Tony Mottola

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Not to be confused with Tommy Mottola.
Tony Mottola
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
Occupation(s)Musician
InstrumentsGuitar
Years active1936–1988
LabelsCommand, Project 3
Associated actsThe Tonight Show orchestra, Frank Sinatra, Perry Como
External audio
audio icon You may hear Tony Mottola performing "Swing Low Sweet Chariot" by Wallace Willis and "The Jazz Me Blues" by Tom Delaney with the accordionist John Serry Sr. and the Joe Biviano Accordion and Rhythm Sextette in 1947 Here

Anthony C. 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[]

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. His first recordings were duets with guitarist Carl Kress.[1][2] In 1945, he collaborated with 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. [3][4][5][6][7] 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.

Mottola worked often on television, appearing as a regular on shows hosted by vocalist Perry Como and comedian Sid Caesar and as music director for the 1950s series Danger. From 1958 to 1972, he was a member of The Tonight Show Orchestra led by Skitch Henderson,[1][2] 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.[2] In 1980, Mottola began performing with Frank Sinatra, often in duets, appearing at Carnegie Hall and the White House.[1][2] He retired from the music business in 1988 but kept playing at home almost every day.[2]

Tony Mottola is the cousin of American music executive and producer Tommy Mottola.

Discography[]

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.

As leader[]

  • 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)
  • Love Songs from Mexico (Command, 1967)
  • Rome 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[]

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[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c "Tony Mottola, 86; Composer, Guitarist Played With Sinatra". Los Angeles Times. 13 August 2004. Retrieved 17 June 2017.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e "Guitarist Tony Mottola Dies At 86". Billboard. 10 August 2004. Retrieved 17 June 2017.
  3. ^ "The Sonora Label". Campber.people.clemson.edu.
  4. ^ Joe Biviano, his Accordion and Rhythm Sextette (August 29, 1947). "Accordion Capers" – via Internet Archive.
  5. ^ Accordion Capers - Tony Mottola, John Serry, Joe Biviano, Leone Jump, Classicajazzguitar.com
  6. ^ "Billboard". Nielsen Business Media, Inc. April 27, 1946. p. 124 – via Google Books.
  7. ^ "Leone Jump; Swing Low, Sweet Chariot; The Jazz Me Blues; Nursery Rhymes" – via Internet Archive.
  8. ^ web.archive.org - Classic Jazz Guitar - Accordion Capers
  9. ^ Accordion Capers - Joe Biviano and His Rhythm Sextette on archive.org

External links[]

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