Larry Gianni

Ray,

You are talking about the " Sonny and Cher Show " correct and not the Merv Griffin show were Ray Triscari augmented the usual 2 man section of Bill Berry and Jack Sheldon. I have photo's of John Audino in a " Neru " outfit as he was comming out of the taping. Big gold chain and all.

I believe Ray Triscari ( your uncle ) also made the trips to Las Vegas when the show used to do a week from LV as little " getaway " from Hollywood and the music was somewhat harder due to the caliber of the musical guests on the shows o the talents of a "Ray Triscari " would be needed to give the usual section some more " bravura " - remember , this was the late 70's when Las Vegas was booming.

Larry

Thanks for posting Ray

chetbaker

Larry,
Why did I think that Danny Stiles did the Griffin show?

Butch

Larry Gianni

Butch,

Merv had the show in New York first and Danny did do the show with his good friend Bill Watrous when they filmed on the East Coast. When Merv moved the show to Hollywood in 70's ( I think '74 -"75 ) Bill made the trip out west with the show along with Bill Berry ( same way Snooky , Ed Shaunassy and Gil Falco came out west with Doc and the tonight show move), but Danny decided to stay in NY.

Bill and Danny did do some small group albums after Bill came out West, but did the Watrous Big Band album " Manhattan Wildlife Refuge " and " Tiger of San Pedro " in NY with the NY guys. You can hear Danny playing lead on those albums and doing his famous " chromatic " lick in his solos both in the Big Band and small band recordings. Danny Stiles - great player - lost him way to young.

Stiles Equipment:

Bach ML 72 lt.
Giadinelli 7M mouthpiece

For the younger readers , get the Watrous Big Band albums ( CD ) and listen to how the " East Coast " guys ( circa early 70's ) could really play with that notorious East Coast swing ,feel and rhythm. I can't say enough of the great players during that time in NY.

I don't know if they are re-released on CD - but I'm going to dig out my albums and see who the players were and make cd's of them.
I remember Wayne Andre ( trb )and Ed Soph ( drums ) among the players. Dave Gale ( trpt ) or Joe Newman could also have been on there - don't quote me on that yet.

Thanks Butch for getting to think of those great albums again.

LG

chetbaker

Larry,
If I'm not mistaken I think Bobby Miliken was on Danny/Bill's band. He used to come up to New City to do Danny's big band. GOOD player...in the mold of John Glasel.

Butch

Larry Gianni

Butch,

I didn't find the album yet - I have more than I remembered to go thru -but you may be right - Bob Millikan

He actually played the entire run of the Broadway production of " Chorus Line " for I believe a grand total number of years - from start to finish of - EIGHTEEN - yeah , 18 years. He probably went thru a couple of tuxes in that time.

Seriously , I think they were actually not scene ( get it, scene ) by the audience .,but were one of the first pit orchestra's to be under the stage and watched the conductor on a monitor

Larry

Maybe Wilmer or Ed Kalny ( another NY pro who worked Broadway ) can help with this info.

joetriscari

Larry,
I was talking about the Sonny and Cher show....
And you are right..Ray came to vegas every month to do the Merv Griffin show.....
Did you know Ray?? He was a great guy..Really miss him!
Sincerely,
Joe Triscari

Larry Gianni

JoeT.

Hello - I guessing with the last name of " Triscari " you are related to either Joe or Ray and I did get the opportunity to meet Ray when he was in town.

I usually hear of Joe's playing in conversations with Uan Rasey , who as you probably know but for the benefit of other readers , worked with Joe at MGM. If I'm not mistaken , Joe passed away in the early 60's - maybe '61. I also heard of Joe's fantastic playing when still living in San Francisco and taking lessons from legendary Bay Area trumpet player Johnny Coppola , John told me of the Billy May recordings in the early 50's that Johnny C, Joe T.Gozzo , Uan, John Best, Manny Klien, Zeke Zarchy ( Glenn Miller lead player ) Jack Laughbach ( Ray Anthony's lead player ) , Stu Williamson and a host of others played on, so the name Triscari was in my head at an early age. Also, if I remember correctly, Joe played on the immortal " Tutti's Trumpets " with Gozzo, Uan, M. Klien, Shorty Sherock ( Gozzo's requested 2nd trumpet player , just like Bernie glow always like Marky Markowitz to be playing next to him ) and Pete Candoli. Hopefully, I didn;t leave anyone out - I'd have to find the album to confirm the section.

When I did come to LA, Ray Triscari playing was of the caliber and in the league of top guys of the day. Names like Bud Brisbois, Ollie Mitchell, Johnny Audino, Buddy Childers, Al Porcino, Tony Terran, Pete and Conti Candoli, Clyde Reasinger ( a transplanted NY top studio player ), Uan Rasey, Tony Terran, Manny Stevens, Maury Harris,
Micky McMahon, Don Smith ( Les Brown's lead player ), Graham Young ( Mancini's lead player ) , Frank Beach, Jimmy Zito, Chuck Findley, Paul Hubinon, etc.

I do remember meeting Ray when I first came to town and he was quite a gentleman. We talked a bit , but seeing that a very young trumpet player that was with me at the time was a little bored with the names that Ray and I were discussing , Ray turned to the younster and made it a point to explain to the young man that he played on the Monkee's and 5th dimension's albums, and started talking about meeting Micky Dolenz and Davey Jones, which made this 6th graders eyes light up. Anyway , did he not retire from playing pretty early , his mid 50's maybe? . I do rememeber he passed around the same time Johnny Audino did - mid 90's. Again, I may be slightly off on those time frames

I did attend the service they held in town for Ray.

Ususally Ray's name will pop-up in conversations ( war stories of the good old days ) when Buddy Childers, Pete Candoli or Tony Terran happen to be in the room.

As you well know, both Ray and Joe were on the extreme top rungs of the trumpet ladder in the Los Angeles recording industry - all the " A " assignments.

I have a DVD of Ray playing in Ray Anthony's band circa 1960-ish - if you send me your address off-site, I'd be happy to burn you a copy and send it out. The section is Ray, Jack Laughbach ( later on the Carol Burnett show section ) Gozzo and John Audino.

All the best,

larry

mark935

My trumpet teacher from the sixties and seventies associates the name Triscari with Arabian horses.

mark

joetriscari

Hi Larry....
Both Joe and Ray were my uncles..My father was Mike Triscari...of all things, a Guitar player...All 3 were on Gene Krupa at the same time in the 1940's.
Joe and Uan were very close at MGM...I believe Uan did all the arrangements on Joe's funeral..He passed away Oct. 13th, 1961.
I was named after Joe..he died 5 months before I was born...Some of the trumpet players from back then have told me he was such a great player...alot different than Ray...Ray being a great player also..just different. You are right about Tuttis Trumpets..Joe Triscari, Conrad Gozzo, Manny Klein, Short Sherock and Pet Condoli...what a record!
Ray retired very young..he was 54 yrs old(1979)..He passed away 1996 I believe....a few years after Audino...I couldn't make the service they had for Ray...could you tell me a little about it??? He loved horses...owned Arabians and others.....I think he just loved hacing his ranch, riding his horses and drinking martinis...lol
Please tell Pete Condoli and Uan hello when you see them...
I would love a copy of the Ray Anthony dvd

Joe

MPM

HI JOE!!!

I'd lost your e-mail address but see you on this site now. I've got video tapes for you!!!! Send me a private message with your e-mail address so we can get back in touch!

Michael