[Dixielandjazz] Did these guys really exist

[budtuba at aol.com]

 Jim,

In searching online I found the following listing for their "Salutes the Colleges" LP:


Empire City Six

 The Empire City Six is Kenny Lavern (clarinet), Harry DiVito
(trombone), Johnny Varro (piano-arranger), Tony Spair (trumpet), Phil
Failla (drums) and Pete Rogers (bass). ABC-Paramount, founded in 1955,
released the LP "The Empire City Six Salutes The Colleges" in 1958
(ABCS-210) featuring the fight songs of Washington and Lee University,
Yale University, Notre Dame, University of Wisconsin, University of
Texas, Columbia University, University of Southern California, Harvard
University, Navy, Georgia Tech, Army and the University of Michigan.

I found another lead that is not active, but the cached web page has this information:

DiVito, Harry    Trombonist, 
          Las Vegas, Nevada. 

          Harry was 
          in the business for over 52 years. Worked with all of the big bands, 
          including Glen Miller's Army Air Force Band during W.W.II and then later 
          when Ray McKinley took it over in the 60's.  In addition, he did 
          all of the studio work in NYC during the 60's and 70's, played in Broadway 
          Musicals for some 25 years, was an active member of the AFofM, Local 
          802 in New York.  He also toured with such stars as Frank Sinatra 
          and Liza Minelli, including a world tour she did during 1979 and 1980. 
          He worked with all of the big bands including Dorsey, Stan Kenton, Kai 
          Winding, Les Brown, Benny Goodman, etc., etc.  During the 50's 
          he always played in Phil Napoleon's Empire City Six which was a Dixie 
          Land Band. Harry 
          is still alive and now lives me with in Las Vegas, Nevada.  He 
          is now 77 and until 5 years ago was still active in New York, working 
          with some of the society orchestras such as Peter Duchin and Lester 
          Lanin.  He had several small strokes and is no longer active.

Apparently, Harry DiVito has passed on since this note was written:


Harry DiVito


Harry DiVito, 81, a trombonist and an 802 member since 1940, died on Feb. 12.


Mr. DiVito began his professional career at 16 when
he joined the Tommy Reynolds orchestra. After his stint with Reynolds
he played with the big bands of Isham Jones, Les Brown, Harry James,
Benny Goodman, Charlie Spivak, Stan Kenton, Sam Donahue, and Gene
Krupa. From 1950 to 1956 he was a member of Phil Napoleon’s Memphis
Five. 


A lifelong lover of big band and Dixieland music, Mr.
DiVito became a successful and respected bandleader of the Empire City
Six and the 7 Shades of Jazz.


>From 1959 to 1988 he appeared with the orchestras of
numerous shows on Broadway including "On a Clear Day You Can See
Forever," "Over Here," "Sugar Babies" and the original Broadway
production of "Chicago." He performed with various artists including
Frank Sinatra, Bobby Darin, Tony Bennett, Barbara Streisand, Peggy Lee
and Paul Anka. Mr. DiVito also lent his talents to the soundtrack
recordings of hundreds of TV and radio commercials and numerous record
albums.


During his military service in World War II, Mr. DiVito was a member of the Glenn Miller Army Air Force Band.


He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Virginia (Gini), his son Jeff, his daughter Debra Senn and his granddaughter Bianca. 

 The listing of Phil Napoleon's Memphis Five could be the source of some confusion.  Perhaps as with many name bands who were commissioned with a record company, they might have released other records on other labels with alternate names.
 
          

Another Discography from Johnnie Varro's webpage (http://johnnyvarro.tripod.com/names.htm) shows the two bands as being very similar (Napoleon and Igoe are replaced?):





59-1
New York, NY
6 Oct 1959




Phil Napoleon and His Memphis Five


Phil Napoleon, trumpet
Harry DiVito, trombone
Kenny Davern, clarinet
Johnny Varro, piano
Peter Rogers, bass
Sonny Igoe, drums



Capitol
T 1344
ST 1344
1 CO 54 81846








58-1
New York, NY
1958




The Empire City Six: Dixie


Tony Spair, trumpet
Harry DiVito, trombone
Kenny Davern, clarinet
Johnny Varro, piano
Pete Rogers, bass
Phil Failla, drums


Hallmark
HLP 312
Stardust
SD 101
Hollywood
LPH 149
Manhattan
MANS 537



Maybe your trained ear is beter than the databases!?



 


Roy (Bud) Taylor
Smugtown Stompers Jazz Band
Trad Jazz since 1958...we ain't just whistling dixie!

 


 

-----Original Message-----
From: James Butler <jbutler6 at twcny.rr.com>
To: BudTuba at aol.com
Cc: Dixieland Jazz Mailing List <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Sun, 26 Aug 2007 6:57 pm
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Did these guys really exist









Some of the players on the Empire City Six LP's seem to be somewhat 
suspect. I refer mainly to Tony Spair on trumpet who really sounds like 
Phil Napoleon and also Phil Failla on drums who could be Sonny Igoe. Any 
answers? 
 

Jim Butler 
 


_______________________________________________ 
 



 


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