Carl Ravazza (July 21, 1910 – July 28, 1968), also known professionally as Carl Ravell, was an American violinist, vocalist and bandleader. Born in

Alameda, California Alameda ( ; ; Spanish for "Avenue (landscape), tree-lined path") is a city in Alameda County, California, located in the East Bay (San Francisco Bay Area), East Bay region of the Bay Area. The city is primarily located on Alameda (island), Alam ...

, Ravazza was a violinist who also started singing when he was in the Anson Weeks Orchestra. He was later the lead violinist with Tom Coakley when he took over that band upon Coakley's retirement from the music business. The Carl Ravazza or Carl Ravell Orchestra, with the theme song "Vieni Su", performed mainly in hotel venues in several cities in the United States. Ravazza later became a solo singer, settling in

Reno, Nevada Reno ( ) is a city in the northwest section of the U.S. state of Nevada, along the Nevada-California border, about north from Lake Tahoe, known as "The Biggest Little City in the World". Known for its casino and tourism industry, Reno is the ...

where he co-founded the Nevada Entertainment Agency in 1960. Ravazza's 1937 version of "

So Rare "So Rare" is a popular song published in 1937 by composer Jerry Herst and lyricist Jack Sharpe. It became a hit for Jimmy Dorsey in 1957. The version by Carl Ravell and his Orchestra, from a session on 4 June 1937, was the earliest recording of ...

" may be the earliest recording of the song, although it is unclear whether it was the first released version. Recorded on June 4, 1937, it was released under the name of Carl Ravell and His Orchestra.Online (78rpm) Discographical Project
listings of "So Rare" since 1937

Notes and references

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at LonnyLynn.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Ravazza, Carl 1910 births 1968 deaths American bandleaders Big band bandleaders Musicians from Reno, Nevada 20th-century American musicians