Orlando DiGirolamo (April 20, 1924 – January 26, 1998) was an American
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...
accordionist
Accordions (from 19th-century German ''Akkordeon'', from ''Akkord''—"musical chord, concord of sounds") are a family of box-shaped musical instruments of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone type (producing sound as air flows past a reed ...
,
pianist
A pianist ( , ) is an individual musician who plays the piano. Since most forms of Western music can make use of the piano, pianists have a wide repertoire and a wide variety of styles to choose from, among them traditional classical music, ja ...
,
composer, and
teacher
A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching.
''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. whe ...
. He is sometimes credited as "Lanny DiJay" on jazz recordings. DiGirolamo collaborated frequently with legendary jazz producer
Teo Macero
Attilio Joseph "Teo" Macero (October 30, 1925 – February 19, 2008) was an American jazz saxophonist, composer, and record producer. He was a producer at Columbia Records for twenty years. Macero produced Miles Davis' '' Bitches Brew'', and ...
, and played on Macero's first commercial release, ''Explorations'', also featuring
Charles Mingus. He was described by ''Metronome'' magazine as an "extraordinary accordionist of the modern persuasion."
[Ulanov, B & Simon, G (eds): ''Metronome: Modern Music And Its Makers'', page 33, Metronome Corp., 1954.]
Biography
Early life and education
DiGirolamo's parents emigrated to the United States from the
Abruzzo region of Italy, and settled in
New Kensington
New Kensington, known locally as New Ken, is a city in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. It is situated along the Allegheny River, northeast of Pittsburgh. The population was 12,170 at the 2010 census.
History
Like much of Westmoreland Co ...
,
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
, where DiGirolamo was born in 1924. Musically inclined from a young age, he was first introduced to the accordion by his grandfather, and began studying accordion and piano. He was writing original compositions by age 10, and joined the local orchestra at 14. After finishing high school in 1942, he traveled to
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
to begin pursuing music, and performed on the
Major Bowes Amateur Hour
The ''Major Bowes Amateur Hour'' was an American radio talent show broadcast in the 1930s and 1940s, created and hosted by Edward Bowes (1874–1946). Selected performers from the program participated in touring vaudeville performances, under ...
.
In early 1943, at age 18, he was drafted into the army, and spent two years fighting in
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
. He participated in the invasion at
Normandy
Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...
, fought at the
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge, also known as the Ardennes Offensive, was the last major German offensive campaign on the Western Front during World War II. The battle lasted from 16 December 1944 to 28 January 1945, towards the end of the war in ...
, earned five
Battle Stars
A service star is a miniature bronze or silver five-pointed star inch (4.8 mm) in diameter that is authorized to be worn by members of the eight uniformed services of the United States on medals and ribbons to denote an additional award or ser ...
, and was awarded the
Bronze Star
The Bronze Star Medal (BSM) is a United States Armed Forces decoration awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious achievement, or meritorious service in a combat zone.
Wh ...
for helping to save a companion platoon from enemy capture. He was also a member of the Army jazz band, ''The Four Sharps''.
When DiGirolamo returned from Europe, he moved to New York City to attend
New York University
New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then- Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin.
In 1832, th ...
(NYU). There, DiGirolamo joined the exclusive
Alpha Phi Delta
Alpha Phi Delta (), commonly referred to as APD, is a Greek social fraternity that evolved from an exclusive Italian society, initially known as ''Il Circolo Italiano'' ("The Italian circle"), established at Syracuse University in 1914. Founding
...
fraternity, whose membership also includes
Frank Sinatra. In 1951, DiGirolamo transferred to the
Juilliard School
The Juilliard School ( ) is a private performing arts conservatory in New York City. Established in 1905, the school trains about 850 undergraduate and graduate students in dance, drama, and music. It is widely regarded as one of the most elit ...
, and later to
Columbia University
Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...
, where he went on to receive a
Master's degree
A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice. , and a
Doctorate
A doctorate (from Latin ''docere'', "to teach"), doctor's degree (from Latin ''doctor'', "teacher"), or doctoral degree is an academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism ''li ...
in
Musical Improvisation.
Music career
DiGirolamo's jazz career started in Europe after the end of the war. He remained in France until 1946, performing live, and recording for the recently liberated
Radio Monte Carlo
Radio Monte Carlo (RMC) is the name of radio stations owned and managed by several different entities:
* RMC (France) is a French-speaking station, broadcasting in France and Monaco owned by NextRadioTV.
**RMC Sport, a French bouquet of paid T ...
. In mid-1946, he returned to the United States, and spent the next three years touring during the
Bebop
Bebop or bop is a style of jazz developed in the early-to-mid-1940s in the United States. The style features compositions characterized by a fast tempo, complex chord progressions with rapid chord changes and numerous changes of key, instrumen ...
jazz scene. It was also during this time that he was given the nickname, "Lanny DiJay," by which he was sometimes credited on his recordings.
After several years of touring, DiGirolamo decided in 1949 to begin his formal education in New York. Although he started at NYU, it was his fortuitous transfer to Juilliard which would lead to his encounter with
Teo Macero
Attilio Joseph "Teo" Macero (October 30, 1925 – February 19, 2008) was an American jazz saxophonist, composer, and record producer. He was a producer at Columbia Records for twenty years. Macero produced Miles Davis' '' Bitches Brew'', and ...
. After meeting at Juilliard, DiGirolamo and Macero became friends and collaborators, and began to work together on Macero's experimental jazz recordings. Their first commercial recording was the 1954
Debut Records
Debut Records was an American jazz record company and label founded in 1952 by bassist Charles Mingus, his wife Celia, and drummer Max Roach.
This short-lived label was an attempt to avoid the compromises of working for major companies. Intended ...
LP, ''Explorations'' (DLP-6). The album featured six tracks, including "Yesterdays," arranged by DiGirolamo.
Charles Mingus also played on the recording, and one reviewer noted that despite its conceptual nature, "Mingus and DiGirolamo rescue the music when it gets too heady."
The ''Explorations'' recording was part of Mingus's ''Jazz Composers Workshop''. At the time, the ''Workshop'' recordings were considered "too complex" and "abstract," but are now credited with opening up "all kind of musical doors." In 1993, ''Explorations'' was archived by the
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library ...
as part of the ''Charles Mingus Collection''. It was reissued on CD in 2006, with additional tracks.
During a career spanning several decades of recordings and performances, DiGirolamo worked with numerous respected jazz figures including Macero, Mingus,
Ed Shaughnessy
Edwin Thomas "Ed" Shaughnessy (January 29, 1929 – May 24, 2013) was a swing music and jazz drummer long associated with Doc Severinsen and a member of The Tonight Show Band on ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson''.
Biography
Shaughn ...
,
Maynard Ferguson,
Art Farmer,
Cecil McBee,
Wendell Marshall,
Mal Waldron,
Pepper Adams
Park Frederick "Pepper" Adams III (October 8, 1930 – September 10, 1986) was an American jazz baritone saxophonist and composer. He composed 42 pieces, was the leader on eighteen albums spanning 28 years, and participated in 600 sessions as a s ...
,
Carla Bley,
Larry Coryell, and
Kip Hanrahan, among others. He performed throughout New York City, including gigs at historic venues
The Hickory House,
The Town Hall,
Birdland, and
The Blue Note
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
.
Through his playing, and pioneering collaborations with Macero, DiGirolamo helped take the
accordion, largely considered an "uncool" instrument, and build its foundation as a respected part of the avant-garde jazz ensemble.
DiGirolamo was "fervently determined to show that the accordion needn't be a merely imitative instrument,"
and developed a unique style of playing. While the accordion is traditionally played with one hand on melody, and one hand on rhythm chords, DiGirolamo used the rhythm hand melodically as well, creating a different sound, and elevating the instrument's potential. Bill Coss, editor of ''Metronome'' magazine, described this technique as using "both the left and right hand in a linear style."
DiGirolamo was immortalized by American writer and jazz critic
Harvey Pekar
Harvey Lawrence Pekar (; October 8, 1939 – July 12, 2010) was an American underground comic book writer, music critic, and media personality, best known for his autobiographical ''American Splendor'' comic series. In 2003, the series inspired a ...
, in an illustrated piece on Teo Macero published in the
Village Voice
''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture paper, known for being the country's first alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, the ''Voice'' began as a platform for the cr ...
in 1994. In describing Macero's early albums with DiGirolamo, Pekar wrote that DiGirolamo's accordion playing was "among the most striking features of those sessions," and that "the cat played some exciting shit."
Family and personal life
In 1961, DiGirolamo married Diana Matano. They lived in northern
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
, and had three children, Olana, Christopher, and Arland.
DiGirolamo taught music at Columbia University. He was the Band Director at
Elmwood Park Memorial High School
Elmwood Park Memorial High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grade from Elmwood Park, in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States, operating as the lone secondary school of t ...
in the 1960s through 1977, and wrote the music for the school's alma mater. In 1977, he became Director of Music and Arts for the schools in
Ossining, New York. As an educator, he worked to bring an appreciation of music and jazz to children. While teaching at
Elmwood Park Memorial High School
Elmwood Park Memorial High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grade from Elmwood Park, in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States, operating as the lone secondary school of t ...
, he completed his Doctorate in Musical Improvisation, and specifically developed methods to help young music students with improvisational skills.
DiGirolamo died in an auto accident in New Jersey in 1998. After DiGirolamo's death, Macero composed and recorded the track "Shifting Sands" in his memory, and dedicated the 2003 album ''Whispering Gods'' to "my dear friend Lanny Di Jay, a.k.a. Lanny Di Girolamo, who is no longer with us (miss you)."
The ''Orlando DiGirolamo Scholarship Fund for Children'' was established in his honor, and every year recognizes young students studying and pursuing music.
[Helfgott, H: "Borough Mourns a Beloved Neighbor", ''Bergen Record'', January 28, 1998.]
References
Further reading
Orlando DiGirolamoat the World War II Memorial website.
Charles Mingus Collection including ''Explorations'', at the LoC website. (PDF)
by
Ted White, including commentary on ''Explorations'' tracks, DiGirolamo, and the impact of the accordion.
*Mor
commentaryon ''Explorations'' and the accordion.
External links
*Debut Record
discography''Explorations'' reissueat Amazon.com
Shifting Sandsat Yahoo! Music
{{DEFAULTSORT:Digirolamo, Orlando
1924 births
1998 deaths
American jazz accordionists
American jazz composers
American male jazz composers
American jazz pianists
American male pianists
United States Army personnel of World War II
Columbia University School of the Arts alumni
Juilliard School alumni
New York University alumni
American people of Italian descent
People from New Kensington, Pennsylvania
20th-century American composers
20th-century American pianists
20th-century accordionists
Jazz musicians from Pennsylvania
20th-century American male musicians
20th-century jazz composers
Road incident deaths in New Jersey