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