Alfred Viola (June 16, 1919 – February 21, 2007) 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 major ...

guitarist who worked with

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular ...

for 25 years. He played the mandolin on the soundtrack of the film ''

The Godfather ''The Godfather'' is a 1972 American crime film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, who co-wrote the screenplay with Mario Puzo, based on Puzo's best-selling 1969 novel of the same title. The film stars Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, ...

''.

Biography

Viola grew up in an Italian family in Brooklyn and learned to play the guitar and mandolin as a teenager. He enlisted in the

Army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...

during

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 opposin ...

from 1942 to 1945 and played in an Army jazz band. After he was discharged in 1946, he and

Page Cavanaugh Walter Page Cavanaugh (January 26, 1922 in Cherokee, Kansas – December 19, 2008 in Los Angeles) was an American jazz and pop pianist, vocalist, and arranger. Career He began on piano at age nine and played with Ernie Williamson's band in 1938 ...

, whom he had met while serving in the Army, formed a trio with bassist Lloyd Pratt. The band appeared in several films, including ''

Romance on the High Seas ''Romance on the High Seas'' (released in the United Kingdom as ''It's Magic'') is a 1948 American musical film, musical romantic comedy film directed by Michael Curtiz, and starred Jack Carson, Janis Paige, Don DeFore and Doris Day in her film d ...

'' with Doris Day, and played a few dates in 1946 and 1947 with

. Viola continued to work with Sinatra regularly, accompanying him on several hundred studio recordings and concert dates between 1956 and 1980. Viola was a

session musician Session musicians, studio musicians, or backing musicians are musicians hired to perform in recording sessions or live performances. The term sideman is also used in the case of live performances, such as accompanying a recording artist on a ...

in Los Angeles, performing in films, television and in commercials. His

mandolin A mandolin ( it, mandolino ; literally "small mandola") is a stringed musical instrument in the lute family and is generally plucked with a pick. It most commonly has four courses of doubled strings tuned in unison, thus giving a total of 8 ...

playing can be heard on the soundtrack of ''

''. Other credits include ''

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'' and ''

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''. He continued playing jazz as well, with

Bobby Troup Robert William Troup Jr. (October 18, 1918 – February 7, 1999) was an American actor, jazz pianist, singer, and songwriter. He wrote the song " Route 66" and acted in the role of Dr. Joe Early with his wife Julie London in the television progr ...

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and

Terry Gibbs Terry Gibbs (born Julius Gubenko; October 13, 1924) is an American jazz vibraphonist and band leader. He has performed or recorded with Tommy Dorsey, Chubby Jackson,Theroux, Gary"Gibbs, Terry".''Grove Music Online''. Oxford University Press. Re ...

. He also worked as a session musician on over 500 albums, including releases by

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and Joe Williams. Viola and Cavanaugh reunited in the 1980s with Phil Mallory and continued to play regularly in Los Angeles until the late 1990s.

Death

Viola died of cancer in 2007 at the age of 87.

Discography

As leader

* ''Solo Guitar'' (Mode, 1957) * ''Guitars'' (Liberty, 1959) * ''Guitars Vol. 2'' (Liberty, 1959) * ''Imagination'' (Liberty, 1960) * ''Guitar Lament'' (World Pacific, 1961) * ''Alone Again'' (Legend, 1973) * ''Salutations F.S.'' (PBR, 1977) * ''Prelude to a Kiss'' (PBR, 1980) * ''Mello as a Cello'' (Starline, 1994) * ''Stringin' the Blues'' with Howard Alden, Bucky Pizzarelli, Frank Vignola (Jazzology, 2003)

As sideman

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, ''Terry Gibbs, Captain'' (Mercury, 1958) *

Laurindo Almeida Laurindo Almeida (September 2, 1917 – July 26, 1995) was a Brazilian guitarist and composer in classical, jazz, and Latin music. He and Bud Shank were pioneers in the creation of bossa nova. Almeida was the first guitarist to receive Gra ...

, ''Viva Bossa Nova!'' (Capitol, 1962) * Laurindo Almeida, ''Acapulco '22'' (Capitol, 1963) *

Hadda Brooks Hadda Brooks (October 29, 1916 – November 21, 2002) was an American pianist, vocalist and composer, who was billed as "Queen of the Boogie". She was Inducted in the Rhythm and Blues Foundation Hall of Fame in 1993. Career Her first recording ...

, ''Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere'' (DRG, 1994) * Hadda Brooks, ''Time Was When'' (Pointblank, 1996) * Roy Burns, ''Big, Bad & Beautiful'' (FPM, 1973) *

Red Callender George Sylvester "Red" Callender (March 6, 1916 – March 8, 1992) was an American string bass and tuba player. He is perhaps best known as a jazz musician, but worked with an array of pop, rock and vocal acts as a member of The Wrecking Cre ...

, ''Basin Street Brass'' (Legend, 1973) *

, ''Do-Re-Mi'' (Capitol, 1961) * June Christy, ''The Intimate Miss Christy'' (Capitol, 1963) *

, '' Unforgettable... with Love'' (Elektra, 1991) *

, ''Buddy's Best'' (Dooto, 1958) * Buddy Collette, ''Polynesia'' (Music & Sound, 1959) *

Tommy Dorsey Thomas Francis Dorsey Jr. (November 19, 1905 – November 26, 1956) was an American jazz trombonist, composer, conductor and bandleader of the big band era. He was known as the "Sentimental Gentleman of Swing" because of his smooth-toned trombo ...

, ''The Dorsey/Sinatra Sessions 1940–1942'' (RCA Victor, 1972) *

Michael Feinstein Michael Jay Feinstein (born September 7, 1956) is an American singer, pianist, and music revivalist. He is an archivist and interpreter for the repertoire known as the Great American Songbook. In 1988 he won a Drama Desk Special Award for cele ...

, ''Pure Imagination'' (Elektra, 1992) *

Bob Florence Bob Florence (May 20, 1932 – May 15, 2008) was an American pianist, composer, arranger, and big band leader. Career A child prodigy, Florence began piano lessons before he was five years old and at seven gave his first recital. Although hi ...

, ''Bongos/Reeds/Brass'' (HiFi, 1960) *

, ''Ella Fitzgerald'' (Verve, 1987) *

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, ''First Affair'' (Capitol, 1960) * Tommy Garrett, ''50 Guitars Go South of the Border'' (Liberty, 1961) *

Earl Grant Earl Grant (January 20, 1931 – June 10, 1970) was an American pianist, organist, and vocalist popular in the 1950s and 1960s. Career Grant was born in Idabel, Oklahoma. Though he would be known later for his keyboards and vocals, Grant also p ...

, ''The End'' (Decca, 1958) *

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, ''Little Bird Suite'' (Pacific Jazz, 1963) *

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, ''Sings the Blues Monday Every Day'' *

, ''Helen Humes'' (Contemporary, 1960) * Helen Humes, ''Swingin' with Humes'' (Contemporary, 1961) * Calvin Jackson, ''Jazz Variations On Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue'' (Liberty, 1957) *

, ''Harry James and His New Swingin' Band'' (MGM, 1959) * Harry James, ''Harry James Twenty-fifth Anniversary Album'' (MGM, 1964) *

, ''Lonely Girl'' (Liberty, 1956) * Julie London, ''Julie...at Home'' (Liberty, 1960) *

Shelly Manne Sheldon "Shelly" Manne (June 11, 1920 – September 26, 1984) was an American jazz drummer. Most frequently associated with West Coast jazz, he was known for his versatility and also played in a number of other styles, including Dixieland, s ...

, ''

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'' (Contemporary, 1963) *

, ''Trav'lin' Light'' (Verve, 1961) *

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, ''The Piano Styling of Frankie Ortega'' (Imperial, 1956) * Frankie Ortega, ''Keyboard Caravan'' (Imperial, 1959) *

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, ''Previn at the Piano'' (RCA Victor, 1947) * André Previn, ''Skylark'' (RCA Victor, 1955) *

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, ''

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'' (ABC, 1976) *

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, ''If You Knew Rudy'' (Page, 1957) *

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, ''Romesville!'' (Class, 1959) *

Pete Rugolo Pietro "Pete" Rugolo (December 25, 1915 – October 16, 2011) was an American jazz composer, arranger and record producer. Life and career Rugolo was born in San Piero Patti, Sicily. His family emigrated to the United States in 1920 and settle ...

, ''

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, ''Warren Schatz'' (Columbia, 1971) *

, ''Forever Frank'' (Capitol, 1966) * Frank Sinatra, ''Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim'' (Reprise, 1967) *

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, ''Softly the Brazilian Sound'' (Warner Bros., 1964) * The Strollers, ''Swinging Flute in Hi-Fi'' (Score, 1958) *

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, ''The Sugar Shoppe'' (Now Sounds, 2013) *

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, ''

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'' (Atlantic, 1981) *

, ''Do Re Mi'' (Liberty, 1957) * Joe Williams, ''With Love'' (Temponic, 1972) *

, ''Spoon'' (Reprise, 1961) *

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, ''Dare to Be Stupid'' (Rock 'n' Roll 1985) * Weird Al Yankovic, ''This Is the Life'' (Rock 'n' Roll 1984) *

Frank Zappa Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993) was an American musician, composer, and bandleader. His work is characterized by wikt:nonconformity, nonconformity, Free improvisation, free-form improvisation, sound experimen ...

, ''Lumpy Gravy'' (Verve, 1967)

References

;Footnotes ;General references
Al Viola at AllMusic
{{DEFAULTSORT:Viola, Al 1919 births 2007 deaths Guitarists from New York (state) Jazz musicians from New York (state) Musicians from Brooklyn 20th-century American guitarists 20th-century American male musicians American jazz guitarists American male guitarists American people of Italian descent Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills) Deaths from cancer in California American male jazz musicians United States Army personnel of World War II