The JAZZ TIMES June 2006 Review of Infinite Gallodoro! (page 133)
Al Gallodoro has been one of the world's leading saxophone (and woodwinds) virtuosos since the early 1930s when he joined Isham Jones and went on to become a longtime star soloist with the Paul Whiteman Orchestra. He also played under such classical-music icons as Arturo Toscanini and Leopold Stokowski, and even performed Paul Creston's famed saxophone sonata with Creston himself at the piano. Jazz-saxophone great Benny Golson said that Gallodoro "was probably the best (technician) I ever heard in my life."
The two-disc set Infinite Gallodoro contains 15 tracks recorded with piano, bass and drums in 2004, when Gallodoro was an unbelievable 91 years old, and another 12 previously unreleased, remastered tracks of live concert and radio performances from the 1940's through the 1970's.
Although Gallodoro does improvise on some tunes, his great strength lies in his fantastic technique, gorgeous tone and moving expressiveness. Whether the vehicle is Ellington's exquisite "Sophisticated Lady," Dorsey's virtuosic "Beebe" or Franz Schubert's demanding "The Bee," and regardless of whether it was performed two or 60 years ago, Al Gallodoro provides a striking lesson on the capabilities of the saxophone in the hands of a master". Jazz Times, June 2006
LIVING HISTORY
With a career entering its amazing ninth decade, Al Gallodoro has done it all! As Al, an avid baseball fan puts it, "I hit for the cycle - single, double, triple, homerun!" Beginning his professional career at the age of 13, Gallodoro has performed in Vaudeville houses, New Orleans speakeasies of the prohibition era, coffeehouses and jazz clubs all over the U.S., and at Carnegie Hall (six times actually). His longest association with a group (nearly four decades) was with the “King of Jazz†Paul Whiteman. Al played the lead 1st alto sax, as well as the clarinet and bass clarinet for the band. Al was a regularly featured "front stage" soloist on live broadcasts spanning the 1930’s to the 1960's. He has performed more live on-air solos than any other performer, averaging 3-4 times a week during a span of over thirty years! Whiteman commissioned the Concerto for Doubles for the "Triple Threat" instrumentalist. Al G trivia question #1: How many times did Al play the clarinet slide in the Rhapsody in Blue? 100 times, 1000 times or 10,000 times? See answer on last page.
Gallodoro has performed classical music, as well as jazz throughout his career. Al's first big name band was that of Isham Jones, in Atlantic City in 1933 (which paid him $75 a week!). He then went on to NYC where he performed under the symphonic conductors: Arturo Toscannini (one of his most famous recordings is Shostakovich’s 7th Symphony (Leningrad) featuring Gallodoro on a bass clarinet solo), Leopold Stokowski, Alfredo Antonini, Leonard Bernstein and Fritz Reiner. Al also worked outside the classical world under the baton’s of: Andre Kostelanetz, Johnny Green, Tutti Camarata, Arthur Fiedler, Percy Faith, Mitch Miller, Skitch Henderson and Dr. Frank Black. Mr. Gallodoro has also worked with composer/conductor Paul Creston in performing the Creston Sonata (with Paul Creston at the piano) and the Creston Concerto (with Creston conducting (these live broadcasts are available at www.algallodoro.com).)
George Gershwin, The Boswell Sisters, Victor Borge, Dinah Shore, Al Jolson, Sid Caesar, Les Paul, Bob Hope, Edgar Bergen, Duke Ellington, Tommy Dorsey, Mario Lanza, Robert Merrill, Frank Sinatra, Jackie Gleason and Milton Berle are only some of the greats Al has appeared with. You’ve also heard Al’s horns in countless movie, documentary, and cartoon soundtracks (the most famous being The Godfather II, Rhapsody in Blue, Strike Up the Band - where you can catch a glimpse of him with Paul Whiteman - and Terrytune cartoons), as well as the ubiquitous Muzak!
Al is still an active performer, as well as a teacher, residing as an instructor at Hartwick College in Oneonta, New York. Al also has several private lesson students, some coming from as far as: Washington DC, New York City, and Toronto. Speaking of teaching, here’s Al G trivia question #2: Can you name the comedian from a famous comedy trio that took lessons from Al and even paid him $50 to borrow one of his saxophones? See answer on the last page. Al currently promoting his latest CDs "Sarasota Saxes", and the now released, "Infinite Gallodoro!" He maintains a schedule that could be daunting perhaps for someone many years his junior! With 2005 Summer Festivals and European performances in the works, it is clear that Gallodoro continues to flourish at his tender young age of 91!
Member of the American Federation of Musicians Locals 443 - Oneonta, NY, 802 – New York City and 369 - Las Vegas.
Al Gallodoro has used Selmer Instruments since 1928.
CD I
HOW HIGH THE MOON, Nancy Hamilton/Morgan Lewis - "For this piece, I wrote a special technical chorus from exactly what came to the top of my head. I wrote this out rather than to improvise because sometimes I have a certain idea in my head and want to stick to it. It was written one afternoon, while sitting at my very cluttered dining room table with my cat sleeping on top of all my papers!" This chorus is available at www.algallodoro.com
SOPHISTICATED LADY, Duke Ellington - " This was total improv, straight from the heart on what I feel is the most beautiful of all Ellington pieces. I can’t even watch the chords as it distracts what is in my mind."
CLOSE YOUR EYES, Bernice Petkere - "A favorite, popular in its day but rarely played. It was written by a woman in the days when there were few female composers."
CUMBANCHERO, Rafael Hernandez - "Someone once told me that the cumbia is an Argentinian dance, and that the cumbanchero is the dancer of this dance. But then I found out from my friend Paquito D’Rivera that it might also mean one who is a party animal. I think I’ll go with that translation! You can hear it in my playing!"
JOANN’S SONG, Alfred J. Gallodoro - " I composed this especially for my dear friend and manager during the wee hours of one morning, before cooking up some spaghetti agli'-olio, that is simply spaghetti with garlic and olive oil. It’s delicious. I wanted to create a small concerto. This was played onto a tape and then I transcribed it off the tape. I wanted this tune to highlight every facet of my playing. It uses saxophone, bass clarinet, sub-tone clarinet, and jazz clarinet. It shows my personal style of playing jazz with classical technique at its root, which is evident throughout all my playing.â€
LOVER, Rogers & Hart - "Originally played as a waltz, I composed a special chorus in the same manner I did in HOW HIGH THE MOON. No matter how fast I play on this, or any song you can still follow the melody that weaves between my notes. Recording very fast choruses without taking a breath in my younger days was easy. There was no circular breathing at that time; it was unheard of. In the music that is available for this piece I have circled the notes I had to leave out on the recording, after all I am 91 and couldn’t do it all in one breath! If you really want to hear a spectacular chorus done in one breath it would have to the last fast chorus on Dark Eyes from my Saxophone Contrasts album!"
DEEP NIGHT, Charles Henderson/Rudy Vallee - "This was made famous by Rudy Valle in the early 30’s with Tommy Dorsey and his orchestra. I had a 78 recording, but last summer I left it out in the sun and it melted. What is more appropriate than the sound of deep bass clarinet for this song?"
I KISS YOUR HAND MADAME, Ralph Erwin Vogl - "We did this in a medley with Deep Night and the whole time I was thinking of Herman Yorks who was a bassoon and sax player on staff at ABC. He re-coined the title to: I Kiss Your Hand Madame, I’ll Do Better Later!"
NO MOON AT ALL, David Mann/Redd Evans - "All spontaneous, how many songs have been written to no moon anyway?"
ROSES OF PICARDY, Fred E. Weatherly/Haydn Wood - " I always admired the playing and individual style of Freddy Gardner on his recording of this song written circa World War I. I wanted to take it from sweet to swing".
THE MOON WAS YELLOW, Edgar Leslie/Fred E. Ahlert - "One of my favorite Latin Tunes, I have so many favorites!"
STATTE VICINO A ME, Baratta, Ciervo, Delle Grotte (made famous by Jimmy Rosselli) - "I would like to give a special thank you to John Dertinger (John Anthony) for introducing me to this beautiful Italian tune. I had the pleasure of working for him for nearly a decade on Long Island, New York. He is still going strong."
CHEROKEE, Ray Noble - "I think this is one of the toughest tunes written, the way it changes when you get to that middle strain at top speed. It goes to outer space. Total improvisation."
LAURA, David Raksin - "This is in memory of David Raksin whom I had the pleasure of meeting and performing with, for the first time in 1934 at the Bellevue/Stratford Hotel in Philadelphia, and again in NYC in the 1950's. Lastly in 2001, when Dave was in the audience I performed this song at a concert in California’s Napa Valley."
L’ARGENTINA, L. Canoro - "An Italian Polka, for a Latin American country, which we recorded in New York State It was written the year after I was born (1914), need I say more? I’ve recorded many Mazurkas and Polka’s during the 1940’s on 78’s, which, if you missed you’d have to do it all over again. There was no patching. I never had to do one over - - well almost never."
CD II – The following works are made available courtesy
of Golden Rooster Records
CHOPIN’S WALTZ No.2, Opus 64 - “I elaborated - - remember I was never satisfied with simplicity! This was recorded in Bayshore, Long Island, with Don Burns at the piano.â€
ORANIA, Gustav Michaels - " I found this sax solo with piano part and asked Al Datz (who did all my arrangements at ABC) to make me an arrangement for sax and strings. After I recorded the Czardas by Monti, which is on my Saxophone Contrasts album, I was glad to find this very challenging piece. To this day I always love challenges in terms of my playing. This is a live performance that was taken off the air in late 1947, it was an ABC broadcast, Saturday morning - 10AM".
VALSE VANITE, Rudy Wiedoeft - "When I was 12, my father took me to Forbes Music store in Birmingham, Alabama where I listened to Rudy Wiedoeft’s recordings. I idolized what I heard. From that day, I started to buy his solos. In 1934, I joined WINS Radio, New York City, my first steady job (that's where Weidoeft used to hear me playing his solos). During the 1940's I did this transcription recording of Valse Vanite for NBC. Over these two decades I was playing solos for radio five to six times a week. I was never satisfied with simplicity; I elaborated a lot. I was later told that Wiedoeft was always a little jealous of me, this young kid. He marveled but he also was jealous."
BEEBE, Jimmy Dorsey - "I played this under the Baton of Alfredo Antonini in 1942 on the Treasure Hour of Live Radio, all radio music was live in those days. I keep noticing I say LIVE, it is rare to have any radio done live today. We did, however, do two live programs with WAMC, a Public Radio station based in Albany, New York last year."
THE BEE (HOME), Francois Schubert. – (Originally written for violin, I decided to conquer it on clarinet) "There were no obstacles to what I could play, because I had 6 or 7 hours to practice on each day I was not performing. If I went on a vacation I always took my instruments, hey they needed a vacation too. I would ask my wife Mary to drive so I could practice in the front seat. The constant demands of touring for the Selmer Company kept me in top form. In fact, to this day I am always practicing new material. I can't die because I have too much to learn. In the late 50’s I made this home recording of Francois Schubert’s The Bee. On that night, I could do no wrong. In fact, I repeated it three times, and they were all perfect. I now practice all the time to maintain my wind and dexterity, although arthritis has forced me to alter some of my clarinet playing".
THE BEE – Francois Schubert - "With a string ensemble, 1947, wow did I elaborate on the cadenza!" (Composed by Arranger Al Datz)
OH ME, OH MY, OH YOU, Vincent Youmans - "Louis Calhern was the announcer, the vocals were done by the Robert Shaw Chorale. I was doing some free-lancing during the 1940’s and was a member of the Jay Blackton Orchestra when I was called down to the microphone to perform this piece in 1945 on the RCA hour."
NOLA, Felix Arndt - "When I first joined the Whiteman Band in 1936, I did Nola (all triple tongued) at every stage and radio performance. In the middle of Nola there is section where the piano or orchestra takes over, but I wanted to do it myself. Later I changed to Beebe (all double tongued). This is an off the air radio performance made in 1946!"
FAR OFF HILLS, Morris Mamorsky - "I met Morris, the composer, in the hall at NBC. He said he was going to write me a saxophone solo. Several weeks later, he gave me the saxophone part. This was from a live NBC Radio broadcast in the mid-40’s, with Milton Katims at the baton.â€
PUNCHINELLO, Ralph Hermann - Recorded live at Bayshore High School, Long Island, April 16, 1962 "One evening we were doing a show at ABC, on the Air. Ralph Hermann wasn’t conducting that night and we had dinner together at Café des Artistes. I said to Ralph, "You know the Concerto for Doubles doesn't show the bass clarinet in a technical form. Can you write me a solo that shows every aspect? Scherzando form? With a cadenza and a slow movement?" I had to get back to work. Three hours later Ralph shows up at the studio door and says take out your bass clarinet. And we tried it right there. This live performance is with Don Burns on piano. He was the accordionist on my Saxophone Contrasts album. We did not have much rehearsal time."
DANNY BOY (Londonderry Aire), Frederick Weatherly - "I never released this because my brother Peter, and my daughter Alice said they heard the school bell ring during the recording. It would have been on my Merri Album. Anyway, it was not audible on the tape except to Andris, our engineer who offers a small, yet significant prize to those of you who can tell him where it is. E-mail him at andris@dryhillstudios.com."
DANSE ALLEGRA, James Burke - "This was originally a trumpet solo composed by Jimmy Burke. It requires a fast double and triple tongue. I played with Jimmy for the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus. You needed chops for that; everything was loud, loud, loud. When I asked him if I could do his solo, he said, ‘You are the only man equally accomplished at both double and triple tonguing, go ahead.’â€
IN CLOSING
If one has to sum up Al’s life, as we have a tendency to do when trying to create a sense of history and present as well - - - it might come down to the following three things. To quote Al, " I have never been satisfied with simplicity. I always like to challenge myself. Everything is important." It is as clearly evident in his playing today at 91 years of age (CD I) as it was in the past (CD II). The master of double and triple tonguing has stuck to his father’s advice: "My father always told me, in his Sicilian dialect, "TUTTI LI NOTI ANNA' RESSIRI CUNTATI!" All the notes must be able to be counted. No matter how fast you play, you must be able to distinguish the notes." In spite of arthritis and other obstacles of aging Gallodoro has never deviated from this integral part of his playing. “My family was my strongest musical influence. My father was a fine clarinetist who played in brass bands (today they are called concert bands) in Chicago, Birmingham, and New Orleans. My mother taught herself to play guitar. My sister Catherine had a beautiful high coloratura voice (which incidentally, l also had!). My sister Frances won a full college scholarship for her saxophone playing. A clarinetist and saxophonist, my brother Peter had his own band in New Orleans and later became part of Xavier Cougat Band. And my brother Frank, who had been playing both clarinet and saxophone professionally in New Orleans, later joined the Paul Whiteman Band where we played side by side. Five years my junior, after a long career in New York and Los Angeles, Frank remains a professional musician in California. My five children were all musically talented, but none chose to pursue music as a career, except my daughter Joni.â€
CD I, recorded July 20 and July 21, 2004 at West Kortright Center over two short evenings, was done with a very limited number of takes, and edits. Al is humble about his few squeaks, allowing him to face the limits of his age. He was also able to recognize from this experience that he was able to meet with the challenges he continually imposes on himself. In Al’s words, "To hell with it, we’ll make excuses! Just let somebody else try this at 91." What he perhaps has lost in terms of technical ability, he has gained in his artistic vision of writing and improvisation. On the title “Infiniteâ€s he chose, he says "Space is infinite, music is infinite, and love is infinite!†With a bit of Southern flair, credited to his Birmingham and New Orleans childhood, as well as the Mediterranean sounds of his Sicilian heritage - - - Al Gallodoro (born June 20, 1913) is absolutely inimitable.
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Answers- trivia question #1: 10,000 times! Question #2: Harpo Marx
Check out the artist's website:
http://www.algallodoro.comTrack List:
1. How High the Moon
2. Sophisticated Lady
3. Close Your Eyes
4. Cumbanchero
5. Joann's Song
6. Lover
7. Deep Night
8. I Kiss Your Hand Madame
9. No Moon At All
10. Roses of Picardy
11. The Moon Was Yellow
12. Statte Vicino a Me
13. Cherokee
14. Laura
15. L'argentina
16. Chopin's Waltz
17. Oranzia
18. Valse Vanite
19. Beebe
20. The Bee (home)
21. The Bee (orchestra)
22. Oh Me, Oh My, Oh You
23. Nola
24. Far Off Hills
25. Punchinello
26. Danny Boy
27. Danse Allegra
Other Genres:
