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Tony Mottola

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Not to be confused with Tommy Mottola.
Tony Mottola
Background information
Birth nameAnthony C. Mottola
Born(1918-04-18)April 18, 1918
Kearny, New Jersey, U.S.
DiedAugust 9, 2004(2004-08-09) (aged 86)
Denville, New Jersey, U.S.
GenresJazz
OccupationMusician
InstrumentGuitar
Years active1936–1988
LabelsCommand, Project 3

Anthony C. "Tony" Mottola (April 18, 1918 – August 9, 2004) was an American jazz guitarist who released dozens of solo albums. Mottola was born in Kearny, New Jersey and died in Denville.

Career

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Like many of his contemporaries, Mottola began learning to play the banjo, but then took up the guitar. He had his first guitar lessons from his father. He toured with an orchestra led by George Hall in 1936, marking the beginning of his professional life.[1]

Mottola's first recordings were duets with the guitarist Carl Kress.[2][3] By the age of only twenty-one, he was recruited by Kress to serve as a staff guitarist at the CBS Radio network.[4] During his tenure with the network he founded the "Tony Mottola Trio" which was featured on Johnny Desmond's show "Face the Music".[1][5] In 1945, he also collaborated with the accordionist John Serry Sr. in a recording of "Leone Jump" for Sonora Records (MS-476-3) which was played in jukeboxes throughout the U.S.[6][7][8][9][10] In 1946, he also joined forces with Serry and other members of the Joe Biviano Accordion and Rhythm Sextette in a recording for Sonora Records which included Tom Delaney's composition Jazz Me Blues ("Accordion Capers", MS-476).[9] Subsequently in 1948, Mottola's trio collaborated with Carole Coleman and Danny Daniels on the CBS program "Make Mine Music".[11] During his tenure at CBS Mottola also collaborated with Sidney Lumet, Paddy Chayevsky, John Frankenheimer, and Rod Serling.[1]> By 1967, he emerged as an executive at the founding of Project 3 Records.[1]> His only charted single as a soloist was "This Guy's in Love with You", which reached No. 22 on the Billboard magazine Easy Listening Top 40 in the summer of 1968.

During the course of his career, Mottola also emerged as a freelance composer for several luminaries within the world of entertainment including: Rosemary Clooney, Bing Crosby, Burl Ives and Mitch Miller.[1]

Mottola worked often on television, appearing as a regular on shows hosted by vocalist Perry Como and comedian Sid Caesar. He was also recruited by a young Yul Brenner to serve as music director for the 1950s series Danger.[12] From 1958 to 1972, he was a member of The Tonight Show Orchestra led by Skitch Henderson,[2][3] then by Doc Severinsen. He composed music for the TV documentary Two Childhoods, which was about Vice President Hubert Humphrey and writer James Baldwin, and won an Emmy Award for his work.[3] In 1980, Mottola began performing with Frank Sinatra, often in duets, appearing at Carnegie Hall and the White House.[2][3][13] He retired from the music business in 1988 but kept playing at home almost every day.[3]

Discography

[edit]
Mottola was music director for the television series Danger in 1954. He used a copy of the script with notations and watched a television monitor to provide the right music.
External audio
audio icon You may hear Tony Mottola performing "Swing Low Sweet Chariot" with the accordionist John Serry Sr. and the Joe Biviano Accordion and Rhythm Sextette in 1945
Here on Archive.org
External videos
video icon You may see Tony Mottola performing with Carol Coleman on "Make Mine Music" in 1949
Here on archive.org

During the course of his career, Tony Mottola recorded for several labels including Command Records, Project 3 Records, RCA Victor and Sonora Records. His recordings include:[14]

As leader

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  • Let's Put Out the Lights (RCA Camden, 1956)
  • Mr. Big: Tony Mottola...Guitar (Command, 1959)
  • Roman Guitar (Command, 1960)
  • String Band Strum-Along (Command, 1961)
  • Folk Songs (Command, 1961)
  • Tony Mottola a Napoli (Command, 1963)
  • Tony Mottola and His Orchestra (Command, 1963)
  • Romantic Guitar (Command, 1963)
  • Sentimental Guitar (Command, 1964)
  • Guitar....Paris (Command, 1964)
  • Spanish Guitar (Command, 1965)
  • Love Songs Mexico S.A. (Command, 1965)
  • Guitar U.S.A. (Command, 1966)
  • Amor Mexico (Command, 1966)
  • Heart & Soul (Project 3, 1966)
  • Lush, Latin & Lovely (Project 3, 1967)
  • A Latin Love-In (Project 3, 1967)
  • Love Songs from Mexico (Command, 1967)
  • Roma Oggi/Rome Today (Project 3, 1968)
  • Warm, Wild and Wonderful (Project 3, 1968)
  • Joins the Guitar Underground (Project 3, 1969)
  • Hawaii Five-O (Design, 1969)
  • Close to You (Project 3, 1970)
  • Tony Mottola's Guitar Factory (Project 3, 1970)
  • Warm Feelings (Project 3, 1971)
  • Two Guitars for Two in Love (Project 3, 1972)
  • Superstar Guitar (Project 3, 1972)
  • Tony Mottola and the Quad Guitars (Project 3, 1973)
  • Holiday Guitars (Project 3, 1974)
  • Tony Mottola and the Brass Menagerie (Project 3, 1974)
  • I Only Have Eyes for You (Project 3, 1975)
  • Goin' Out of My Head (Project 3, 1979)
  • Stardust (Project 3, 1980)
  • All the Way (Project 3, 1983)

As sideman

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With Ray Charles

  • Spring Is Here (MGM, 1955)
  • Rome Revisited (Command, 1962)
  • Something Wonderful (Command, 1961)
  • Young Lovers On-Broadway (Command, 1965)
  • Memories of a Middle-Aged Movie Fan (Atco, 1968)

With Urbie Green

  • Twenty-One Trombones (Project 3, 1967)
  • Green Power (Project 3, 1971)
  • Bein' Green (Project 3, 1972)
  • Urbie Green's Big Beautiful Band (Project 3, 1974)

With Dick Hyman

  • Electrodynamics (Command, 1963)
  • Fabulous (Command, 1963)
  • Keyboard Kaleidoscope (Command, 1964)
  • The Man from O.R.G.A.N. (Command, 1965)
  • Happening! (Command, 1966)
  • Concerto Electro (Command, 1970)
  • Fantomfingers (Project 3, 1971)
  • Traditional Jazz Piano (Project 3, 1973)

With Enoch Light

  • Pertinent Percussion Cha Cha's (Command, 1959)
  • Provocative Percussion Vol. 2 (Command, 1960)
  • Cancoes de Paises Distantes (Musidisc 1960)
  • Far Away Places (Command, 1960)
  • Vibrations (Command, 1962)
  • Big Band Bossa Nova (Command, 1962)
  • My Musical Coloring Book (Command, 1963)
  • 1963: the Year's Most Popular Themes (Command, 1963)
  • Dimension 3 (Command, 1964)
  • Discotheque: Dance Dance Dance (Command, 1964)
  • Magnificent Movie Themes (Command, 1965)
  • Film Fame (Project 3, 1967)
  • Enoch Light's Action (Project 3, 1967)
  • The Best of Hollywood Movie Hits '68-'69 (Project 3, 1968)
  • 12 Smash Hits (Project 3, 1968)
  • Enoch Light and the Glittering Guitars (Project 3, 1969)
  • The Best of the Movie Themes 1970 (Project 3, 1970)
  • The Big Band Hits of the Thirties (Project 3, 1970)
  • Big Band Hits of the 30's & 40's (Project 3, 1971)
  • Big Hits of the 20's (Project 3, 1971)
  • The Big Band Sound of the Thirties (Project 3, 1971)
  • The Big Band Hits of the 40s & 50s (Project 3, 1973)
  • Spanish Strings (Project 3, 1973)
  • Future Sound Shock (Project 3, 1973)
  • Big Hits of the Seventies Vol. 2 (Project 3, 1975)
  • The Disco Disque (Project 3, 1975)

With Charles Magnante

  • Roman Spectacular (Grand Award, 1957)
  • Roman Spectacular Vol. 2 (Grand Award, 1957)
  • Percussion Italiano (Grand Award, 1961)

With Joe Reisman

  • Armen's Theme (RCA Victor, 1956)
  • Door of Dreams (RCA Victor, 1957)
  • Party Night at Joe's (RCA Victor, 1958)

With Doc Severinsen

  • Tempestuous Trumpet (Command, 1961)
  • The Big Band's Back in Town (Command, 1962)
  • Twin Trumpet Discotheque Au Go Go (Command, 1965)
  • Command Performances (Command, 1966)
  • Fever (Command, 1966)
  • Live! (Command, 1966)
  • The Great Arrival! (Command, 1969)
  • Trumpets and Crumpets and Things (ABC 1973)

With Frank Sinatra

With others

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "Project 3 Executives – Tony Mottola". Billboard. 18 February 1967. p. 74. Retrieved October 20, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c "Tony Mottola, 86; Composer, Guitarist Played With Sinatra". Los Angeles Times. 13 August 2004. Retrieved 17 June 2017.
  3. ^ a b c d e "Guitarist Tony Mottola Dies At 86". Billboard. 10 August 2004. Retrieved 17 June 2017.
  4. ^ Alexander, Charles (2002). "3". Masters of Jazz Guitar: The Story of the Players and Their Music. Backbeat. p. 23. ISBN 9780879307288.
  5. ^ Irvin, Richard (2018). The Early Shows: A Reference Guide to Network and Syndicated Prime Time Television Series From 1944 to 1949. Bearmanor Media.
  6. ^ "The Sonora Label". Campber.people.clemson.edu.
  7. ^ Joe Biviano, his Accordion and Rhythm Sextette (August 29, 1947). "Accordion Capers" – via Internet Archive.
  8. ^ Accordion Capers - Tony Mottola, John Serry, Joe Biviano, Leone Jump, Classicajazzguitar.com
  9. ^ a b "Record Reviews – Joe Biviano (Sonora Album) – Accordion Capers". Billboard. April 27, 1946. p. 124.
  10. ^ "Leone Jump; Swing Low, Sweet Chariot; The Jazz Me Blues; Nursery Rhymes" – via Internet Archive.
  11. ^ "Short Scannings". Billboard. 4 December 1948. p. 12. Retrieved October 20, 2024.
  12. ^ Burlingame, Jon (2023). Music for Prime Time: A History of American Television Themes and Scoring. Oxford University Press. pp. 16–18. ISBN 9780190618308.
  13. ^ Friedwald, Will (1995). Sinatra! the Song is You: A Singer's Art. Scribner. p. 774. ISBN 9780684193687.
  14. ^ Tony Motola on Archive.org
  15. ^ "Classic Jazz Guitar - Albums". 7 November 2002. Archived from the original on 2002-11-07. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
  16. ^ "Leone Jump; Swing Low, Sweet Chariot; The Jazz Me Blues; Nursery Rhymes". Retrieved 1 November 2023 – via Internet Archive.
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