<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0"
	xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"
	xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"
	xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"
	xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"
	xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/"
	xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"
	>

<channel>
	<title>Music Archives | Italian Sons and Daughters of America</title>
	<atom:link href="https://orderisda.org/culture/category/music/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
	<link>https://orderisda.org/culture/category/music/</link>
	<description>Italian Sons and Daughters of America is a community for Italian Americans.</description>
	<lastBuildDate>Sun, 18 Jan 2026 16:48:05 +0000</lastBuildDate>
	<language>en-US</language>
	<sy:updatePeriod>
	hourly	</sy:updatePeriod>
	<sy:updateFrequency>
	1	</sy:updateFrequency>
	

<image>
	<url>https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/cropped-11009218_669120543224884_3786324461421364965_n-32x32.jpg</url>
	<title>Music Archives | Italian Sons and Daughters of America</title>
	<link>https://orderisda.org/culture/category/music/</link>
	<width>32</width>
	<height>32</height>
</image> 
	<item>
		<title>Andrea Bocelli to Headline 2026 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony</title>
		<link>https://orderisda.org/culture/music/andrea-bocelli-to-headline-2026-winter-olympics-opening-ceremony/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[johndeike]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sun, 18 Jan 2026 16:44:30 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Music]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://orderisda.org/?p=41499</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>The Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Games will open with a ceremony blending Italian culture and Olympic tradition, highlighted by a performance from Italy’s own Andrea Bocelli. The Games officially begin on February 6 at Milan’s iconic San Siro Stadium, where Bocelli will be joined by pop star Mariah Carey. Renowned for his powerful voice and &#8230; <a href="https://orderisda.org/culture/music/andrea-bocelli-to-headline-2026-winter-olympics-opening-ceremony/">Continued</a></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://orderisda.org/culture/music/andrea-bocelli-to-headline-2026-winter-olympics-opening-ceremony/">Andrea Bocelli to Headline 2026 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony</a> appeared first on <a href="https://orderisda.org">Italian Sons and Daughters of America</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p data-start="147" data-end="320"><a href="https://www.olympics.com/en/milano-cortina-2026" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Games</a> will open with a ceremony blending Italian culture and Olympic tradition, highlighted by a performance from Italy’s own Andrea Bocelli.</p>
<p data-start="322" data-end="458">The Games officially begin on February 6 at Milan’s iconic San Siro Stadium, where Bocelli will be joined by pop star Mariah Carey.</p>
<p data-start="460" data-end="663">Renowned for his powerful voice and his rare ability to move seamlessly between opera, classical music and pop, Bocelli is widely regarded as one of Italy’s most important cultural figures.</p>
<p data-start="665" data-end="933">His appearance comes in the midst of a demanding global tour, underscoring the significance of the Olympic invitation. For many viewers, hearing Bocelli perform on home soil during such a historic moment is expected to be among the evening’s most emotional highlights.</p>
<p data-start="935" data-end="1342">The Opening Ceremony is expected to last approximately three hours and will feature the traditional Parade of Athletes, as competitors from around the world enter the stadium to mark the official start of the Games. Beyond these formal rituals, organizers are planning an ambitious set of artistic performances and visual displays designed to showcase Italy’s history, creativity and contemporary energy.</p>
<p data-start="1344" data-end="1737">Unlike most previous Winter Games, the Milan Cortina Olympics will unfold across a wide geographic area, with events hosted in multiple cities and mountain venues. Reflecting that unique structure, portions of the opening festivities will also take place simultaneously in three additional locations, allowing athletes from different disciplines to participate even if they are far from Milan.</p>
<p data-start="1739" data-end="1932">San Siro will serve as the ceremony’s anchor venue. Best known as one of Europe’s legendary football stadiums, it will be transformed for the occasion into a global stage for Olympic pageantry.</p>
<p data-start="1934" data-end="2071">Italian organizers hope the blend of music, spectacle and tradition will start the Games on a high note.</p>
<p data-start="1934" data-end="2071">“Singing at the Olympic Opening Ceremony is a great honor and a deeply moving experience, especially for someone like me, who has always loved sport,&#8221; said Bocelli.</p>
<blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DTmyIgeCH6u/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14">
<div style="padding: 16px;">
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;">
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div>
<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;">
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div>
<div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div>
<div style="padding-top: 8px;">
<div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div>
</div>
<div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div>
<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;">
<div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"></div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"></div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-left: 8px;">
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div>
<div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-left: auto;">
<div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"></div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"></div>
<div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"></div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div>
</div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DTmyIgeCH6u/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Milano Cortina 2026 (@milanocortina2026)</a></p>
</div>
</blockquote>
<p><script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script></p>
<p style="text-align: center;" data-start="1934" data-end="2071"><strong><a href="http://orderisda.org/pledge/">Make a pledge and become a member of Italian Sons and Daughters of America today. </a></strong></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://orderisda.org/culture/music/andrea-bocelli-to-headline-2026-winter-olympics-opening-ceremony/">Andrea Bocelli to Headline 2026 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony</a> appeared first on <a href="https://orderisda.org">Italian Sons and Daughters of America</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
			</item>
		<item>
		<title>Echoes of Rhythm and Legacy: Louis Prima Plays on in Cleveland&#8217;s Little Italy</title>
		<link>https://orderisda.org/culture/music/echoes-of-rhythm-and-legacy-louis-prima-plays-on-in-clevelands-little-italy/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[johndeike]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sun, 03 Aug 2025 17:31:18 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Music]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://orderisda.org/?p=40969</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>To launch the exhibition, the Italian American Museum of Cleveland (IAMCLE) hosted world-renowned trumpet player and Juilliard alumnus Dominick Farinacci (center) on July 17 in Cleveland’s Little Italy. Farinacci, joined by “The Voice” contestant and Cleveland native Hayden Grove, performed Prima’s greatest hits to a sell-out crowd. Jazzman, songwriter, entertainer, pop culture icon, symbol of &#8230; <a href="https://orderisda.org/culture/music/echoes-of-rhythm-and-legacy-louis-prima-plays-on-in-clevelands-little-italy/">Continued</a></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://orderisda.org/culture/music/echoes-of-rhythm-and-legacy-louis-prima-plays-on-in-clevelands-little-italy/">Echoes of Rhythm and Legacy: Louis Prima Plays on in Cleveland&#8217;s Little Italy</a> appeared first on <a href="https://orderisda.org">Italian Sons and Daughters of America</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: center;"><em><strong>To launch the exhibition, the Italian American Museum of Cleveland (<a href="https://iamcle.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">IAMCLE</a>) hosted world-renowned trumpet player and Juilliard alumnus <a href="https://www.dominickfarinacci.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dominick Farinacci</a> (center) on July 17 in Cleveland’s Little Italy. Farinacci, joined by “The Voice” contestant and Cleveland native <a href="https://haydenfrankgrove.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hayden Grove</a>, performed Prima’s greatest hits to a sell-out crowd.</strong></em></p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">Jazzman, songwriter, entertainer, pop culture icon, symbol of Italian American pride. Louis Prima was one of the most popular artists of his generation, whose music influenced artists ranging from Elvis Presley and Stevie Wonder to David Lee Roth, Los Lobos, and Michael Bublè, yet he is also among the most <em>forgotten</em><em> </em>stars of American popular music.</p>
<figure id="attachment_40972" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-40972" style="width: 632px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" class="wp-image-40972" src="https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/DSC_0402-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="632" height="421" srcset="https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/DSC_0402-300x200.jpg 300w, https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/DSC_0402-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/DSC_0402-768x512.jpg 768w, https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/DSC_0402-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/DSC_0402-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/DSC_0402-600x400.jpg 600w, https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/DSC_0402-scaled.jpg 1600w" sizes="(max-width: 632px) 100vw, 632px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-40972" class="wp-caption-text"><strong><em>Prima referred to his customized King horn as his &#8220;dress trumpet&#8221; and played it exclusively for special events and TV appearances. This trumpet was his personal favorite during the 1960s and &#8217;70s.</em></strong></figcaption></figure>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">Forty-five years after his death, Prima’s music is heard in films, commercials, and viral TikTok videos. Artists continue to cover his work, and he even inspires fashion and dance styles. Yet, the name Louis Prima is unknown to most. How can we explain this disconnect, this simultaneous remembrance and amnesia?</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;"><em>Louis Prima: A Life in Rhythm and Music</em>,<em> </em>a new exhibition at the Italian American Museum of Cleveland (IAMCLE), explores these questions and Prima’s vast yet often unrecognized contributions to the music world.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">Prima was one of the highest paid entertainers of his time — a Grammy Award–winning hitmaker. He wrote popular music anthems, including “Sing, Sing, Sing,” the song that came to epitomize the Swing era, and “Jump, Jive, an’ Wail,” among others.</p>
<figure id="attachment_40973" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-40973" style="width: 614px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img decoding="async" class="wp-image-40973" src="https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/DSC_1209-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="614" height="409" srcset="https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/DSC_1209-300x200.jpg 300w, https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/DSC_1209-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/DSC_1209-768x512.jpg 768w, https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/DSC_1209-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/DSC_1209-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/DSC_1209-600x400.jpg 600w, https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/DSC_1209-scaled.jpg 1600w" sizes="(max-width: 614px) 100vw, 614px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-40973" class="wp-caption-text"><strong><em>Louis Prima: A Life in Rhythm and Music will run at the Italian American Museum of Cleveland (IAMCLE) until Jan. 3, 2026.</em> </strong></figcaption></figure>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">Prima, born in 1910, grew up during the early days of jazz in the city that gave birth to the genre: New Orleans, Louisiana. His music seamlessly spanned jazz and swing, early R&amp;B, rock, boogie-woogie, novelty, and Italian folk.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">Prima would also play an integral role in shaping two of the nation’s entertainment capitals. He helped make 52nd Street in New York City a mecca of jazz and, along with partner Keely Smith, Prima transformed Las Vegas from a town best known for its gamblers and dregs to a glamorous center of nightlife and entertainment. Their popularity, style, and visionary mix of jazz, swing, pop, and rock ’n’ roll was the genesis of the “hip” Vegas mystique that lives on to this day.</p>
<figure id="attachment_40974" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-40974" style="width: 592px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img decoding="async" class="wp-image-40974" src="https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/DSC_0503-300x213.jpg" alt="" width="592" height="420" srcset="https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/DSC_0503-300x213.jpg 300w, https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/DSC_0503-1024x728.jpg 1024w, https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/DSC_0503-768x546.jpg 768w, https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/DSC_0503-1536x1092.jpg 1536w, https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/DSC_0503-2048x1457.jpg 2048w, https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/DSC_0503-600x427.jpg 600w, https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/DSC_0503-scaled.jpg 1600w" sizes="(max-width: 592px) 100vw, 592px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-40974" class="wp-caption-text"><strong><em>ISDA National President Basil Russo and his wife Patricia Gallupoli Russo attend the exhibition&#8217;s launch at IAMCLE on July 17.</em> </strong></figcaption></figure>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">During the first half of the twentieth century — an age of conformity and assimilation when being Italian American was frowned upon and even despised — Prima remained unapologetically attached to his heritage. This was the same era that Dino Crocetti and Anna Marie Italiano became Dean Martin and Anne Bancroft, respectively, yet Prima kept his telltale vowels. He was Louis Prima, not Lou Prime (as was suggested). He wrote songs in Italian, peppered his speech with cultural references, and openly embraced his heritage. By doing so, he helped pave the paths for other performers, including Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Perry Como, and Dean Martin.</p>
<figure id="attachment_40976" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-40976" style="width: 569px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-40976" src="https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/DSC_1204-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="569" height="379" srcset="https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/DSC_1204-300x200.jpg 300w, https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/DSC_1204-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/DSC_1204-768x512.jpg 768w, https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/DSC_1204-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/DSC_1204-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/DSC_1204-600x400.jpg 600w, https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/DSC_1204-scaled.jpg 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 569px) 100vw, 569px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-40976" class="wp-caption-text"><strong><em>Encouraged by his mother, Louis Prima began studying the violin at the age of 7.</em></strong></figcaption></figure>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">Special thanks to Marianna Gatto, executive director of the Italian American Museum of Los Angeles (<a href="https://www.iamla.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">IAMLA</a>) — and to the <a href="https://www.giamaioneprimafoundation.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gia Maione Prima Foundation</a> and IAMCLE Director Pamela Dorazio Dean — for ushering this exhibition into Cleveland.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">IAMCLE will feature <em>Louis Prima: A Life in Rhythm and</em> Music until January 2026.</p>
<figure id="attachment_40977" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-40977" style="width: 545px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-40977" src="https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/DSC_1135-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="545" height="363" srcset="https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/DSC_1135-300x200.jpg 300w, https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/DSC_1135-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/DSC_1135-768x512.jpg 768w, https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/DSC_1135-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/DSC_1135-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/DSC_1135-600x400.jpg 600w, https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/DSC_1135-scaled.jpg 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 545px) 100vw, 545px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-40977" class="wp-caption-text"><em><strong>&#8220;The Voice&#8221; contestant Hayden Grove joins trumpet player Dominick Farinacci to perform Louis Prima&#8217;s greatest hits at the IAMCLE exhibition launch.</strong></em></figcaption></figure>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><a href="http://orderisda.org/pledge/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Make a Pledge and join Italian Sons and Daughters of America today. </a></strong></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<div class="flex-video"><iframe loading="lazy" title="Louis Prima - Sing,Sing,Sing (With a Swing)" width="1140" height="855" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TOPSETBUgvQ?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://orderisda.org/culture/music/echoes-of-rhythm-and-legacy-louis-prima-plays-on-in-clevelands-little-italy/">Echoes of Rhythm and Legacy: Louis Prima Plays on in Cleveland&#8217;s Little Italy</a> appeared first on <a href="https://orderisda.org">Italian Sons and Daughters of America</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
			</item>
		<item>
		<title>Chuck Mangione, Italian American Jazz Icon, Hit All the Right Notes</title>
		<link>https://orderisda.org/culture/music/chuck-mangione-italian-american-jazz-icon-hit-all-the-right-notes/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[johndeike]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sun, 27 Jul 2025 16:49:46 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Music]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://orderisda.org/?p=40959</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Chuck Mangione, the Grammy-winning trumpet player and composer whose warm, melodic style brought jazz into the mainstream, died peacefully in his sleep at his home in Rochester, N.Y., on July 22. He was 84. Born Charles Frank Mangione on November 29, 1940, to Italian American parents in Rochester, Mangione was immersed from an early age &#8230; <a href="https://orderisda.org/culture/music/chuck-mangione-italian-american-jazz-icon-hit-all-the-right-notes/">Continued</a></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://orderisda.org/culture/music/chuck-mangione-italian-american-jazz-icon-hit-all-the-right-notes/">Chuck Mangione, Italian American Jazz Icon, Hit All the Right Notes</a> appeared first on <a href="https://orderisda.org">Italian Sons and Daughters of America</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p data-start="95" data-end="305">Chuck Mangione, the Grammy-winning trumpet player and composer whose warm, melodic style brought jazz into the mainstream, died peacefully in his sleep at his home in Rochester, N.Y., on July 22. He was 84.</p>
<p data-start="307" data-end="739">Born Charles Frank Mangione on November 29, 1940, to Italian American parents in Rochester, Mangione was immersed from an early age in the sounds and traditions of both jazz and Italian culture.</p>
<p data-start="307" data-end="739">His father, Frank—a barber and passionate jazz enthusiast—often welcomed legendary musicians such as Dizzy Gillespie and Art Blakey into their home. These vibrant gatherings helped spark a lifelong passion for music and community in Mangione.</p>
<p data-start="741" data-end="920">As teenagers, Chuck and his brother Gap, a gifted jazz pianist, formed the Mangione Brothers Sextet, blending bebop influences with a familial chemistry rooted in shared heritage.</p>
<p data-start="922" data-end="1096">Mangione graduated from the Eastman School of Music in 1963 and later returned to lead its jazz ensemble, helping to establish Rochester as a vital center for jazz education.</p>
<div class="flex-video"><iframe loading="lazy" title="Feels So Good" width="1140" height="855" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qC1NXV1cF8o?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<p data-start="1098" data-end="1322">His 1977 album <em data-start="1113" data-end="1128">Feels So Good</em> catapulted him to stardom. The title track, with its soaring, lyrical melody played on flugelhorn, crossed over to reach No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the soundtrack of a generation.</p>
<p data-start="1324" data-end="1491">He also composed themes for the 1980 Winter Olympics and performed at the Lake Placid Games’ closing ceremony, further cementing his place in American musical history.</p>
<p data-start="1493" data-end="1626">In 2012, Mangione was inducted into the Rochester Music Hall of Fame, a fitting tribute to a hometown hero who never forgot his roots.</p>
<p data-start="1628" data-end="1773">Chuck Mangione’s music and spirit, deeply shaped by his Italian American heritage, will continue to inspire and resonate for generations to come.</p>
<p data-start="1628" data-end="1773"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone  wp-image-40962" src="https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/523130403_18366776962180922_4182721725592677169_n-240x300.jpg" alt="" width="408" height="510" srcset="https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/523130403_18366776962180922_4182721725592677169_n-240x300.jpg 240w, https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/523130403_18366776962180922_4182721725592677169_n-820x1024.jpg 820w, https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/523130403_18366776962180922_4182721725592677169_n-768x959.jpg 768w, https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/523130403_18366776962180922_4182721725592677169_n-1230x1536.jpg 1230w, https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/523130403_18366776962180922_4182721725592677169_n-600x749.jpg 600w, https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/523130403_18366776962180922_4182721725592677169_n-scaled.jpg 1281w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 408px) 100vw, 408px" /></p>
<p style="text-align: center;" data-start="2059" data-end="2323"><a href="http://orderisda.org/pledge/"><strong>Make the pledge and become a member of Italian Sons and Daughters of America today.</strong></a></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://orderisda.org/culture/music/chuck-mangione-italian-american-jazz-icon-hit-all-the-right-notes/">Chuck Mangione, Italian American Jazz Icon, Hit All the Right Notes</a> appeared first on <a href="https://orderisda.org">Italian Sons and Daughters of America</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
			</item>
		<item>
		<title>Italian American Legend Connie Francis Belongs in the Rock &#038; Roll Hall of Fame</title>
		<link>https://orderisda.org/culture/music/italian-american-legend-connie-francis-belongs-in-the-rock-roll-hall-of-fame/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[johndeike]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sat, 19 Jul 2025 19:41:30 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Music]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://orderisda.org/?p=40916</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>As the nation remembers Connie Francis, one question, amplified by disbelief, grows louder: Where the girls are? Everywhere but the Rock &#38; Roll Hall of Fame, it seems. “The Rock Hall has faced ongoing criticism for under-representing early female pop vocalists and girl groups — many of whom, like Connie Francis, laid the foundation for pop and &#8230; <a href="https://orderisda.org/culture/music/italian-american-legend-connie-francis-belongs-in-the-rock-roll-hall-of-fame/">Continued</a></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://orderisda.org/culture/music/italian-american-legend-connie-francis-belongs-in-the-rock-roll-hall-of-fame/">Italian American Legend Connie Francis Belongs in the Rock &#038; Roll Hall of Fame</a> appeared first on <a href="https://orderisda.org">Italian Sons and Daughters of America</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div>
<p style="text-align: left;" align="center">As the nation remembers Connie Francis, one question, amplified by disbelief, grows louder:<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Where the <em>girls</em> are?<span class="apple-converted-space"><i> </i></span>Everywhere but the Rock &amp; Roll Hall of Fame, it seems.</p>
</div>
<div>
<p>“The Rock Hall has faced ongoing criticism for under-representing early female pop vocalists and girl groups — many of whom, like Connie Francis, laid the foundation for pop and rock in the 1950s and ’60s,” said ISDA National President <a href="https://orderisda.org/about/officers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Basil Russo</a>. “There’s a strong case to be made that she deserves induction for her cultural influence and pioneering success as one of the first female pop superstars. Madonna — a successor to Francis in both Italian American heritage and chart dominance — was inducted in 2008. Francis’s exclusion today appears indefensible.”</p>
</div>
<div>
<p><strong>Consider her legacy:</strong></p>
</div>
<div>
<p>• 200+ million records sold worldwide<br />
• First woman to top the Billboard Hot 100<br />
• Top-selling female artist for a decade<br />
• 27 billion TikTok views featuring her music (and counting)<br />
• 53 Billboard Hot 100 chart hits<b></b></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><b>ISDA is rallying the public to </b><b>c</b><b>ontact the Rock Hall</b><b> at <a href="https://rockhall.com/contact-ushttps://rockhall.com/contact-us/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://rockhall.com/contact-us</a> to advocate for the recognition of Connie Francis.</b></p>
</div>
<div>
<p>The voice of a generation, Francis broke through at a time when women were expected to sing, not lead. Born in 1937 in Newark, N.J., to Italian immigrant parents, she grew up speaking Italian and performing at local events by age 4. After years of grinding out talent contests and TV appearances, she exploded onto the scene in 1958 with “Who’s Sorry Now?”</p>
<div class="flex-video"><iframe loading="lazy" title="Connie Francis : Where The Boys Are" width="1140" height="855" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cqgl0VRJW0E?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
</div>
<div>
<p>From there, she became a trailblazer: the first woman to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool,” and the first to headline major tours across Europe, Asia and the Middle East.</p>
</div>
<div>
<p>She recorded in over a dozen languages, starred in Hollywood musicals, and even opened for the Queen of England. By the mid-1960s, Francis had become not only a household name but also a symbol of Italian American pride.</p>
<figure id="attachment_40933" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-40933" style="width: 397px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-40933" src="https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Riposa-in-pace-1-240x300.png" alt="" width="397" height="496" srcset="https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Riposa-in-pace-1-240x300.png 240w, https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Riposa-in-pace-1-819x1024.png 819w, https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Riposa-in-pace-1-768x960.png 768w, https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Riposa-in-pace-1-600x750.png 600w, https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Riposa-in-pace-1.png 1080w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 397px) 100vw, 397px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-40933" class="wp-caption-text"><em>Concetta Rosa Maria Franconero passed away peacefully in Pompano Beach, Fla., on July 16 at the age of 87.</em></figcaption></figure>
</div>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Italian Sons and Daughters of America (<a href="https://orderisda.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ISDA</a>) is a proud member of the Conference of Presidents of Major Italian American Organizations (<a href="https://copomiao.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">COPOMIAO</a>), a national coalition of 74 cultural, educational, fraternal and anti-defamation groups that advocate for the Italian American culture. COPOMIAO — also led by Basil Russo — and ISDA are spearheading the Rock Hall induction effort. </strong></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><a href="http://orderisda.org/pledge/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Make a Pledge and join Italian Sons and Daughters of America today. </a></strong></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://orderisda.org/culture/music/italian-american-legend-connie-francis-belongs-in-the-rock-roll-hall-of-fame/">Italian American Legend Connie Francis Belongs in the Rock &#038; Roll Hall of Fame</a> appeared first on <a href="https://orderisda.org">Italian Sons and Daughters of America</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
			</item>
		<item>
		<title>Exhibition on Italian American Jazzman Louis Prima Leads Audiences to &#8216;Rediscover&#8217; Musical Icon</title>
		<link>https://orderisda.org/culture/music/exhibition-on-italian-american-jazzman-louis-prima-leads-audiences-to-rediscover-musical-icon/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[johndeike]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 10 Oct 2024 20:09:11 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Music]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://orderisda.org/?p=40003</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Since inaugurating a new original temporary exhibition about Grammy Award-winning musician Louis Prima 10 months ago, the Italian American Museum of Los Angeles (IAMLA) has received a constant stream of visitors, including many experiencing the museum for the first time. What’s most striking about the museum-goers, as one observes after spending a Sunday afternoon at the IAMLA, &#8230; <a href="https://orderisda.org/culture/music/exhibition-on-italian-american-jazzman-louis-prima-leads-audiences-to-rediscover-musical-icon/">Continued</a></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://orderisda.org/culture/music/exhibition-on-italian-american-jazzman-louis-prima-leads-audiences-to-rediscover-musical-icon/">Exhibition on Italian American Jazzman Louis Prima Leads Audiences to &#8216;Rediscover&#8217; Musical Icon</a> appeared first on <a href="https://orderisda.org">Italian Sons and Daughters of America</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Since inaugurating a new original temporary exhibition about Grammy Award-winning musician Louis Prima 10 months ago, the<a href="https://url.avanan.click/v2/___https:/www.iamla.org/___.YXAzOmlzZGE6YTpvOmJjNTVlMzNhNWZlYmQ0OWI3OGI3ODQ3MDIzZGIwYjJmOjY6MjRiYjpkMjVlYTdlOTAyMDlmMGIyOTNjYmYxZDc3MTQ4NDY5YTQ0NmRlMDE1M2Y2MjVlNDUwOWFhZjc1ZDJhNmE5ZmIzOnA6VDpO" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> Italian American Museum of Los Angeles</a> (IAMLA) has received a constant stream of visitors, including many experiencing the museum for the first time.</p>
<p>What’s most striking about the museum-goers, as one observes after spending a Sunday afternoon at the IAMLA, is their sheer diversity: students, seniors, veterans, families, and tourists were among those enjoying the exhibition, <a href="https://url.avanan.click/v2/___http:/musical___.YXAzOmlzZGE6YTpvOmJjNTVlMzNhNWZlYmQ0OWI3OGI3ODQ3MDIzZGIwYjJmOjY6YjQ1OTo3MTllYzczZWIwM2Y2MmZkMTdjYWZhZDdjY2M5M2VhZTY1YjdkZmQ2NDYzMzc4MDcwNmNmZmFmYTdkN2I2YjAxOnA6VDpO" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Louis Prima: Rediscovering a Musical Icon</a>.</p>
<figure id="attachment_40008" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-40008" style="width: 714px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-40008 " src="https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Unknown-1-300x219.jpeg" alt="" width="714" height="521" srcset="https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Unknown-1-300x219.jpeg 300w, https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Unknown-1-1024x747.jpeg 1024w, https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Unknown-1-768x561.jpeg 768w, https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Unknown-1-600x438.jpeg 600w, https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Unknown-1.jpeg 1440w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 714px) 100vw, 714px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-40008" class="wp-caption-text"><em>A view of gallery II at the IAMLA Louis Prima opening.</em></figcaption></figure>
<p>Interest in the exhibition among the Italian American community has been strong. A delegation representing more than two dozen Italian American organizations, spearheaded by the<a href="https://url.avanan.click/v2/___https:/copomiao.org/___.YXAzOmlzZGE6YTpvOmJjNTVlMzNhNWZlYmQ0OWI3OGI3ODQ3MDIzZGIwYjJmOjY6Zjg5Zjo0YWIxNDVkOTcwNGUzZDg4ZTcxNDEwYWVhNjcxZTkwZDA2NGEwZWQ5ZGNmYjkzN2JkZDcwYzBjYTljMGNjNzcyOnA6VDpO" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> Conference of Presidents of Major Italian American Organizations</a> (COPOMIAO), were among the first to visit.</p>
<p>In the spring, <a href="https://url.avanan.click/v2/___https:/www.lenaprima.com/___.YXAzOmlzZGE6YTpvOmJjNTVlMzNhNWZlYmQ0OWI3OGI3ODQ3MDIzZGIwYjJmOjY6OGRlNDphOGU4ZmYyMTNmNjRjNDdlNjI2ZWMyNTBlZDgyMGNhMTA1MjE5Yzg3MGIwNWViNmIzZTdjMThhZDZhZTA4Y2NlOnA6VDpO" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Lena Prima</a>, youngest daughter of Louis Prima, commanded a sold-out crowd for her performance at the IAMLA, which featured many of her father’s hits. Representatives from the region of Sicily, who were visiting Los Angeles for the occasion of the Italian ship Amerigo Vespucci’s world tour, would also make a pilgrimage to the IAMLA and learn about Prima, whose family was from Salaparuta and Ustica.</p>
<figure id="attachment_40009" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-40009" style="width: 562px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-40009 " src="https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Unknown-2-300x250.jpeg" alt="" width="562" height="468" srcset="https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Unknown-2-300x250.jpeg 300w, https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Unknown-2-1024x853.jpeg 1024w, https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Unknown-2-768x640.jpeg 768w, https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Unknown-2-600x500.jpeg 600w, https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Unknown-2.jpeg 1440w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 562px) 100vw, 562px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-40009" class="wp-caption-text"><em>Members of COPOMIAO visit IAMLA for a special tour of the Prima exhibition with the museum’s director, Marianna Gatto.</em></figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_40010" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-40010" style="width: 510px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-40010" src="https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Unknown-3-300x200.jpeg" alt="" width="510" height="340" srcset="https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Unknown-3-300x200.jpeg 300w, https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Unknown-3-1024x683.jpeg 1024w, https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Unknown-3-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Unknown-3-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w, https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Unknown-3-2048x1365.jpeg 2048w, https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Unknown-3-600x400.jpeg 600w, https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Unknown-3-scaled.jpeg 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 510px) 100vw, 510px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-40010" class="wp-caption-text"><em>Lena Prima with her New Orleans All Star Band perform at the IAMLA.</em></figcaption></figure>
<p>In June, the IAMLA hosted Representative <a href="https://url.avanan.click/v2/___https:/suozzi.house.gov/___.YXAzOmlzZGE6YTpvOmJjNTVlMzNhNWZlYmQ0OWI3OGI3ODQ3MDIzZGIwYjJmOjY6YzA5OTpiOThkY2JjM2Y1YzFmYTZmY2I1ZDMwNzBhMmNmMjczMmMzYmVlOTk2OWQ2MDk3YWE5YTRhNzUxNzdjMjU3YmIxOnA6VDpO" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tom Suozzi,</a> Congressman for New York’s 3rd Congressional District, for a tour. Suozzi, whose career in public service spans three decades, is the son of an Italian immigrant and a vocal supporter of Italian American issues.</p>
<p>“Italian American history is American history,” says Suozzi. “The Italian American Museum of Los Angeles gives us a deeper understanding of the Italian American part of the American mosaic. Italian Americans have helped shape our nation, and this museum is a wonderful celebration of our contribution.”</p>
<figure id="attachment_40011" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-40011" style="width: 647px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-40011" src="https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Unknown-300x268.jpeg" alt="" width="647" height="578" srcset="https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Unknown-300x268.jpeg 300w, https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Unknown.jpeg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 647px) 100vw, 647px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-40011" class="wp-caption-text"><em>Congressman Tom Suozzi with IAMLA Executive Director and Cofounder Marianna Gatto.</em></figcaption></figure>
<p>Exhibitions and public programming are among the tools that the IAMLA utilizes to engage the public, explains director <a href="https://url.avanan.click/v2/___https:/www.iamla.org/staff/staff-marianna-gatto/___.YXAzOmlzZGE6YTpvOmJjNTVlMzNhNWZlYmQ0OWI3OGI3ODQ3MDIzZGIwYjJmOjY6MTllYjo3YjIwYmNhYzY3MzY1YmU5OGRlYTljNzQwNTQxMWI4MjEyMzg4MjY0Yzc2MWFlNmY4MWExMTMwNDdmMDVlNTI2OnA6VDpO" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Marianna Gatto</a>. At a recent public program exploring Prima and other Italian Americans in jazz that featured scholars Bruce Raeburn and Will Friedwald, over 90 percent of attendees were new to the IAMLA. Free programs for youth and families, including an interactive play about Prima’s life for children, introduced the IAMLA to even larger audiences.</p>
<p>“Many of our student visitors have never been to a museum or attended a live performance before,” says Gatto. “It is always a bit sobering when we hear this. Whether they are students or lifelong learners, these visitors demonstrate the role of museums—to educate, inspire, and connect people, to promote discourse and equity, to preserve heritage, showcase cultural narratives, and foster a sense of shared humanity.”</p>
<figure id="attachment_40012" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-40012" style="width: 658px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-40012" src="https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/prima-play-press-shot-education-IMG_1779-22.heic" alt="" width="658" height="494" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-40012" class="wp-caption-text"><em>Children and their families attend a free interactive play at the IAMLA.</em></figcaption></figure>
<p>Louis Prima: Rediscovering a Musical Icon was made possible by a grant from the Gia Maione Prima Foundation with additional support from the Italian Sons and Daughters of America, among others.</p>
<p>To learn more about the Italian American Museum of Los Angeles please visit<a href="https://url.avanan.click/v2/___http:/www.iamla.org/___.YXAzOmlzZGE6YTpvOmJjNTVlMzNhNWZlYmQ0OWI3OGI3ODQ3MDIzZGIwYjJmOjY6OGY5YTo3N2M3MTA4MTcxMjU3YjY3MDNlMTcyYjQ2NmI2ZjQxZWM4YjhlOTZkNDViZDdiYzNmODJiZjUxNzI3NGMzZGZjOnA6VDpO" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> </a><a href="https://url.avanan.click/v2/___http:/www.iamla.org/___.YXAzOmlzZGE6YTpvOmJjNTVlMzNhNWZlYmQ0OWI3OGI3ODQ3MDIzZGIwYjJmOjY6OGY5YTo3N2M3MTA4MTcxMjU3YjY3MDNlMTcyYjQ2NmI2ZjQxZWM4YjhlOTZkNDViZDdiYzNmODJiZjUxNzI3NGMzZGZjOnA6VDpO" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">www.iamla.org</a>.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-40014" src="https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Screenshot-2024-10-06-at-1.17.00_PM-300x201.png" alt="" width="748" height="501" srcset="https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Screenshot-2024-10-06-at-1.17.00_PM-300x201.png 300w, https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Screenshot-2024-10-06-at-1.17.00_PM-1024x684.png 1024w, https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Screenshot-2024-10-06-at-1.17.00_PM-768x513.png 768w, https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Screenshot-2024-10-06-at-1.17.00_PM-600x401.png 600w, https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Screenshot-2024-10-06-at-1.17.00_PM.png 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 748px) 100vw, 748px" /></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><a href="http://orderisda.org/pledge/">Make a Pledge and join Italian Sons and Daughters of America today. </a></strong></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://orderisda.org/culture/music/exhibition-on-italian-american-jazzman-louis-prima-leads-audiences-to-rediscover-musical-icon/">Exhibition on Italian American Jazzman Louis Prima Leads Audiences to &#8216;Rediscover&#8217; Musical Icon</a> appeared first on <a href="https://orderisda.org">Italian Sons and Daughters of America</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
			</item>
		<item>
		<title>‘Tony’s Backstage Pass’ Celebrates Music, Heritage and Harmony</title>
		<link>https://orderisda.org/culture/music/italian/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[johndeike]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 24 Jun 2024 16:00:16 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Music]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://orderisda.org/?p=39560</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Tony Pasko (left) sits down with James Burton, a famed guitarist and Rock &#38; Roll Hall of Fame inductee. Rolling Stones’ guitarist Keith Richards delivered Burton’s Rock Hall induction speech in 2001. By Dina Linn, La Nostra Voce  They say that all musicians are, by nature, storytellers. Having grown up in Chicago’s vibrant Italian American &#8230; <a href="https://orderisda.org/culture/music/italian/">Continued</a></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://orderisda.org/culture/music/italian/">‘Tony’s Backstage Pass’ Celebrates Music, Heritage and Harmony</a> appeared first on <a href="https://orderisda.org">Italian Sons and Daughters of America</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Tony Pasko (left) sits down with James Burton, a famed guitarist and <a href="https://rockhall.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rock &amp; Roll Hall of Fame</a> inductee. Rolling Stones’ guitarist Keith Richards delivered Burton’s Rock Hall induction speech in 2001.</em></p>
<p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: center;"><strong>By Dina Linn, <em>La Nostra Voce </em></strong></p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">They say that all musicians are, by nature, storytellers. Having grown up in Chicago’s vibrant Italian American culture, brimming with rich oral histories, music industry professional and performing artist Tony Pasko’s career serves as a testament to that adage.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">After a lifetime of working and performing with some of the greatest musicians in the world, Tony’s latest project is producing and hosting the Vodcast “<a href="https://tonybackstage.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tony’s Backstage Pass</a>,” featuring legends of the music industry and up-and-coming artists. In the series, Tony pulls back the curtain to show viewers what really goes on behind the scenes of music industry culture, visiting historic theaters, music venues, cemeteries, and restaurants — all while serving as storyteller.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>This article first appeared in the June 2024 edition of ISDA’s monthly Italian American newspaper, <em>La Nostra Voce.</em> <a href="https://orderisda.org/pledge/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Subscribe here</a></strong></p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">The pilot episode featured Rock &amp; Roll Hall of Fame guitarist <a href="https://www.james-burton.net" target="_blank" rel="noopener">James Burton</a>, the man whom Elvis introduced every night as &#8220;The greatest guitar player in the world!” Tony visited Burton in his studio and learned about his unbelievable career, complete with tales of his bosses, a veritable who&#8217;s-who of the music industry: Ricky Nelson, Elvis, and Frank Sinatra. The episode (below) has been viewed more than 100,000 times.</p>
<div class="flex-video"><iframe loading="lazy" title="The Legendary James Burton" width="1140" height="641" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Qz6Cfh5NBXk?start=21&#038;feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">According to Tony, “Most people, including my mother, are impressed that James played with Elvis, but not my grandmother. When she found out he played with Frank Sinatra, she instantly lit up and said, ‘You know, I always had a thing for Frank.’&#8221;</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">While of Swedish and German ancestry, for over 30 years, Tony’s wife and fellow musician Jan Frevert Pasko has fully embraced her husband’s close-knit Italian American family and their traditions; and she;s been overwhelmingly embraced in return.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">According to Jan, “Tony’s Grandma [Angie] essentially proposed to me before he did, giving me the family wedding rings!” After moving to Pensacola, Florida, the Pasko family became founding members of the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/primoparadisolodge" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ISDA Primo Paradiso Lodge #0280.</a></p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">On the importance of family, Tony says, “I see my family as being the typical Italian American family. We are a hard-working family that are proud to be American but hold true to our Italian heritage. That mentality has stayed with me, and I&#8217;m applying it to my show. My goal is to preserve the musician culture, tell the stories for the next generation, and pay it forward.”</p>
<figure id="attachment_39565" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-39565" style="width: 308px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-39565" src="https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Photo-2-2-170x300.jpg" alt="" width="308" height="544" srcset="https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Photo-2-2-170x300.jpg 170w, https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Photo-2-2-579x1024.jpg 579w, https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Photo-2-2-768x1359.jpg 768w, https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Photo-2-2-868x1536.jpg 868w, https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Photo-2-2-600x1062.jpg 600w, https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Photo-2-2-scaled.jpg 904w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 308px) 100vw, 308px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-39565" class="wp-caption-text"><em>Tony and Jan Pasko pose with Tony’s grandmother, Angelina (Angie) Durso (who is 97 years young).</em></figcaption></figure>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">In addition to “Tony’s Backstage Pass,” he has designed and marketed products for the music industry&#8217;s top companies. Tony was the Product Manager for the guitar division at Peavey Electronics, where he worked directly with Lynard Skynard, NickelBack, Duran Duran, Black Stone Cherry, Joe Satriani, James Burton, Warrant and Poison, designing their custom-made guitars and amps.</p>
<p>As a musician he has shared the stage with the P-Funk All-Stars, Vince Neil, Jack Bruce, Gary Hoey, David Ellefson (Megadeth), Johnny Hiland, Cowboy Mouth, Nicko McBrain, Jane Weidlin, Bobby Rush and others.</p>
<p>In 2012 Tony signed to Downboys Records, owned by the platinum-selling rock band Warrant, and released three records. His music can be heard on more than 30 television shows, including “The Wahlbergers,” “Wicked Tuna,” “30 for 30,” “Shark Week,” and “Pitbulls and Parolees.”</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">Tony was one of the music writers on A&amp;E’s No.1-rated TV show “Duck Dynasty,” with a viewership of more than 11.8 million at its peak.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">&#8220;Who would have thought that the music on one of the most popular reality TV shows about a hunting family from Louisiana was written by an Italian guy from Chicago, who never hunted or fished in his life!” exclaimed Tony.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">He also produced a new reality TV show called “<a href="https://beingmartelli.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Being Martelli</a>” on Canyon Star TV, a project in which he celebrates the Italian American experience.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">It is this experience that continues to drive Tony’s future projects. An upcoming episode of “Tony’s Backstage Pass” will explore the influence of Italian culture in the American music industry, particularly Sicilian contributions to the development of the Blues, America’s art form.</p>
<figure id="attachment_39562" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-39562" style="width: 777px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-39562" src="https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Photo-3-300x215.jpg" alt="" width="777" height="557" srcset="https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Photo-3-300x215.jpg 300w, https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Photo-3-600x430.jpg 600w, https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Photo-3.jpg 760w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 777px) 100vw, 777px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-39562" class="wp-caption-text"><em>Italian American musicians playing in a band with former slaves in the American South, circa 1904 (National Archives).</em></figcaption></figure>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">In 1895, 95 Sicilian families immigrated to Mississippi, following the promise of land ownership in exchange for labor. These Sicilians worked side by side in the cotton fields with former slaves, hearing their music that featured a call and response tempo, giving rhythm to both work and worship.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">Adding the Italian/European influences that these families brought to the Delta, the music grew into the structure used today known as the 1-4-5 Blues progression.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">Photos showing Black musicians holding and playing the mandolin alongside Italian Americans during the Jim Crow Era serve as further evidence of this influence, which speaks to nationwide perceptions of both demographics at the time.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: center;"><strong><em>For more information, tune in to the next episode of Tony&#8217;s Backstage Pass: A behind the scenes look into the music industry. Bi-weekly episodes on: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@tonysbackstagepass1314" target="_blank" rel="noopener">YouTube</a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/0ChNUlnkp9g0iyHVh4g7LG" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spotify</a> and <a href="https://www.canyonstar.tv/program-group/3692bf07baf1cf7b2bafaf3a913b2f43" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Canyon Star TV</a>.</em></strong></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://orderisda.org/culture/music/italian/">‘Tony’s Backstage Pass’ Celebrates Music, Heritage and Harmony</a> appeared first on <a href="https://orderisda.org">Italian Sons and Daughters of America</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
			</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Original Jersey Boy: Frankie Valli Lands Hollywood Star on Walk of Fame</title>
		<link>https://orderisda.org/culture/music/the-original-jersey-boy-frankie-valli-lands-hollywood-star-on-walk-of-fame/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[johndeike]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sun, 26 May 2024 15:04:47 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Music]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://orderisda.org/?p=39467</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Frankie Valli turned 90 on May 3, the same day he and The Four Seasons were presented with a star on the iconic Hollywood Walk of Fame. The formation of the band goes back to 1960, in Newark, N.J., and featured Valli as lead singer, Bob Gaudio on keyboards, Tommy DeVito on lead guitar, and &#8230; <a href="https://orderisda.org/culture/music/the-original-jersey-boy-frankie-valli-lands-hollywood-star-on-walk-of-fame/">Continued</a></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://orderisda.org/culture/music/the-original-jersey-boy-frankie-valli-lands-hollywood-star-on-walk-of-fame/">The Original Jersey Boy: Frankie Valli Lands Hollywood Star on Walk of Fame</a> appeared first on <a href="https://orderisda.org">Italian Sons and Daughters of America</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="https://frankievallifourseasons.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Frankie Valli</a> turned 90 on May 3, the same day he and The Four Seasons were presented with a star on the iconic Hollywood Walk of Fame.</p>
<p>The formation of the band goes back to 1960, in Newark, N.J., and featured Valli as lead singer, Bob Gaudio on keyboards, Tommy DeVito on lead guitar, and Nick Massi — later succeeded by Joe Long — on bass guitar.</p>
<p>Valli&#8217;s career with The Four Seasons and his solo success gave way to a golden set of hit singles, like “Sherry,” “Walk Like A Man,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Rag Doll,” “December ’63 – Oh What A Night,” “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You” and “Grease.”</p>
<div class="flex-video"><iframe loading="lazy" title="The Four Seasons - Sherry (Official Audio)" width="1140" height="641" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jMcWldfg28s?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<p>His songs have appeared in films as varied as “The Deer Hunter,” “Dirty Dancing” and “Mrs. Doubtfire.&#8221;</p>
<p>More than 200 artists have covered “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You,” from Nancy Wilson’s jazz treatment to Lauryn Hill’s hip-hop makeover, according to the <a href="https://walkoffame.com/frankie-valli-the-four-seasons/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR3A2Wzq2OUQ_iFutY8TNulaGQNbLa_FqJJwJOQzoB7hbNgtkJ2daqOy6Pk_aem_Ad_aOf0dOby4-2VroNAPkuxVR6NJ6Go8Xz1XI45mk7iBcb6hB_c6UEW4_ShYsJXXx8ABpBnmwtSa2o0bc_dfDnsb" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hollywood Walk of Fame</a>.</p>
<div class="flex-video"><iframe loading="lazy" title="Frankie Valli - Can&#039;t Take My Eyes Off You (Live)" width="1140" height="855" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hQugcviHDTA?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<p>Frankie Valli &amp; The Four Seasons have sold over 175 million records worldwide, and they continue to tour throughout the U.S. and abroad to packed houses.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Valli&#8217;s blockbuster Broadway musical, &#8220;<a href="https://jerseyboysinfo.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">JERSEY BOYS</a>,&#8221; which chronicles the band&#8217;s rise and best tunes, has been seen by more than 18 million people worldwide, picked up 4 Tony Awards including Best Musical (2006), and is currently playing in New York, Las Vegas, London, and in cities across the U.S. on a national tour.</p>
<p>It is the 15th longest-running show in Broadway history, recently passing “Fiddler on the Roof,” “Hello Dolly!,” “The Producers” and “Oklahoma.”</p>
<p>This past January, in Los Angeles, Valli was a special guest at the launch of the <a href="https://orderisda.org/culture/film-entertainment/russo-brothers-align-hollywood-stars-to-launch-new-vision-of-italian-american-storytelling-on-the-big-screen/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Russo Brothers Italian American Filmmaker Forum</a>, a fellowship and film production program developed by the AGBO Foundation in collaboration with Italian Sons and Daughters of America (ISDA).</p>
<p>Valli&#8217;s star is the 2,780th on the Walk of Fame, and is located at 5150 Hollywood Blvd.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Watch the Walk of Fame ceremony here: </strong></p>
<div class="flex-video"><iframe loading="lazy" title="Frankie Valli &amp; The Four Seasons Walk of Fame Ceremony" width="1140" height="641" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/B63oRthVudE?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><a href="http://orderisda.org/pledge/">Make a Pledge and join Italian Sons and Daughters of America today. </a></strong></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://orderisda.org/culture/music/the-original-jersey-boy-frankie-valli-lands-hollywood-star-on-walk-of-fame/">The Original Jersey Boy: Frankie Valli Lands Hollywood Star on Walk of Fame</a> appeared first on <a href="https://orderisda.org">Italian Sons and Daughters of America</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
			</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Life of a Jazzman: A Rediscovery of Louis Prima</title>
		<link>https://orderisda.org/culture/music/the-life-of-a-jazzman-a-rediscovery-of-louis-prima/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[johndeike]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sun, 07 Jan 2024 21:33:19 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Music]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://orderisda.org/?p=38895</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Jazzman, songwriter, entertainer, pop culture icon, symbol of Italian American pride. Louis Prima was one of the most popular artists of his generation, whose music influenced artists ranging from Elvis Presley and Stevie Wonder to David Lee Roth, Kanye West, Los Lobos, and Michael Bublè, yet he is also among the most forgotten stars of &#8230; <a href="https://orderisda.org/culture/music/the-life-of-a-jazzman-a-rediscovery-of-louis-prima/">Continued</a></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://orderisda.org/culture/music/the-life-of-a-jazzman-a-rediscovery-of-louis-prima/">The Life of a Jazzman: A Rediscovery of Louis Prima</a> appeared first on <a href="https://orderisda.org">Italian Sons and Daughters of America</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="font-weight: 400;">Jazzman, songwriter, entertainer, pop culture icon, symbol of Italian American pride. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Prima" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Louis Prima</a> was one of the most popular artists of his generation, whose music influenced artists ranging from Elvis Presley and Stevie Wonder to David Lee Roth, Kanye West, Los Lobos, and Michael Bublè, yet he is also among the most <em>forgotten </em>stars of American popular music. Forty-five years after his death, Prima&#8217;s music is heard in films, commercials, and viral TikTok videos. Artists continue to cover his work and he even inspires fashion and dance styles. Yet, the name Louis Prima is unknown to most. How can we explain this disconnect, this simultaneous remembrance and amnesia?</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><em>This article was published in the latest edition of La Nostra Voce, ISDA’s monthly newspaper that chronicles Italian American news, history, culture and traditions. </em><em><a href="http://orderisda.org/pledge/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Subscribe today.</a></em></strong></p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://www.iamla.org/louis-prima-rediscovering-a-musical-icon/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong><em>Louis Prima: Rediscovering a Musical Icon</em></strong></a><em>, </em>a new exhibition at the Italian American Museum of Los Angeles (IAMLA), explores these questions and Prima’s vast yet often unrecognized contributions to the music world.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-38898" src="https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Unknown-3-300x219.jpeg" alt="" width="705" height="515" srcset="https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Unknown-3-300x219.jpeg 300w, https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Unknown-3-1024x747.jpeg 1024w, https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Unknown-3-768x561.jpeg 768w, https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Unknown-3-600x438.jpeg 600w, https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Unknown-3.jpeg 1440w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 705px) 100vw, 705px" /></p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">Prima was one of the highest paid entertainers of his time—a Grammy Award–winning hitmaker. He wrote popular music anthems, including “Sing, Sing, Sing,” the song that came to epitomize the Swing era, and “Jump, Jive, an’ Wail,” among others.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">Prima, born in 1910, grew up during the early days of jazz in the city that gave birth to the genre: New Orleans, Louisiana. The confluence of the city’s African American culture and Prima’s own Sicilian heritage provided a range of diverse influences. Prima embodied this artistic melting pot and pioneered a style all his own. His music seamlessly spanned jazz and swing, early R&amp;B, rock, boogie-woogie, novelty, and Italian folk. Prima added comedy and irreverence to create a skillfully crafted spectacle that audiences adored. Critics and scholars, meanwhile, often dismissed Prima for these same reasons. He was too popular and therefore could not be taken seriously as a musician. He was too hard to categorize.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-38901" src="https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Unknown-2-300x219.jpeg" alt="" width="679" height="496" srcset="https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Unknown-2-300x219.jpeg 300w, https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Unknown-2-1024x749.jpeg 1024w, https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Unknown-2-768x562.jpeg 768w, https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Unknown-2-600x439.jpeg 600w, https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Unknown-2.jpeg 1053w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 679px) 100vw, 679px" /></p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">Prima would also play an integral role in shaping two of the nation’s entertainment capitals. He helped make 52nd Street in New York City a mecca of jazz and, along with partner Keely Smith, Prima transformed Las Vegas from a town best known for its gamblers and dregs to a glamorous center of nightlife and entertainment. Their popularity, style, and visionary mix of jazz, swing, pop, and rock ’n’ roll was the genesis of the “hip” Vegas mystique that lives on to this day.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">During the first half of the twentieth century—an age of conformity and assimilation when being Italian American was frowned upon and even despised—Prima remained unapologetically attached to his heritage. This was the same era that Dino Crocetti and Anna Marie Italiano became Dean Martin and Anne Bancroft, respectively, yet Prima kept his telltale vowels. He was Louis Prima, not Lou Prime. He wrote songs in Italian, peppered his speech with cultural references, and openly embraced his heritage. By doing so, he helped pave the paths for other performers, including Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Perry Como, and Dean Martin.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;"><em>Louis Prima: Rediscovering a Musical Icon </em>began as a conversation between friends in 2020. Marianna Gatto, the director of the IAMLA, reached out to Lena Prima, the youngest daughter of Louis Prima, to express interest in including an item of her father’s in the museum’s permanent exhibition. Lena directed Gatto to the <a href="https://www.giamaioneprimafoundation.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gia Maione Prima Foundation</a>, who holds a substantial archive of her father’s work.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-38899" src="https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Unknown-1-300x219.jpeg" alt="" width="770" height="562" srcset="https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Unknown-1-300x219.jpeg 300w, https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Unknown-1-1024x747.jpeg 1024w, https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Unknown-1-768x561.jpeg 768w, https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Unknown-1-600x438.jpeg 600w, https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Unknown-1.jpeg 1440w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 770px) 100vw, 770px" /></p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">Gatto met with the Gia Maione Prima Foundation and learned that the<a href="https://nolajazzmuseum.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> New Orleans Jazz Museum</a> had produced an exhibition in collaboration with the Foundation about Prima. The IAMLA decided to take the exhibition in another direction. According to Gatto: “As an Italian American institution, the IAMLA wanted to explore Prima in a different context, not only as a musician and performer, but as a highly visible and influential Italian American.” Gatto selected items from the Prima Foundation archive and from that of Tulane University.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">The exhibition at the IAMLA also explores Prima’s time in Los Angeles and his work with Walt Disney Studios. Prima provided the voice for King Louis in the film <em>The Jungle Book. </em></p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">Nearly 300 guests, traveling as far as New York, Connecticut, and Louisiana, attended the private opening for the IAMLA exhibition, and since then, <em>Louis Prima: Rediscovering a Musical Icon </em>has received rave reviews.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-38900" src="https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Unknown-300x220.jpeg" alt="" width="764" height="560" srcset="https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Unknown-300x220.jpeg 300w, https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Unknown-1024x751.jpeg 1024w, https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Unknown-768x563.jpeg 768w, https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Unknown-600x440.jpeg 600w, https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Unknown.jpeg 1440w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 764px) 100vw, 764px" /></p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">Anthony Sylvester from the Gia Maione Prima Foundation commented, “The Foundation is thrilled that this comprehensive exhibit on the life and times of Louis Prima is being presented at the IAMLA. We know visitors will enjoy the exhibit and learn about Prima’s Italian-American heritage and his career that ranged over 50 years. Louis was a skilled jazzman, songwriter and performer and his music can still be heard today through a spectrum of entertainment from today’s musicians to film and television and even Tiktok. This exhibit will introduce a new generation to the music of Louis Prima.”</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">Prima, in both his art and in his private life, was complex and fascinating. He was a musical innovator. Prima married five times and had six children. He mingled with celebrities and was friends with U.S. presidents, but he was equally comfortable with and relatable to everyday people. Prima is truly a cultural icon worthy of rediscovery.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">The exhibit was made possible with the support of Gia Maione Prima Foundation Inc, Italian Sons and Daughters of America, De Pietro Family, Order Sons of Italy and the New Orleans Jazz Museum, Tulane University, Walt Disney Archives; Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture, and the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">The exhibit is open daily and admission is free. It continues until October 2024. For more information, visit <a href="http://www.iamla.org/">www.iamla.org</a>.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-38896" src="https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Screenshot-2023-12-26-at-4.39.42-PM-300x196.png" alt="" width="745" height="487" srcset="https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Screenshot-2023-12-26-at-4.39.42-PM-300x196.png 300w, https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Screenshot-2023-12-26-at-4.39.42-PM-1024x668.png 1024w, https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Screenshot-2023-12-26-at-4.39.42-PM-768x501.png 768w, https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Screenshot-2023-12-26-at-4.39.42-PM-1536x1002.png 1536w, https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Screenshot-2023-12-26-at-4.39.42-PM-600x391.png 600w, https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Screenshot-2023-12-26-at-4.39.42-PM.png 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 745px) 100vw, 745px" /></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://orderisda.org/pledge/"><strong>Make the pledge and become a member of Italian Sons and Daughters of America today.</strong></a></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://orderisda.org/culture/music/the-life-of-a-jazzman-a-rediscovery-of-louis-prima/">The Life of a Jazzman: A Rediscovery of Louis Prima</a> appeared first on <a href="https://orderisda.org">Italian Sons and Daughters of America</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
			</item>
		<item>
		<title>Jazz Innovator Vince Guaraldi Hit All the Right Notes</title>
		<link>https://orderisda.org/culture/music/jazz-innovator-vince-guaraldi-hit-all-the-right-notes/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[johndeike]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 25 Dec 2023 23:16:46 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Music]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://orderisda.org/?p=38786</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>By Pamela Dorazio Dean, La Nostra Voce  A Charlie Brown Christmas, which first aired on Dec. 9, 1965, was the first full-length animated special created by Charles Schulz, featuring the Peanuts gang. Even though the comic strip was popular in the early 1960s, it wasn’t until the iconic characters appeared on the cover of Time &#8230; <a href="https://orderisda.org/culture/music/jazz-innovator-vince-guaraldi-hit-all-the-right-notes/">Continued</a></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://orderisda.org/culture/music/jazz-innovator-vince-guaraldi-hit-all-the-right-notes/">Jazz Innovator Vince Guaraldi Hit All the Right Notes</a> appeared first on <a href="https://orderisda.org">Italian Sons and Daughters of America</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>By Pamela Dorazio Dean, <em><a href="https://orderisda.org/culture/category/la-nostra-voce/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">La Nostra Voce</a> </em></strong></p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0059026/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>A Charlie Brown Christmas</em></a>, which first aired on Dec. 9, 1965, was the first full-length animated special created by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_M._Schulz" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Charles Schulz</a>, featuring the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peanuts" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Peanuts</em></a> gang. Even though the comic strip was popular in the early 1960s, it wasn’t until the iconic characters appeared on the cover of <em>Time</em> magazine in 1965 that studio executives took an interest in bringing them to the national stage.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">With Coca-Cola as the sponsor, Schulz — along with Lee Mendelson and Bill Melendez — developed the outline for the film. They agreed that a key component to their project was creating a soundtrack where jazz uniquely coalesced with traditional music. Having worked with jazz pianist, composer and Grammy Award winner Vince Guaraldi on music for a 1963 documentary about Schulz, the group decided to bring him back for the Christmas special. Guaraldi wrote two new songs for <em>A Charlie Brown Christmas</em>, including <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kn4Y3sHyfsg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">“Skating”</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PzetPqepXA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">“Christmas Time is Here.”</a> He had already written the famous <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6zypc_LhnM" target="_blank" rel="noopener">“Linus and Lucy”</a> tune for the 1963 documentary, so they decided to use that in the Christmas special, too.</p>
<div class="flex-video"><iframe loading="lazy" title="Peanuts Gang :  Christmas Song &quot;Linus &amp; Lucy&quot;" width="1140" height="855" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/00gXEn1ehDg?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">Lyrics were needed for “Christmas Time is Here” but the words didn’t come easy. So, one day, Mendelson jotted down some words in 15 minutes on the back of an envelope. Ironically, studio executives and several of the creators were disappointed upon their first viewing of the show. They thought the storyline moved too slowly, the animation was odd, and the music didn’t fit the story or characters. When it finally did air to a national audience, it received much acclaim from viewers and critics. It was the second-most-watched show that evening, capturing 45% of the viewing audience.</p>
<div class="flex-video"><iframe loading="lazy" title="Vince Guaraldi Trio - Christmas Time Is Here (Vocal)" width="1140" height="641" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4PzetPqepXA?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">In 1966, it won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Children’s Program. <em>A Charlie Brown Christmas</em> remains a classic because it is a complete work of art. All aspects of the animated film included something new and original that came together to create a memorable and captivating story. But what really made it special and gave it broad appeal is the music. In May 2022, the soundtrack was certified quintuple platinum (that’s five million copies).</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vince_Guaraldi" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Vincent Anthony Guaraldi</a> was born in the North Beach area of San Francisco, California, on July 17, 1928, to Vincent Dellaglio and Carmella Marcellino Dellaglio.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">Vince changed his last name to Guaraldi after his mother married his stepfather, Secondo Guaraldi, who adopted him. Vince showed an interest in music at an early age, most likely being influenced by his uncles Maurice and Joe Marcellino, who were Jazz musicians, and his mother, Carmela, who could play piano by ear. Carmela said that beginning at about age 5, Vince would park himself in front of the radio for hours and try to identify the different instruments he heard.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">He started playing piano at age 7, and he hit his stride in high school. In 1951, Vince released his first studio recording with a jazz trio. Other albums followed and he soon formed his own band. Success and notoriety came with the release of the song “Cast Your Fate to the Wind” in 1962. It won a Grammy and put him on Lee Mendelson’s radar. As they say, the rest is history as Charlie Brown would soon coming knocking.</p>
<figure id="attachment_38787" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-38787" style="width: 416px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-38787" src="https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Vinceguaraldi_blackwhite-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="416" height="277" srcset="https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Vinceguaraldi_blackwhite-300x200.jpg 300w, https://orderisda.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Vinceguaraldi_blackwhite.jpg 356w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 416px) 100vw, 416px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-38787" class="wp-caption-text"><strong>Vincent Anthony Guaraldi (1928 – 1976)</strong></figcaption></figure>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">Sadly, Vince Guaraldi’s life was cut short when he died of a heart attack in 1976 at only 47 years old. His innovative music not only made huge contributions to the genre of jazz but helped to create an enduring and widely loved Christmas special. Vince, like so many other Italian Americans, was born of simple means, but with passion and dedication, he distinguished himself in his field and made a significant contribution to American culture.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><a href="http://orderisda.org/pledge/">Make a Pledge and join Italian Sons and Daughters of America today. </a></strong></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://orderisda.org/culture/music/jazz-innovator-vince-guaraldi-hit-all-the-right-notes/">Jazz Innovator Vince Guaraldi Hit All the Right Notes</a> appeared first on <a href="https://orderisda.org">Italian Sons and Daughters of America</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
			</item>
		<item>
		<title>Lady Gaga Pays Tribute to Late, Great Tony Bennett</title>
		<link>https://orderisda.org/culture/music/lady-gaga-pays-tribute-to-late-great-tony-bennett/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[johndeike]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 31 Jul 2023 18:53:14 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Music]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://orderisda.org/?p=38238</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>On Monday, Lady Gaga (aka Stefani Germanotta) took to Instagram and bid farewell to the late, great Tony Bennett. The pop star and iconic crooner released two duet albums — Cheek to Cheek in 2014 and Love for Sale in 2021 — and in the process, they forged a bond not often seen in Hollywood. In her remembrance Gaga wrote, in part: &#8220;I &#8230; <a href="https://orderisda.org/culture/music/lady-gaga-pays-tribute-to-late-great-tony-bennett/">Continued</a></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://orderisda.org/culture/music/lady-gaga-pays-tribute-to-late-great-tony-bennett/">Lady Gaga Pays Tribute to Late, Great Tony Bennett</a> appeared first on <a href="https://orderisda.org">Italian Sons and Daughters of America</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="font-weight: 400;">On Monday, <a href="https://shop.ladygaga.com/">Lady Gaga</a> (aka Stefani Germanotta) took to <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CvWSTtoMJNs/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Instagram</a> and bid farewell to the late, great <a href="https://www.tonybennett.com/">Tony Bennett</a>.</p>
<p>The pop star and iconic crooner released two duet albums — <a href="https://www.tonybennett.com/music-detail.php?id=41"><em>Cheek to Cheek</em></a> in 2014 and <a href="https://shop.ladygaga.com/collections/music/products/love-for-sale-vinyl"><em>Love for Sale</em></a> in 2021 — and in the process, they forged a bond not often seen in Hollywood.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">In her remembrance Gaga wrote, in part:</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: center;"><strong>&#8220;I will miss my friend forever. I will miss singing with him, recording with him, talking with him, being on stage together. With Tony, I got to live my life in a time warp. Tony &amp; I had this magical power. We transported ourselves to another era, modernized the music together, &amp; gave it all new life as a singing duo. But it wasnt an act. Our relationship was very real. Sure he taught me about music, about showbiz life, but he also showed me how to keep my spirits high and my head screwed on straight. &#8216;Straight ahead,&#8217; he&#8217;d say. He was an optimist, he believed in quality work AND quality life. Plus, there was the gratitude&#8230;Tony was always grateful. He served in WWII, marched with Martin Luther King Jr., and sang jazz with the greatest singers and players in the world&#8230;If I could say anything to the world about this I would say don’t discount your elders, don’t leave them behind when things change. Don’t flinch when you feel sad, just keep going straight ahead, sadness is part of it. Take care of your elders and I promise you will learn something special. Maybe even magical. And pay attention to silence — some of my musical partner and I’s most meaningful exchanges were with no melody at all.&#8221;</strong></p>
<div class="flex-video"><iframe loading="lazy" title="Tony Bennett, Lady Gaga - I&#039;ve Got You Under My Skin (Official Music Video)" width="1140" height="641" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xyTa_gJkYwI?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<p>Bennett passed away on July 21 in New York City at age 96 from Alzheimer&#8217;s Disease.</p>
<p>Yet, despite the dementia, Bennett was still crooning away at the piano up until his death.</p>
<p>The last song he sang was &#8220;Because of You,&#8221; his first number one hit.</p>
<div class="flex-video"><iframe loading="lazy" title="Because of You - Tony Bennett" width="1140" height="855" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/i-4zvArJDGg?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em><a href="http://orderisda.org/pledge/"><strong>Make a pledge and become a member of Italian Sons and Daughters of America today.</strong></a></em></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://orderisda.org/culture/music/lady-gaga-pays-tribute-to-late-great-tony-bennett/">Lady Gaga Pays Tribute to Late, Great Tony Bennett</a> appeared first on <a href="https://orderisda.org">Italian Sons and Daughters of America</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
			</item>
	</channel>
</rss>
