[Dixielandjazz] Deaths-- DeFranco, Al Belletto, Ronnie Bedford-- Doug Ramsey's Rifftides

[Norman Vickers]

To:  DJML,  Musicians & Jazzfans list and some friends

From: Norman Vickers, Jazz Society of Pensacola

 

Doug Ramsey in his blog  Rifftides in Arts Journal has some additional
information about Buddy DeFranco.  Also mentions death of drummer Ronnie
Bedford and  New Orleans alto saxophonist/ big band leader Al Belletto.

There are some photos and also a YouTube recording of Belletto's  Big Band.

 

 

http://www.artsjournal.com/rifftides/

 

Here's my brief tribute to Al Belletto.  As Ramsey says in his blog, he was
a talented, charming guy who was helpful to many musicians.  He told about
Stan Kenton's assistance with his career-much like Kenton's encouragement of
the Four Freshmen.  At one point, Belletto  was in charge of hiring the
entertainment for all of the Playboy Clubs.  And there was one in New
Orleans as well.  In the 80s, the World's Fair was held in New Orleans.
Belletto was in charge of contracting for the musical entertainment for that
event.  Benny Goodman was a featured star.

 

The first Pensacola Symphony Ball was held in the '80s and I was on the
committee to seek musical entertainment for that event.  We gave the
Symphony Board two options.  Cost would be the same for either.

First option was New York pianist  Derek Smith and his quintet.  Derek was
the pianist for the Tonight Show  band in NYC before it moved to Los
Angeles.  Derek and group were the perennial group which played the Rainbow
Room in New York for New Year's Eve.

 

The second option was to hire Al Belletto and his big band from New Orleans.

 

Either, of course, would be a wonderful choice.  The Board voted to bring in
Belletto's group.  It was excellent with a number of players who also played
in  the New Orleans Symphony.  I was curious, however, as to how some of the
board members made the choice they did.  The answer:  The most musicians for
the buck! (smile)

 

( The attendees at the First Pensacola Symphony Ball did get to see Derek
after all.  There was money to bring him down as a single and he performed
at intermission.  The first  Pens. Symphony Ball was held at the National
Museum of Naval Aviation here.  That Museum houses various airplanes,
British, French, German as well as American military planes.  Derek
mentioned that as a youth growing up in England, citizens were trained to
identify various military airplanes during WWII, so he felt right at home
among planes with which he was familiar.)

 

Belletto was invited to bring his smaller group and perform for the 1997
Pensacola JazzFest as well.  Charming man.  I think he deserves/ deserved
greater recognition.  Glad I knew him.

 

 
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