Chieli Minucci is an American contemporary jazz guitarist, composer, music producer, and arranger of Italian descent.

Minucci was born in New York City and is primarily known as the leader of the Grammy-nominated contemporary jazz group Special EFX. His father, Ulpio Minucci

Ulpio Minucci

Ulpio Minucci was an Italian-born composer and musician.Minucci wrote a number of popular hits in the 1950s, including "Domani," "A Thousand Thoughts of You," and "Felicia." He was nominated for two Emmy Awards for his work on ABC's Saga of Western Man in 1964 and 1965...

 (concert pianist/composer) wrote the music to the 1955 hit song "Domani

Domani

"Domani" is a 1955 song written by Ulpio Minucci with lyrics by Tony Velona. The most popular version of the song was recorded by Julius LaRosa, released by Cadence Records as catalog number 1265...

," as well as "A Thousand Thoughts of You," and "Felicia" (both sung by Nat King Cole

Nat King Cole

Nathaniel Adams Coles , known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American musician who first came to prominence as a leading jazz pianist. Although an accomplished pianist, he owes most of his popular musical fame to his soft baritone voice, which he used to perform in big band and jazz genres...

).

Minucci with George Jinda & Special EFX have recorded 26 CDs, 8 of those being solo releases. Minucci has recorded and performed with top pop artists such as Celine Dion

Celine Dion

Céline Marie Claudette Dion, , , is a Canadian singer. Born to a large family from Charlemagne, Quebec, Dion emerged as a teen star in the French-speaking world after her manager and future husband René Angélil mortgaged his home to finance her first record...

, Lionel Richie

Lionel Richie

Lionel Brockman Richie, Jr. , is an American singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. Since 1968, he has been a member of the musical group Commodores signed to Motown Records...

, Jennifer Lopez

Jennifer Lopez

Jennifer Lynn Lopez is an American actress, singer, record producer, dancer, television personality, and fashion designer. Lopez began her career as a dancer on the television comedy program In Living Color. Subsequently venturing into acting, she gained recognition in the 1995 action-thriller...

, Jewel

Jewel (singer)

Jewel Kilcher , professionally known as Jewel, is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer, actress and poet...

, Mark Anthony

Marc Anthony

Marc Anthony is an American singer-songwriter, actor and producer. Anthony is the top selling tropical salsa artist of all time. The two-time Grammy and three-time Latin Grammy–winner has sold more than 30 million albums worldwide. He is best known for his Latin salsa numbers and ballads...

, Jessica Simpson

Jessica Simpson

Jessica Ann Simpson is an American recording artist, actress, television personality, and fashion designer whose rise to fame began in 1999. Since that time, Simpson has achieved many recording milestones, starred in several television shows, movies, and commercials, launched a line of hair and...

, Anastacia

Anastacia

Anastacia is an American singer-songwriter. Anastacia has been highly successful in Europe, Asia, South Africa and South America, but has had only minor success in her native United States...

 and others, as well as jazz artists Marion Meadows

Marion Meadows

Marion Meadows is an American tenor saxophonist, soprano saxophonist, composer, and smooth jazz recording artist of Native American, African American and Caucasian descent. Meadows has released a total of 9 albums to date.-Upbringing:...

, Jay Beckenstein

Jay Beckenstein

Jay B. Beckenstein is a saxophone player, smooth jazz artist and together with Jeremy Wall founded Spyro Gyra...

, Gerald Veasley

Gerald Veasley

Gerald Veasley is an American jazz bass guitarist.Veasley was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he played in R&B groups as a teenager. He worked with Joe Zawinul from 1988 to 1995, and began releasing his own records in 1992. He has also done extensive work as a studio musician....

, Lao Tizer, Nestor Torez, Bob Baldwin

Bob Baldwin (musician)

Bob Baldwin is a New York-born contemporary jazz musician and producer.Born December 9, 1960, Mount Vernon, NYBob is an American music composer, pianist, record producer, musical arranger, Pianist and compose, who learned how to play directly from his father, Robert Baldwin, Sr...

, and many others.

Also known as a composer for television and film, Minucci was nominated for several Daytime Emmy Awards and has won three, in 1998, 2007, and most recently in 2008, for his compositional work on CBS's The Guiding Light

Guiding Light

Guiding Light is an American daytime television drama that is credited by the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest running drama in television and radio history, running from 1937 until 2009...

. He has written music for well-known programs such as Good Morning America

Good Morning America

Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...

 (theme), Bloomberg Radio (theme), Access Hollywood

Access Hollywood

Access Hollywood is a weekday television entertainment news program covering events and celebrities in the entertainment industry. It was created by former Entertainment Tonight executive producer Jim Van Messel, and is currently directed by Robert Silverstein. In previous years, Doug Dougherty and...

, The 700 Club

The 700 Club

The 700 Club is the flagship news talk show of the Christian Broadcasting Network, airing in syndication throughout the United States and Canada. In production since 1966, it is currently hosted by Pat Robertson, Terry Meeuwsen, Kristi Watts, and Gordon P. Robertson, two of whom will host on any...

, and others. His song "Kickin' It Hard" is well known as the bed for Verizon's conference call hold music.

Minucci composed and produced the soundtrack for the two Live Nation

Live Nation

Live Nation is a live-events company based in Beverly Hills, California, focused on concert promotions. Live Nation formed in 2005 as a spin-off from Clear Channel Communications, which then merged with Ticketmaster in 2010 to become Live Nation Entertainment....

/Nickelodeon

Nickelodeon (TV channel)

Nickelodeon, often simply called Nick and originally named Pinwheel, is an American children's channel owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International. The channel is primarily aimed at children ages 7–17, with the exception of their weekday morning program block aimed at preschoolers...

 live stage productions of the hit TV series, Dora the Explorer

Dora the Explorer

Dora the Explorer is an American animated television series created by Chris Gifford, Valerie Walsh, and Eric Weiner. Dora the Explorer became a regular series in 2000. The show is carried on the Nickelodeon cable television network, including the associated Nick Jr. channel. It aired on CBS until...

 (both "Dora's Pirate Adventure" and "The City of Lost Toys"), which are currently touring internationally. He also wrote and recorded songs for the live stage production of the long-running British children's television show, Thomas & Friends Live! - 'Thomas Saves The Day!' and 'A Circus Comes to Town'.

Minucci's "Kickin' it Hard" is also featured as the prime hold music on Verizon

Verizon Communications

Verizon Communications Inc. is a global broadband and telecommunications company and a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average...

's conference audio bridge system.