[Dixielandjazz] Fw: Vince Cattolica

[Tom Wood]

Hi ALL,

New lister, Jack Wiard has asked me to apologise for all his blank e-mail postings.  New to the list, he forwarded his message about Vince passing away and I said I would forward it to you all.  He hopes to have his email text problems (which he has typed at least three times) sorted out soon.  Maybe he has not been subscribed to the list correctly??!!  

Cheers,
Tom (mind you blanks, are handy sometimes) Wood :~)

----- Original Message ----- 
From: jack wiard 
To: dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com 
Sent: Saturday, February 21, 2004 2:32 PM
Subject: Vince Cattolica


Hello to all.  This is my first contribution to the list at large, after membership for 2 weeks.  I am sure those of you in the San Francisco Bay area would want to know that after 80 years of a marvelous life, my brother-in-law  Vince Cattolica passed away on 18  February 2004.

Who was Vince?  Blind since 18, one of 10 children in an Italian fisherman's family,  he was born and raised in SF, learned clarinet at the blind school in Oakland and played his first job at 15.  Over a career of 55 years he played jazz (Benny Goodman style) in the SF area.  To my ears (and most that heard him, including Benny Goodman) he was one of the best.  Over five decades Vince played with Jack Sheedy, Burt Bales, Muggsy Spanier, Marty Marsala, Joe Sullivan, Ralph Sutton and too many others to name here.  He spent the last 13 years of his playing career working five nights a week in the New Orleans Room in the Fairmont Hotel with the Jimmy Diamond Band.  He retired in 1993 and moved to a quiet town in Southern California about 5 years ago.  His music will live on through his recordings (there are far too few of these) and through his two beautiful clarinets, selected for him by Benny Goodnman, and left to me on Vince's retirement. 

Anyone who worked with Vince or was lucky enough to  hear him play can send a message to me (on or off list) and I would be happy to pass it on to my sister.

All  for now ... Jack Wiard, Sydney Zenith Jazz Band, Graeme Bell Jazz Band, Robber's Dogs Jazz Band.... Australia


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