MIKE RENZI
Q-R is for
JACK QUIGLEY MATTHEW QUINN YANK RAGOSTA JOHN RAGOSTA
BOB RANONE A GUIDO RA ZZA CHARLES REJTO MIKE RENZI
IRA RICE CHUCK RIGGS NATE ROBERTSON R DUKE ROBILLARD
ED RODGERS H RONNIE ROSE I DAVE ROSSI BILL ROSSI
T H O M A S R O T O N D O N V I N C E N T R U S S O K R O B E R T RYA N
a treasury of rhode island jazz & swing musicians 171
Q-R
QUIGLEY JACK
RAGOSTA YANK
JACK QUIGLEY STUDIED WITH HUGE NORDEN, Alfredo
Fondacaro and Louis Cornell. He has performed various club
dates in such cities as Providence, Boston, New York, Chicago,
Las Vegas and Hollywood. He has played with or composed,
arranged and conducted for such celebrities as Johnny Mathis,
Kate Smith, Mac Davis, Stan Kenton, the Christy Minstrels,
Dick Haynes and Jack Benny among others. His credits include
the creation and production of the NBC television series Words
and Music. His composition “Fifty Stars” is the official theme
song for the U.S. Treasury Department. His classical compositions have been premiered by the NBC Symphony Orchestra,
the ­Boston Chamber Society and the New England MacDowell
Colony. He has extensive experience scoring and conducting for
films and television in New York.
Locally, Quigley led a big band at the Homestead Cafe in
the early 1950s and has worked with such musicians as George
Masso, Dick Johnson, Bob Petteruti, Red Lennox, Porky Cohen,
Bob Shurtleff and Chick Cicchetti. H
YANK RAGOSTA STUDIED WITH LEWIS PACIFICO and Joseph
Petteruti. He began his music career playing for live shows at
the Uptown Theater. Over the years, he played at most of the
clubs, hotels and ballrooms in New England, including such
­establishments as the Alhambra, Rhodes–on–the-Pawtuxet, and
the Crown, Narragansett and Biltmore hotels.
In the 1930s, he was a member, along with Bobby Hackett,
of the Carl Tatz Orchestra. In subsequent years, he also played
with the orchestras of Sammy Kart and Chico Simone, and
performed with his own group in such establishments as B&B
Nightclub, the Ranch House and El Morocco.
In addition to performing in numerous touring shows at
such theaters as the Metropolitan and Loew’s State, Ragosta also
appeared on WJAR-TV with the Rainbow Trio and performed
regularly for The Russ Emery Show from 1957 to 1960. H
piano, composer, arranger, conductor
b. Taunton, MA, 4/20/1929
B.M. (composition and piano)
QUINN MATTHEW J.
piano, arranger, composer
b. Newport, RI, 6/28/1958; d. 7/1/2007
Rogers High School, 1976; Berklee College of Music,
1980 (B.M.)
MATTHEW QUINN STUDIED WITH DEAN EARL, Ray Santisi,
Bob Winter, Dick Hyman and Mac Rebennack. He started his
career in 1974. He backed up and performed with such artists as
Chris Connor, Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gormé, Kay Ballard,
Buddy Hackett, Annie Ross and the Rat Pack. He was pianist
for ABC television’s Healthbeat in 1981 and 1982. Quinn formed
his own band, Quinntagious, in 1980. The group was featured
on National Public Radio performing original compositions.
He had extensive recording and performing experience in New
England and New York. He performed in Rhode Island and
especially in Newport with many musicians including: the Duke
Belaire Orchestra, Rose Weaver, Phil Wilson, Dick Johnson, Jeff
Stout, Art Pelosi and Dick Lupino. H
172
a treasury of rhode island jazz & swing musicians
(Emilio)
drums, vibes
b. Providence, RI, 1/29/1909; d. 6/4/1981
RAGOSTA JOHN ANTHONY
drums
b. 12/25/1933
Central High School
JOHN ANTHONY RAGOSTA STUDIED DRUMS WITH HIS
­FATHER, Yank Ragosta. He started his career in 1948. He
­performed for children’s shows at Fay’s Theater and on WFCL
radio. He worked for the Ralph Stuart Agency for many years,
playing with many of the local Rhode Island musicians. He
played for a Bob Hope show and a Tony Bennett show. He
appeared in the motion picture Meet Joe Black, starring Brad Pitt
and Anthony Hopkins, which was filmed in Warwick, RI. He
owned a local music store from 1968 to 1998 and gives drum
lessons. H
R
Razza played for Artie Shaw for six months. He played The
Major Bows Show at age 25. He played for Benny Goodman at
Rhodes-on-the-Pawtuxet as a sub for his regular alto sax player. He
was fortunate to accompany Tony Bennett twice, and occasionally
played with Pee Wee Russell and Bobby Hackett when they sat in.
He played in Charlie Weygand’s band with Dudley Santaniello,
Tony Froncillo, Gil Pointon and others. One of the highlights of
his career was playing with the great clarinetist Johnny Mintz at
the Providence Marriott. Mintz asked him to join him in Chicago,
but Razza had to turn him down. He worked a great deal with Leo
Amitrano until 1972. He was with the Ralph Stuart Agency for 50
years and played with many local musicians, including Nat Piccirilli,
Art Pelosi, Ron Bianchi, Dick Johnson, Jack Menna Sr., Stan Haste,
Tony Votta, Art Moretti, and for many celebrities. H
REIS JOSEPH C.
woodwinds
b. Providence, RI , 1927; d. 5/4/2014
JOHN ANTHONY RAGOSTA
RANONE ROBERT A.
tenor sax
b. Johnston, RI, 1939; d. 2/2/2011
BOB RANONE WAS A MUSICAL DISCIPLE of legendary jazz
saxophonist Stan Getz. He began performing in the Rhode
Island area as a teenager with established artists in the 1950s
and also played at the famed Celebrity Club of Providence. As a
member of the U.S. Air Force Jazz Band, he and his jazz combo
performed Glenn Miller classics for a crowd of 60,000 people in
Germany at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium in 1957.
In the 1990s, he did a series of performances in the Rhode
Island area with Taft Khouri, Dennis Pratt and Mike Coffey. H
RAZZA GUIDO
clarinet, saxophone
b. 8/8/1920; d. 2/13/2015
Cranston High School
GUIDO RAZZA STUDIED CLARINET AND SAXOPHONE with
Joe Allard (New York City), Joe Piacetelli and Frank Marinacio.
He started his career in 1935. His main influence was Dudley
­Santaniello and he played in his group for 13 years. The band
included: Frank Siravo (drums), John Nicolace (bass), Orizio
Nicolaci (piano) and Tony Froncillo (piano). While in the navy,
JOSEPH REIS BEGAN HIS MUSIC CAREER AT AGE 11, playing saxophone, clarinet and flute in orchestras ranging from
­symphonic to swing and jazz to musical theater. He performed
with many local musicians, the Art Medeiros Big Band and
spent 38 years playing for acts at the Warwick Musical Theater.
He was a longtime member of the Providence Musicians Union.
H
REJTO CHARLES WILLIAM
guitar, cello, harmonica
b. Flint, MI, 11/3/1964
Barrington High School, 1983; University of Rhode
Island; Chicago Musical College, 1991
CHARLES REJTO STUDIED CELLO with Shirley Adams
­(1971–75) as well as guitar, harmonica and piano. He started
his career in 1984. He founded Sea-Are Production, a booking
agency, in 1998. He worked with a long list of Rhode Island
musicians, many of them jazz instrumentalists. He plays and
promotes live improvised acoustic music. Some of the venues
he has played and booked are: Ocean Cliff, Naval War College,
Castle Hill, ­Astor’s Beechwood Mansion, Glen Manor, Nirvana
(Warren), Basically British Tea Room, Hotel Providence, Brown
University, Whole Food Markets, Trinity Repertory Co. and the
Providence Foundation. In 2009, he was featured on Jazz Talk
with Steve Williams, a RI local access cable show on Cox TV.
He recorded several albums at Galilee Productions
in ­Lincoln, RI, with George Dussalt. He plays guitar and
­harmonica using a chromatic harmonica foot-pedal system. H
a treasury of rhode island jazz & swing musicians
173
R
RENZI MIKE
HANK DOIRON, MIKE RENZI & ART MEDEIROS
(Michael E.)
piano, composer, arranger
b. Providence, RI, 4/28/1940
Cranston High School East; Berklee College of Music;
Boston Conservatory of Music
MIKE RENZI STUDIED CLASSICAL PIANO AT AGE 8 with Billy
Poore and Julius Chaloff (in Boston). He started his career
in 1957. He taught himself accordion and played with Buddy
Ferraioli (his uncle) at weddings and local functions. One of
his first steady gigs was at the Fireside Lounge in Attleboro,
MA, located on Route 1. He played his first jazz piano gig with
Art Pelosi. He led his own group at the Kings & Queens in the
1960s, with Joe Velletri (drums; replaced in 1964 by Artie Cabral)
and Tom Wheeler (bass; replaced by Bob Petteruti in 1963),
remaining there until the early 1970s. He performed there fourto-seven nights a week, backing up such guest artists as Ernestine
­Anderson, Coleman Hawkins, Carol Sloane, Johnny Hartman,
Etta Jones, Buck Clayton, Roy Eldridge and the married vocal
duo of Jackie Paris and Ann Marie-Moss. His 1963 engagement
with tenor saxophonist Ben Webster (which Renzi played in
his junior year of high school) was recorded privately and later
released as a bootleg album. It was at the Kings & Queens, while
backing the singer Carol Sloane, that he realized he had a flair for
accompaniment. He says: “She was calling tunes and I thought to
myself, I can really do this. This is easy. The keys don’t bother me.
I can make instant arrangements. And I knew I could play some
jazz.”
He spent about a year living and working in Toronto, C
­ anada.
He opened at Allary’s, in Providence, in December 1968, and
played there until 1972 with his own group (Artie Cabral,
drums; Bob Petteruti, bass). He arranged for and led string concerts at Allary’s. He has performed for numerous commercials.
In 1972, he became the musical director of The Sonja Hamlin
Show, an afternoon talk show on Boston’s WBZ–TV. One of
Hamlin’s frequent guests was the jazz and cabaret singer Sylvia
Sims. When Sims cohosted a week of Hamlin shows, the notoriously demanding vocalist was so impressed by Renzi’s playing
and knowledge of songs that she invited him to accompany her
in a concert at New York’s Town Hall. Broadway composer Cy
Coleman came backstage and urged Renzi to move to New York,
offering help and connections. In 1976, he left Rhode Island to
work in New York City.
One of his first gigs in New York was playing piano at the
Carnegie Tavern, a bar restaurant that featured jazz. In 1979, he
played on the soundtrack of the Woody Allen film Manhattan;
he also made his Carnegie Hall debut when he accompanied
singer Jackie Cain (of the pop–jazz duo Jackie & Roy) in the
Kool Jazz Festival gala concert in tribute to Hoagie Carmichael.
He became Mel Tormé’s accompanist, performing at a Carnegie
Hall concert and an engagement at Marty’s (New York supper
club) and recording a double LP, Mel Tormé and Friends). In
174
a treasury of rhode island jazz & swing musicians
1981, he became the pianist in the orchestra that accompanied
Lena Horne in her one-woman Broadway concert, Lena Horne:
The Lady and Her Music. He would accompany her off and on
until her last public appearance in 2000.
An in-demand accompanist, he has performed with many
of the greats including: Peggy Lee (The Quintessential Peggy
Lee, televised in 1984), Lena Horne, Jack Jones, Sylvia Syms,
­Maureen McGovern (The Tonight Show), Mel Tormé, Dixie
Carter and many others, making several recordings with these
artists as well. He conducted an album for George Shearing
(with string section) and Barry Tuckwell (French horn player).
He performs often with Grady Tate (drums) and Jay Leonhart
(bass). Renzi has served as musical director for several tribute shows at Carnegie Hall, including salutes to Frank Sinatra
(1995), Ella Fitzgerald (1996), Marilyn and Alan Bergman
(1997), Nat “King” Cole (1997), Alan Jay Lerner (2000) and
­Peggy Lee (2003). He performed the same role in an 80th-birthday tribute to Lena Horne at New York’s Avery Fisher Hall
(1997).
Renzi’s television and soundtrack work includes: Broadway
Danny Rose, Everybody Says I Love You, Biloxi Blues, Gremlins
and The Bird Cage. In 1986, he became musical director for the
television soap opera As the World Turns; in 1990, Loving; and
in 1997, All My Children (three daytime Emmy awards and two
additional nominations for Outstanding Achievement in Musical
Direction and Composition for a Drama Series). He also appeared
on camera in the role of a nightclub pianist. He did session work
for Ryan’s Hope on ABC. In 1997, he began a highly successful
12-year stint as musical director for the series Sesame Street and
for a number of Sesame Street specials (composer of most of the
music and pianist on all the soundtrack recording sessions; won
four daytime Emmys and was nominated for seven more, as well
as a primetime Emmy for the special Sesame Street Presents: The
Street We Live On). He has occasionally performed and recorded
as a jazz pianist: The Mike Renzi Quartet (1987 concert at Brown
­University), the 80th-birthday Carnegie Hall Concert of jazz
violinist Stephane Grappelli in 1988, and trio performances at the
Chestnut Room of Tavern on the Green in New York.
Renzi has recently relocated back to Rhode Island and has
been performing and recording with many of the local musicians (Shawnn Monteiro, Nicolas King) as well as big named
artists (Liza Minnelli, Regis Philbin and Jack Jones) traveling all
R
over the world. He continues to be nominated and awarded for
performance, composition, musical direction, arranging and
accompanying.
A partial discography includes: Ann Hampton Callaway,
Ann Hampton Callaway (1992); Diahann Carroll, The Time
of My Life (1997); Freddie Cole, Le Grand Freddy (1999);
Meredith ­d’Ambrosio, Echo of a Kiss (1998); Blossom Dearie,
­Tweedledum and Tweedledee (1991) and Christmas Spice So Very
Nice; Lena Horne, We’ll Be Together Again (1993), An Evening
with Lena Horne (1994), Seasons of a Life (2006); Eartha Kitt,
Back in ­Business (1994); Jack Jones, Love Makes the Changes
(2010); Hillary Kole, You Are There (2010); Cleo Lane, Blue and
­Sentimental (1994); Peggy Lee, There’ll Be Another Spring (1990)
and Miss Peggy Lee Sings the Blues (1988); Jay Leonhart, Life on
the Road (1993); Gloria Lynne, This One’s on Me (1998); Maureen
­McGovern, The Pleasure of His Company (1998); Gerry Mulligan,
Lights and Sweet Music (1986); Daryl Sherman, She’s a Great,
Great Girl (1987); Mark Murphy, Satisfaction Guaranteed (1979);
Houston Person, Santa Baby (1994); Carol Sloane, Romantic
Ellington (1999); Sylvia Syms, You Must Believe in Spring (1992);
Grady Tate, All Love: Grady Tate Sings (2003); and Mel Tormé,
­Encore at Marty’s New York (1982) and An Evening with Mel
Tormé (1996). H
RICE IRA L.
trumpet
b. Providence, RI, 3/5/1941
Hope High School; Boston University (A.B.); University
of Rhode Island (M.A.)
IRA RICE STUDIED TRUMPET WITH ARCHIE OLIVEIRI. He
started his career in 1957. He played with various bands in the
Rhode Island area such as Perry Borelli, Tony Abbott and Ralph
Stuart. As leader of his own band, he played all over Rhode
Island at local colleges, clubs and numerous private parties.
He also played in various Dixieland bands with Joe Parillo and
Lloyd Kaplan. He played shows with Rhode Island union musicians and traditional Jewish music with a group called Sounds of
Simcha. H
RIGGS CHUCK
(Charles)
Drums
b. Westerly, RI, 1951
CHUCK RIGGS BEGAN PLAYING THE DRUMS AT AGE 10 and
played with many R&B bands before beginning his jazz career.
In 1972, he joined the Hamilton-Bates Blue Flames Band, which
later became the Scott Hamilton Quartet. In 1976, he moved to
New York City at the request of the legendary jazz trumpeter
Roy Eldridge. Riggs is a highly regarded jazz drummer with a
deep understanding of the traditions of the idiom.
He has appeared on more than 30 albums for various labels,
playing with some of the greatest names in jazz. Some of his
most notable recordings include: his many albums with Scott
Hamilton on the Concord Jazz label; the soundtrack to the film
The Cotton Club; and the re-creation of the music of King Oliver
for the Smithsonian Institute.
He has been touring the world since 1979. He regularly tours
Japan with Scott Hamilton including in 1993, when the Scott
Hamilton Quartet performed at the famous Blue Note Club.
Riggs has also appeared in Japan on separate occasions with
Maxine Sullivan, Rosemary Clooney and Jay McShann, and is a
regular performer at the Concord–Fujitsu Jazz Festival.
He regularly tours Italy, Spain, France, Sweden and other
countries with various artists and has also performed extensively
with the great Benny Goodman in both big band and small
group contexts.
Riggs regularly performs at clubs and festivals throughout the
United States including Fat Tuesdays and Sweet Rhythm in New
York City. He has performed and/or recorded with fellow Rhode
Islanders Scott Hamilton, Harry Allen and Dave ­McKenna, and
also with Herb Ellis, Benny Goodman, Tiny Grimes, Milt ­Hinton,
Dick Hyman, Jay McShann, Flip Phillips, Nat Pierce, Bucky
Pizzarelli, Mel Powell, Maxine Sullivan, Buddy Tate, Clark Terry,
Dick Wellstood, Bob Wilber, Ruby Braff, John Bunch, Rosemary
Clooney, Al Cohn, Joe Cohn and Kenny Davern. H
ROBERTSON NATE
(Nathaniel)
trombone
b. Wendell, NC, 1/12/1928; d. 8/25/2006
Central High School
NATE ROBERTSON STUDIED TROMBONE, piano, organ and
harmony with Len Olivieri, George Brown, Mattie Boro, Ed
McCabe (high school band director) and Benny Pazienza. He
started his career around 1948, working with the Bubby McKay
Orchestra throughout New England, which included Junior
Gonsalves. He was a member of the Night Train Joe Watts group
for nine years, and performed in New York City for about ten
years. Robertson led his own bands for several years, playing
at private affairs, concerts and on television stations WJAR-TV
and WPRO-TV. The Nate Robertson Band was the first interracial big band in the state. In 1959, he opened the Red Vest Inn
at Narragansett. Many musicians worked in Robertson’s bands
including: George Gomes, George Azevedo, Bob Cary, Waylon
Price and Lou DeMarco. He played with Gene Milton’s ­Tribute
to Stan Kenton Band at Brown University in 1992. He also
played with the Sarasota Big Band in 2002 in Sarasota, FL. H
a treasury of rhode island jazz & swing musicians
175
R
ROBILLARD DUKE
(Michael)
guitar, vocals, leader, songwriter, producer
b. Woonsocket, RI, 10/4/1948
DUKE ROBILLARD WAS SELF-TAUGHT and learned mostly
by listening to recordings. He started his career in 1965. Two
years later, he formed Roomful of Blues; he led the group until
1980, opening for or backing such artists as Big Joe Turner,
Helen Humes, Count Basie, Eddie “Cleanhead” Vinson, Red
Prysock, B.B. King and Sil Austin. In addition to recordings with
Roomful, he has recorded with a trio he formed in 1980, Duke
Robillard and the Pleasure Kings, with the Legendary Blues
Band (former members of the Muddy Waters’ band) and with
Scott Hamilton. In 1990, he replaced Jimmy Vaughan in the
Fabulous ­Thunderbirds. Some of his many recordings include:
Duke’s Blues, recordings with Ronnie Earl, the New Guitar
Summit, Jimmy Witherspoon, Jay McShann, Billy Boy Arnold,
Rosco Gordon, the Rockin’ Highliners, Bob Dylan, Ruth Brown,
Johnny Adams, John Hammond, Pinetop Perkins and 11 CDs
as a soloist. He finished a recent Blue Duchess recording Wobble
Walkin’ with bassist Brad Hallen and drummer Mark Teixeira.
DUKE ROBILLARD
He has toured extensively throughout Europe and the
United States, performing concerts and at major jazz festivals in
such countries as Norway, Denmark, Holland, Belgium, Italy,
Switzerland and Germany. Robillard has received many awards
including: the Blues Music Awards (formerly W.C. Handy
Awards) as Best Blues Guitarist (2000, 2001, 2003, 2004; and
nominations in 2005, 2007, 2008); a Grammy nomination for
his Guitar Groove-a-rama CD; the Rhode Island Pell Award for
“excellence in the arts” along with Olympia Dukakis, actor Bob
Colonna and Mihailo “Misha” Djuric; three Canadian Maple
Blues Awards, Best International Blues Artist (2001, 2002, 2003);
the Blues Foundation’s Producer of the Year for Living the Blues
(2002); Guitarist of the Year (1999, 2002). B.B. King himself
called Duke “one of the great players”; the Houston Post called
him “one of God’s guitarists”; and the New York Times has said,
“Robillard is a soloist of stunning force and originality.” H
RODGERS ED
(Arthur Edson)
trumpet
b. 6/6/1939
Navy School of Music
ED RODGERS STARTED HIS CAREER IN 1957 with his entrance
into the U.S. Navy. He spent time traveling with a navy band
to Japan, the Far East, Bolivia, Paraguay, Washington, D.C.;
as instructor at the Navy School of Music (in Florida); and
eventually moved to Newport, RI. He worked with many local
musicians performing for the agency Music 2000. He has
performed with John Moitoza and his Dixieland Band. He also
spent time on the Mississippi Queen Riverboat performing
Dixieland music. H
ROSE RONNIE
(Ronald)
vocals
b. Taunton, MA, 1/8/1951
Taunton High School
RONNIE ROSE IS A SELF-TAUGHT VOCALIST. He has
performed in such establishments as Mr. Marco’s and Allary’s,
and in numerous top 40 clubs throughout New England. Local
artists with whom he has performed include: Artie Marco Jr.,
Bob Petteruti, Jack Menna, Paul Schmeling, Vinny Pagano, Artie
Cabral and Diamond Centofanti. He has also performed on
the same bill with Sly Stone, Curtis Mayfield, Boz Skaggs, Paul
Butterfield, the Ohio Players and Danny and the Jrs.. Rose has
176
a treasury of rhode island jazz & swing musicians
R
­ orello (Dave Brubeck). He started his career in 1962. He
M
began playing nightclubs at a young age (his first gig was at the
Tick Tock Lounge). He performed with the USO on weekend
bus tours and recorded for Columbia Records and the Brill
Building Studios in New York City. At age 21, Rossi did a twoyear stint backing floor shows at the El Morocco Supper Club.
The shows changed every two weeks and the acts brought in
their own charts, which provided a great opportunity to sharpen
his reading skills.
He then joined the Tony Cipolla group at the Holiday Inn
in Providence. The band worked consistently, including an
extended stay at the Chateau DeVille Dinner Theater. Rossi says
the band was a perfect match for the lounge, with Tony up front
(sax and vocals), Dennis Pratt (bass), Yvonne Monette (piano
and vocals) and himself on drums. He also credits Tony Cipolla
as being a “super guy and a gentleman.” Some other musicians
he performed with were: Paul Gonsalves, Porky Cohen, Tony
Polito, the Jay Clay Trio (Clay Osborn) and the Perry Borelli
Orchestra. H
DAVE ROSSI
performed for numerous radio and television jingles; and he was
signed by Epic Records in the 1970s. He is currently working in
Las Vegas and maintains his own band that has played at hundreds of wedding receptions and events. H
ROSSI DAVID
drums, vocals, trumpet
b. Cranston, RI, 11/3/1946
Cranston High School East; Berklee College of Music
DAVE ROSSI BEGAN FORMAL MUSIC TRAINING on trumpet
with Joe Pelosi in 1957 at Axelrod Music. Pelosi was his biggest
musical influence, laying down a solid foundation. “Nothing got
past Joe,” says Rossi. “Not only did you have to attack the notes
correctly, you also had to play in strict time.” Lloyd Kaplan was
also a huge musical influence in his early years. Kaplan was his
band director at Hugh B. Bain Junior High School. At that time,
Rossi was a pretty good trumpet player and part-time juvenile
delinquent. Mr. Kaplan’s patience, sincerity and caring attitude
kept Rossi on his musical path. He has much gratitude for Lloyd
Kaplan and Joe Pelosi.
After eight years of studying trumpet with Pelosi, Rossi
began playing the drums. He studied with Alan Dawson, Fred
Buda (Boston Pops), Sonny Igoe (Woody Herman) and Joe
a treasury of rhode island jazz & swing musicians
177
R
ROSSI WILLIAM
clarinet, saxophone
b. Warwick, RI, 12/9/1920; d. 4/6/2014
Lockwood High School
BILL ROSSI WAS INFLUENCED to take up the clarinet and took
some lessons from his uncle, Joe Rossi. He was a member of
the 582nd Air Force Band (1943–46), which included Bob Holt
(piano, with Ray McKinley and Will Bradley) and the famous
trumpet player Al Hirt. He spent 16 years in the Midwest, in the
Tulsa, OK, area, where he also picked up musical instrument
repair skills. Rossi played a short time with the Charlie B
­ arnet
Orchestra, the Ina Rae Hutton Band and the Johnny Long
Orchestra.
In 1960, he started the Rhode Island Youth Stage Band made
up of talented high school musicians, many of whom went on to
become fine and well-known musicians. Some of those students
were: Hal Crook, Carl Hosbond, Danny Hayes, Dave Tancredi,
Joe Giorgianni, Dave Masso, Dick Lupino and Stan Holtzman.
The group opened the Newport Jazz Festival three years in a row
and played at the World’s Fair in New York City.
In Westerly, RI, he formed a family band called All in the
Family, which included his son Patrick (bass), his future wife
Lee (piano) and later, Ed Whitacker and Ed Tennian (drums).
They performed for 15 years at the Ocean House at Watch Hill
(1950s). He later formed the group Rhyme and Reason, which
included another son, Richie Rossi (drums).
He was one of the founding members of the Horace Mann
Dixieland Pops, started in 1980, along with Horace Magnan
(trombone), Nat Piccirilli (banjo, guitar), Jack Jesse (trumpet),
Eddie Polito (drums) and Bob Petteruti (bass).
Rossi played with many local musicians with the Ralph ­Stuart
Agency, Drew-Corcoran Agency, Jimmy Motta, Art ­Pelosi, Joe
Pelosi, Horace Magnan, Dennis Pratt, Richard Capalbo, Art
Tancredi Big Band and Al Conte at the Dunes Club.
He spent time in several places working and learning the musical instrument repair business and eventually opened the Rossi
Music Store in Westerly, RI, where he also repaired instruments
and gave lessons. His son Richie now runs the store. H
178
a treasury of rhode island jazz & swing musicians
TOMMY ROTUNDO
& NICK D'AQUILA
ROTONDO THOMAS W.
trumpet
b. Providence, RI, 7/4/1936
LaSalle Academy; New England Conservatory of Music
(B.M); Boston Conservatory (M.M.)
THOMAS ROTONDO STUDIED TRUMPET AND PIANO with
Julio Tancredi (Providence), Marcel LaFosse and Roger ­Voisin
(Boston). He started his career in 1952 at age 16. He has played
in the Perry Borelli Orchestra, Tommy Masso Orchestra and
with the Nick D’Aquila Quartet at the Kingstown Inn (12 years).
In 1968, he formed his own group, the Tommy Rotondo
Orchestra, and played for many years at the UCT Ballroom
and the ­Roseland Ballroom in Massachusetts. He also played
utility trumpet with the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra
(1958–78). H
R
Additional Performers R
RAMM JOHN
REALLI MICHAEL
RIZZUTO BRIAN
RAO FRANK
Michael Realli subbed at Allary’s
quite often. He did much playing in
Las Vegas during the 1970s and 1980s.
Worked with Joe Parillo.
trumpet
trumpet
Deceased Frank Rao played Dixieland
music in the 1940s and 1950s with
many local musicians.
RAYMOND LUCIEN
saxophone
From Woonsocket, RI, Lucien
­Raymond performed with Vido
Musso.
piano
Carmine Rosati played at the Pirate’s
Den in the mid-1940s with Dick
Meldonian, Peter Dambrosco, Tony
Romanelli and Joe Petteruti.
piano
From Woonsocket, RI
RICHARDS GEORGE
saxophone
From Woonsocket, RI
ROSATI CARMINE
drums
REILLY VIN
RYANN BOB
trumpet
From Woonsocket, RI
RUSSO VINCENT J.
RYAN ROBERT M.
VINCENT RUSSO STUDIED WITH JULIO TANCREDI, Archie
Olivieri, Len Olivieri and Armand Ghitala. He started his career
in 1944. He performed numerous society gigs for Ralph Stuart’s
Orchestra in such cities as Chicago, New York, Philadelphia and
St. Louis. He played in the pit band for The Bob Hope Show and
the Ice Capades in Providence. He also performed at various
establishments in the area, including Rhodes-on-the Pawtuxet
and Christy’s in Newport. He performed with such artists a
Tony Bennett, Patti Page and Eydie Gormé, Mel Tormé, Georgia
Gibbs and Jerry Vale. H
ROBERT RYAN STUDIED WITH BENNY PAZIENZA, Hal
Crook, Tony Lada and Bill Watrous. His influences include:
Carl ­Fontana, Bill Watrous, Kai Winding, Curtis Fuller, Herb
­Pomeroy, Quincy Jones, David Foster and Greg Hopkins. He
started his career in 1975.
Ryan was nominated for McDonald’s All American High
School Marching Band. He left Berklee to go on the road with
the group Tavaras. He then did tours and performances with
Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, the Four Tops, the Temptations,
Barry White and Barry Manilow. He left the road to take a staff
writer position with Kevin Tracey Productions, a Boston-based
jingle house. Later he became a staff producer for Paul Leka
Productions. Leka was a CBS gold record producer. Upon Leka’s
retirement, Ryan moved back to Rhode Island and joined the
local band Brass Attack; he was with them for 10 years. He is
currently a freelance writer and trombonist. H
trumpet
b. Woonsocket, RI, 2/27/1931
La Salle Academy, 1948
bass
trombone, arranger
b. Providence, RI, 7/6/1955
LaSalle Academy; Berklee College of Music
a treasury of rhode island jazz & swing musicians
179