Al Belletto

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Al Belletto (born January 3, 1928 ; † December 26, 2014 in Metairie, New Orleans ) was an American jazz musician (alto and baritone saxophone, clarinet) and band leader .

Live and act

Belletto grew up in New Orleans and attended Warren Easton High School. As a college student he led his first bands, and in the 1940s and 1950s he played with Sharkey Bonano , Louis Prima , Wingy Manone and the Dukes of Dixieland . After graduating from Loyola University and Louisiana State University , where he earned his master's degree, he led his own sextet (with Fred Crane , among others ), with which he recorded for Capitol Records from 1952 , then for Bethlehem and King Records . With his ensemble he went on a tour of the State Department through South America with Woody Herman and His Orchestra from 1958-59 . His formations included u. a. Johnny Vidacovich , Ellis Marsalis , Carl Fontana , Willie Thomas , Michael Pellera , Don Menza , Richard Payne , John Mahoney and Rick Trolsen. In the field of jazz he was involved in 21 recording sessions between 1954 and 1997.

In the 1960s, Belletto worked as the house band leader and musical director at the New Orleans Playboy Club . After Hurricane Katrina , he lived with his son in Dallas for a while before returning to his home in Metairie. He died in late 2014 of complications from Huntington's disease .

Discographic notes

  • Sounds and Songs ( Capitol Records , 1955)
  • Half and Half (Capitol, 1956), with Skip Fawcett, Tom Montgomery, Fred Crane, Jimmy Guinn, Willie Thomas
  • Whisper Not (Capitol, 1957)
  • Jerri Winters Acc By Al Belletto Sextet: Somebody Loves Me (Bethlehem, 1957)
  • The Big Sound ( King Records , 1962)
  • Coach's Choice (Artco Records, 1973), with John Vidacovich, Bill Huntington, Angelle Trosclair, Frank Puzzullo
  • Jazznocracy (Louisiana Red Hot, 1998)

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Doug Ramsey: passings: DeFranco, Bedford, Belletto ; published December 28, 2014, accessed December 30, 2014.
  2. ↑ Tom Lord : The Jazz Discography (online, accessed December 29, 2014)
  3. ↑ review of the album Jazznocraty at Allmusic (English). Retrieved December 29, 2014.
personal data
SURNAME Belletto, Al
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American jazz musician and band leader
DATE OF BIRTH January 3, 1928
PLACE OF BIRTH New Orleans
DATE OF DEATH December 26, 2014
Place of death Metairie