Vido William Musso (January 16, 1913 – January 9, 1982) was an American jazz saxophonist.

Biography

Musso moved with his family from Sicily to the U.S. in July 1920, having arrived at the Port of New York on the Italian steamship ''Patria''. They lived in Detroit, where Musso started learning to play clarinet. Ten years later, he went to Los Angeles and formed a big band with

Stan Kenton Stanley Newcomb Kenton (December 15, 1911 – August 25, 1979) was an American popular music and jazz artist. As a pianist, composer, arranger and band leader, he led an innovative and influential jazz orchestra for almost four decades. Though K ...

in 1935. Musso dropped out the next year to work with

Gus Arnheim Gus Arnheim (September 4, 1897 – January 19, 1955) was an American pianist and an early popular band leader. He is noted for writing several songs with his first hit being "I Cried for You" from 1923. He was most popular in the 1920s and 1930s. He ...

Benny Goodman Benjamin David Goodman (May 30, 1909 – June 13, 1986) was an American clarinetist and bandleader known as the "King of Swing". From 1936 until the mid-1940s, Goodman led one of the most popular swing big bands in the United States. His conc ...

, and

Gene Krupa Eugene Bertram Krupa (January 15, 1909 – October 16, 1973), known as Gene Krupa, was an American jazz drummer, bandleader and composer who performed with energy and showmanship. His drum solo on Benny Goodman's 1937 recording of " Sing, Sing, ...

. He accompanied

Billie Holiday Billie Holiday (born Eleanora Fagan; April 7, 1915 – July 17, 1959) was an American jazz and swing music singer. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and music partner, Lester Young, Holiday had an innovative influence on jazz music and pop s ...

and pianist

Teddy Wilson Theodore Shaw Wilson (November 24, 1912 – July 31, 1986) was an American jazz pianist. Described by critic Scott Yanow as "the definitive swing pianist", Wilson had a sophisticated, elegant style. His work was featured on the records of many ...

on recordings in the late 1930s. He replaced

Bunny Berigan Roland Bernard "Bunny" Berigan (November 2, 1908 – June 2, 1942) was an American jazz trumpeter and bandleader who rose to fame during the swing era. His career and influence were shortened by alcoholism, and ended with his early demise at the ...

as the leader of his band and tried unsuccessfully at other times during the 1930s and 1940s to be a big band leader. But most of his career was spent as a sideman. After returning to Goodman, he was a member of big bands led by

Harry James Harry Haag James (March 15, 1916 – July 5, 1983) was an American musician who is best known as a trumpet-playing band leader who led a big band from 1939 to 1946. He broke up his band for a short period in 1947 but shortly after he reorganized ...

Woody Herman Woodrow Charles Herman (May 16, 1913 – October 29, 1987) was an American jazz clarinetist, saxophonist, singer, and big band leader. Leading groups called "The Herd", Herman came to prominence in the late 1930s and was active until his dea ...

, and

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 ...

. He went back to play with Kenton during the middle 1940s. Having moved to California, he retired around 1975. As a leader, Musso recorded for

Savoy Savoy (; frp, Savouè ; french: Savoie ) is a cultural-historical region in the Western Alps. Situated on the cultural boundary between Occitania and Piedmont, the area extends from Lake Geneva in the north to the Dauphiné in the south. Sa ...

(1946), Trilon (1947),

Arco ARCO ( ) is a brand of gasoline stations currently owned by Marathon Petroleum after BP sold its rights. BP commercializes the brand in Northern California, Oregon and Washington, while Marathon has rights for the rest of the United States an ...

Fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and d ...

(1952), RPM,

Crown A crown is a traditional form of head adornment, or hat, worn by monarchs as a symbol of their power and dignity. A crown is often, by extension, a symbol of the monarch's government or items endorsed by it. The word itself is used, partic ...

, and

Modern Modern may refer to: History *Modern history ** Early Modern period ** Late Modern period *** 18th century *** 19th century *** 20th century ** Contemporary history * Moderns, a faction of Freemasonry that existed in the 18th century Philosophy ...

Discography

As leader

Singles * "Jig-a-Jive" // "I've Been a Fool" with Betty Van (Davis & Schwegler, 1938) *
Moose on a Loose
//
Vido in a Jam
(

, 1946) with

Kai Winding Kai Chresten Winding ( ; May 18, 1922 – May 6, 1983) was a Danish-born American trombonist and jazz composer. He is known for his collaborations with fellow trombonist J. J. Johnson. His version of "More", the theme from the movie '' Mondo Ca ...

, Gene Roland,

Boots Mussulli Henry "Boots" Mussulli (November 18, 1915 in Milford, Massachusetts – September 23, 1967 in Norfolk, Massachusetts) was an Italian-American jazz saxophonist, based chiefly out of Boston. According to the Social Security files, he was born in ...

*
Spellbound
//
Lem Me Go
(Savoy, 1946) with the Eddie Safranski All Stars (including Lem Davis) * "My Jo-Ann" // "Big Deal" (Savoy, 1946) * "On the Mercury" with the Raye Sisters // "Vido's Bop" (Trilon, 1947) * "Vido in a Mist"// "Gone with Vido" (Trilon, 1947) * "Trees" with Ray Wetzel // "The Unfinished Boogie" (Trilon, 1947) * "The Day I Left Alsace-Lorraine" with the Honeydreamers // "Checkerboard" (Trilon, 1947) * "Santa Lucia" // "Pagliacci" (

Capitol A capitol, named after the Capitoline Hill in Rome, is usually a legislative building where a legislature meets and makes laws for its respective political entity. Specific capitols include: * United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. * Numerous ...

, 1950) * "Blue Night" // "Vido's Boogie" ( RPM, 1953) * "Vido's Drive" // "Frosty" (RPM, 1953) * "Blues for Two" // "Speak Easy" (RPM, 1957) * "Lullaby" // "Roseland Boogie" (

, 1953) * "Musso's Boogie" // "Sing, Sing, Sing" (Crown, 1954) * "Flat Top Boogie" // "Power House Boogie" (Crown, 1954) Albums * ''Loaded'' (Savoy, 1956) with Kai Winding, Gene Roland, Boots Mussulli, Eddie Safranski,

Denzil Best Denzil DaCosta Best (April 27, 1917 – May 24, 1965) was an American jazz percussionist and composer born in New York City. He was a prominent bebop drummer in the 1950s and early 1960s. Biography Best was born in New York City, into a mus ...

* ''The Swingin'st'' (

, 1956) with

Maynard Ferguson Walter Maynard Ferguson CM (May 4, 1928 – August 23, 2006) was a Canadian jazz trumpeter and bandleader. He came to prominence in Stan Kenton's orchestra before forming his own big band in 1957. He was noted for his bands, which often serv ...

Milt Bernhart Milt Bernhart (May 25, 1926 – January 22, 2004) was a West Coast jazz trombonist who worked with Stan Kenton, Frank Sinatra, and others. He supplied the solo in the middle of Sinatra's 1956 recording of '' I've Got You Under My Skin'' conducted ...

* ''Teenage Dance Party'' (Crown, 1957) * ''Thanks for the Thrill'' (Sounds of Yesteryear, 2015)

As sideman

With

Wardell Gray Wardell Gray (February 13, 1921 – May 25, 1955) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist who straddled the swing and bebop periods. Biography Early years Gray was born in Oklahoma City, the youngest of four children. He spent his early chil ...

* ''Way Out Wardell'' (Modern, 1956) With

* ''

Artistry in Rhythm ''Artistry in Rhythm'' is an album by pianist and bandleader Stan Kenton featuring performances recorded in 1946 and originally released on the Capitol label as four 78rpm discs, reissued as a LP in 1953, and then as a LP in 1955 with additional ...

'' (Capitol, 1950) * '' Encores'' (Capitol, 1950) * '' Stan Kenton's Milestones'' (Capitol, 1950) * ''

Stan Kenton Classics ''Stan Kenton Classics'' is an album by pianist and bandleader Stan Kenton compiling performances recorded between 1945 and 1947 and originally collected on the Capitol label as a 10-inch LP in 1950 then reissued as a 12-inch LP with additional t ...

'' (Capitol, 1952) * ''

The Kenton Era ''The Kenton Era'' is a compilation album by pianist and bandleader Stan Kenton featuring recordings from 1940 to 1954 which was originally released in two limited edition box sets, as fifteen 7 inch 45 rpm discs and four 12 inch LPs, on Capitol i ...

'' (Capitol, 1955) * ''

Kenton in Hi-Fi ''Kenton in Hi-Fi'' is an album by bandleader and pianist Stan Kenton featuring performances of Kenton's signature compositions from the 1940s recorded in 1956 and released on the Capitol label.Vosbein, PStan Kenton Discographyaccessed April 16, 2 ...

'' (Capitol, 1956) With

Jess Stacy Jesse Alexandria Stacy (August 11, 1904 – January 1, 1995) was an American jazz pianist who gained prominence during the swing era. He is perhaps best known for his years with the Benny Goodman band during the late 1930s, particularly his pe ...

* ''Tribute to Benny Goodman'' (Atlantic, 1954)

References

1913 births 1982 deaths 20th-century American saxophonists American jazz musicians American people of Italian descent Jazz tenor saxophonists Swing saxophonists Italian emigrants to the United States American jazz saxophonists {{US-jazz-saxophonist-stub