Orlando DiGirolamo
Encyclopedia
Orlando DiGirolamo was an American
jazz
accordionist, pianist
, composer
, and teacher
. He is sometimes credited as "Lanny DiJay" on jazz recordings. DiGirolamo collaborated frequently with legendary jazz producer Teo Macero
, and played on Macero's first commercial release, Explorations, also featuring a young Charles Mingus
. He was described by Metronome magazine as an "extraordinary accordionist of the modern persuasion."
region of Italy, and settled in New Kensington, Pennsylvania
, 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
to begin pursuing music, and performed on the Major Bowes Amateur Hour
.
In early 1943, at age 18, he was drafted into the army, and spent two years fighting in World War II
. He participated in the invasion at Normandy, fought at the Battle of the Bulge
, earned five Battle Stars
, and was awarded the Bronze Star
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
(NYU). There, DiGirolamo joined the exclusive Alpha Phi Delta
fraternity, whose membership also includes Frank Sinatra
. In 1951, DiGirolamo transferred to the Juilliard School
, and later to Columbia University
, where he went on to receive a Master's degree
, and a Doctorate
in Musical Improvisation
.
. In mid-1946, he returned to the United States, and spent the next three years touring during the Bebop
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
. 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
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
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, Art Farmer
, Cecil McBee
, Wendell Marshall
, Mal Waldron
, Pepper Adams
, 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.
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
, in an illustrated piece on Teo Macero published in the Village Voice 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."
, and had three children, Olana, Christopher, and Arland.
DiGirolamo taught music at Columbia University, and was Director of Music and Arts for the schools in Ossining, NY
. As an educator, he worked to bring an appreciation of music and jazz to children. He had earned 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.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
accordionist, pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
, composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, and teacher
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
. He is sometimes credited as "Lanny DiJay" on jazz recordings. DiGirolamo collaborated frequently with legendary jazz producer Teo Macero
Teo Macero
Teo Macero , born Attilio Joseph Macero, was an American jazz saxophonist, composer, and record producer...
, and played on Macero's first commercial release, Explorations, also featuring a young Charles Mingus
Charles Mingus
Charles Mingus Jr. was an American jazz musician, composer, bandleader, and civil rights activist.Mingus's compositions retained the hot and soulful feel of hard bop and drew heavily from black gospel music while sometimes drawing on elements of Third stream, free jazz, and classical music...
. He was described by Metronome magazine as an "extraordinary accordionist of the modern persuasion."
Early life and education
DiGirolamo's parents emigrated to the United States from the AbruzzoAbruzzo
Abruzzo is a region in Italy, its western border lying less than due east of Rome. Abruzzo borders the region of Marche to the north, Lazio to the west and south-west, Molise to the south-east, and the Adriatic Sea to the east...
region of Italy, and settled in New Kensington, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, 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 City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to begin pursuing music, and performed on the Major Bowes Amateur Hour
Major Bowes Amateur Hour
Major Bowes Amateur Hour, American radio's best-known talent show, was one of the most popular programs broadcast in the United States in the 1930s and 1940s...
.
In early 1943, at age 18, he was drafted into the army, and spent two years fighting in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He participated in the invasion at Normandy, fought at the Battle of the Bulge
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive , launched toward the end of World War II through the densely forested Ardennes mountain region of Wallonia in Belgium, hence its French name , and France and...
, earned five Battle Stars
Service star
A service star, also referred to as a battle star, campaign star, or engagement star, is an attachment to a United States military decoration which denotes participation in military campaigns or multiple bestowals of the same award. Service stars are typically issued for campaign medals, service...
, and was awarded the Bronze Star
Bronze Star Medal
The Bronze Star Medal is a United States Armed Forces individual military decoration that may be awarded for bravery, acts of merit, or meritorious service. As a medal it is awarded for merit, and with the "V" for valor device it is awarded for heroism. It is the fourth-highest combat award of the...
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
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
(NYU). There, DiGirolamo joined the exclusive Alpha Phi Delta
Alpha Phi Delta
Alpha Phi Delta , commonly referred to as APD, is a Greek social fraternity that evolved from an exclusive Italian society at Syracuse University in 1914. There were seven founding members who strove to create a brotherhood that would last long after their college days...
fraternity, whose membership also includes Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
. In 1951, DiGirolamo transferred to the Juilliard School
Juilliard School
The Juilliard School, located at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, United States, is a performing arts conservatory which was established in 1905...
, and later to Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
, where he went on to receive a Master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
, and a Doctorate
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
in Musical Improvisation
Musical improvisation
Musical improvisation is the creative activity of immediate musical composition, which combines performance with communication of emotions and instrumental technique as well as spontaneous response to other musicians...
.
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 CarloRadio Monte Carlo
Radio Monte Carlo is the name of six radio stations owned and managed by three different entities:*RMC Info is a French-speaking station, broadcasting in France and Monaco from Paris with some contributions from Monaco. Radio Monte-Carlo was one of 23 founding broadcasting organisations of the...
. In mid-1946, he returned to the United States, and spent the next three years touring during the Bebop
Bebop
Bebop differed drastically from the straightforward compositions of the swing era, and was instead characterized by fast tempos, asymmetrical phrasing, intricate melodies, and rhythm sections that expanded on their role as tempo-keepers...
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.
Teo Macero
Teo Macero , born Attilio Joseph Macero, was an American jazz saxophonist, composer, and record producer...
. 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
Debut Records was a United States jazz record label, which was founded in 1952 by bassist Charles Mingus, his then-wife Celia and drummer Max Roach.This short-lived label was an attempt to avoid the compromises of working for major companies...
LP
LP album
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
, Explorations (DLP-6). The album featured six tracks, including "Yesterdays," arranged by DiGirolamo. Charles Mingus
Charles Mingus
Charles Mingus Jr. was an American jazz musician, composer, bandleader, and civil rights activist.Mingus's compositions retained the hot and soulful feel of hard bop and drew heavily from black gospel music while sometimes drawing on elements of Third stream, free jazz, and classical music...
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
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
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, Art Farmer
Art Farmer
Arthur Stewart "Art" Farmer was an American jazz trumpeter and flugelhorn player. He also played flumpet, a trumpet/flugelhorn combination designed for him by David Monette. His identical twin brother, Addison Farmer Arthur Stewart "Art" Farmer (August 21, 1928, Council Bluffs, Iowa –...
, Cecil McBee
Cecil McBee
Cecil McBee is an American post bop jazz bassist, described by the Guinness Who's Who of Jazz as "a full-toned bassist who creates rich, singing phrases in a wide range of contemporary jazz contexts." Allmusic called him "One of post-bop's most advanced and versatile bassists".-Biography:McBee...
, Wendell Marshall
Wendell Marshall
Wendell Marshall was an American jazz double-bassist.Marshall was Jimmy Blanton's cousin. He studied at Lincoln University, then served in the Army during World War II. Following his discharge, he played with Stuff Smith, then relocated to New York City, where he began playing with Mercer Ellington...
, Mal Waldron
Mal Waldron
Malcolm Earl Waldron was an American jazz and world music pianist and composer, born in New York City.Like his contemporaries, Waldron's roots lie chiefly in the hard bop and post-bop genres of the New York club scene of the 1950s; but with time, he gravitated more towards free jazz and composition...
, Pepper Adams
Pepper Adams
Park Frederick "Pepper" Adams III was a jazz baritone saxophonist and composer. He composed 43 pieces, was the leader on twenty albums, and participated in 600 sessions as a sideman.-Biography:...
, Carla Bley
Carla Bley
Carla Bley, née Borg, is an American jazz composer, pianist, organist and band leader. An important figure in the Free Jazz movement of the 1960s, she is perhaps best known for her jazz opera Escalator Over The Hill , as well as a book of compositions that have been performed by many other...
, Larry Coryell
Larry Coryell
Larry Coryell is an American jazz fusion guitarist.-Biography:Coryell was born in Galveston, Texas. He graduated from Richland High School, in Richland, Washington, where he played in local bands The Jailers, The Rumblers, The Royals, and The Flames. He also played with The Checkers from nearby...
, and Kip Hanrahan
Kip Hanrahan
Kip Hanrahan is an American jazz music impresario, record producer and percussionist.-Biography:Hanrahan was born in a Puerto Rican neighborhood in the Bronx to an Irish-Jewish family. He has an unusual role in the albums released under his name, one which he has analogized to that of a film...
, among others. He performed throughout New York City, including gigs at historic venues The Hickory House, The Town Hall
The Town Hall
The Town Hall is a performance space, located at 123 West 43rd Street, between Sixth Avenue and Broadway, in New York City. It seats approximately 1,500 people.-History:...
, Birdland
Birdland (jazz club)
Birdland is a jazz club started in New York City on December 15, 1949. The original Birdland, which was located at 1678 Broadway, just north of West 52nd Street in Manhattan, was closed in 1965 due to increased rents, but it re-opened for one night in 1979...
, and The Blue Note.
Through his playing, and pioneering collaborations with Macero, DiGirolamo helped take the accordion
Accordion
The accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....
, 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 Pekar
Harvey Lawrence Pekar 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 critically acclaimed film adaptation of the same name.Pekar described American Splendor as "an...
, in an illustrated piece on Teo Macero published in the Village Voice 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 JerseyNew Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, and had three children, Olana, Christopher, and Arland.
DiGirolamo taught music at Columbia University, and was Director of Music and Arts for the schools in Ossining, NY
Ossining (town), New York
Ossining is a town in Westchester County, New York, United States. The population was 37,674 at the 2010 census. It contains two villages, the Village of Ossining and part of Briarcliff Manor, the rest of which is located in the Town of Mount Pleasant....
. As an educator, he worked to bring an appreciation of music and jazz to children. He had earned 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.
Further reading
- Orlando DiGirolamo at the World War II Memorial website.
- Charles Mingus Collection, including Explorations, at the LoC website. (PDF)
- Review of The Best of Teo Macero, by Ted WhiteTed White (author)Ted White is a Hugo Award-winning American writer, known as a science fiction author and editor and fan, as well as a music critic...
, including commentary on Explorations tracks, DiGirolamo, and the impact of the accordion. - More commentary on Explorations and the accordion.
- A history of the Debut Records label.
External links
- Debut Records discography
- Explorations reissue at Amazon.com
- Shifting Sands at Yahoo! Music
- Alpha Phi Delta Alumni