Persuasion (Alto Sax and Concert Band)

--Technopat (talk) 21:48, 10 August 2009 (UTC)

Middle name?

Maybe someone can elaborate on why Nestico’s middle name is “Luigi” in one occurrence, rather than “Louis” in all other occurrences. With no explanation for the difference, this could be interpreted as vandalism. PScooter63 (talk) 12:11, 29 October 2023 (UTC)

[1]. Sounds like he was born "Samuel Luigi Nistico" and then changed it to "Samuel Louis Nestico." Sources explicitly describe how Nistico became Nestico, but it's not clear why he changed Luigi to Louis. OhNoitsJamie ^Talk 15:52, 29 October 2023 (UTC)