Larry Gianni

Hi,

Here are a couple of players that play Calicchio. Not that they don't have a Bach in the closet or play something else at times, but they really made a name for themselves and a nice career using one of Dominic's babies

Help me add to the list with players from different parts of the country.

Chuck Findley
Jerry Hey
Gary Grant
Charlie Davis
Walt Johnson ( lead player for Elvis and Frank Sinatra )
Bobby Findley
Carl Saunders
Eric Miyashiro ( played a large bore 3L / 9 on Woddy and Buddy's Band )
Jay Diversa
Tony Terran
Bob McCoy
Zeke Zarchy ( Glen Millers " In the Mood " lead player )
John Thomas
Don Thomas
Steve Madaio ( Stevie Wonder , Chaka Khan )
Dave Trigg ( Maynard , present leadplayer for Natalie Cole )
Mickey McMahon ( Lawrence Welk - 20 years )
Tony Ferrell ( Andy Williams )
Mike Williams ( Count Basie )
Lee Thornberg ( the tonight show )
Freddie Hubbard
Denny Christianson
Chuck Mangione
The Origianl " Earth, Wind and Fire / Phil Collins " horn section
Elton Johns Horn Section
John Harner - Stan Kenton

Some of you might be thinking " these guys plays other trumpets now " and that's true but most of them still own their Calicchio and again I'm talking what they played while on the way up to having these fantastic careers.

Chuck Findley, Freddie Hubbard, Carl Saunders and Lee Thornberg are the only players ever really asked to be in an ad for the company and they all bought their trumpets from the company long before the ad " thing "

Help me out with some names especially player local to your area

Larry Gianni

PS: Don't get me wrong, I think Bach’s, Schilke’s, etc. all make really excellent trumpets and this is not attempt to try to pit one brand against
another. Just sort of “Look See "

I'd like to hear from the “Vegas “guys about this. I know Ron Barrows and Mike Paulsen both played Calicchio's while doing the " Stardust " out there ( I know Ron is in LA now , but Mike is still in Vegas )
Dan Falcone played one while with Paul Anka - right?

Anonymous

Jerry Hey and Charley Davis? Are you sure about that?

Looks like quite a line up.

TM

MPM

Larry here's a few for you.

- Jay Daversa
- Doug Michels ( trumpet with Gloria Estefan )
- Jason Carder ( great trpt player here in FL - with MF in the early '90's) ... BTW Jason has a very old Calicchio, gold plated, from the 50's ... he knows Chris well
- Dave Johnson ( Calicchio staff )
- Bob McCoy ... I think did years ago in NYC
- YOU!!!
- Denny Christianson
- Tony Terran
- The "Goz" did for a bit
(I had a nice one ... not tht I'm putting myself in these cats space )

Dan Falcone ... I believe at present is playing a Bach Sterling Plus Bell, but has one of Gary grants old Calicchios. And yes he was playing it when he was out with Tom Jones. He's presently on the Anka gig ( well as of a few months ago when I last talked to him )

Regards,

Michael

PS .. Opps I seem to have doubled a few of your names!

Larry Gianni

That's great. I like to hear about fine players from different parts of the country.

Not to date myself, but the way I used to learn about “who was who” was when on album covers (Yes, record album covers) they would list the players that were on the recording and in the band. That's how all of us young players learned “Wow, who played that”

Trivia:

Derek Watkins played lead trumpet on the original “Tom Jones Show “when the orchestra was on screen playing behind him.

Who played lead trumpet on the old “Sonny and Cher “Show that also show a full orchestra?

Hey Mike, ( my main man in Florida )

Kenny Falk played a Calicchio at one time ( Buddy Rich, Bee Gee's ) is he still playing it or has he gone astray?

Let’s hear from a few Branson guys. I know your lurking out there.
And also the Chicago guys and New York guys? Since when were you guys so quiet.

Larry

Larry Gianni

Hi again,

Yeah trptmaster (our fine host for this site)

Jerry Hey played Calicchio for a long time starting with Seawind (the Hawaii band that brought him to Los Angeles. ) and all thru his extensive Los Angeles studio career. He met Gary Grant in Hawaii (Gary had blown a small part of his lip off playing lead with Woody. Almost overnight, his range dropped an octave and he was doing shows in Hawaii to re-build his embouchure.

Jerry Hey and Gary Grant have been the “one, two punch “for commercial recording here in Los Angeles for the last 20 years. Those 2 plus Chuck Findley were definitely the “Go To “guys for that “Commercial-POP Horn Section sound ".

Only recently have they started to play Bach's (They were given Sterling Silver Bell Bach’s by Selmer, but they actually play Mt. Vernon’s)

In the Calicchio Records - Jerry Hey has 4 Calicchio's. His latest was a 1s/2 made in 1974.

Charlie Davis was. before his Bach endorsement, was a big Calicchio guy.

On Buddy's band he actually played a Chicago Benge with a 13a4a, but when he went to Vegas in 1975, he switched to Calicchio and stayed on it when he came to Los Angeles in 1982, He played his Calicchio 1s/2 with a Reeves 43s / #2 bb (or 692) or his Purviance 10 (given to him by Johnny Audino) up thru the early 90's.

Got to go

Larry Gianni

Anonymous

I get the feeling Larry knows a thing or two about the scene on the West Coast

Great to have you here!

Thanks for all the excellent info!

TM

marathoner

How about Nick Marchione - the lead player now for Blood, Sweat, and Tears. He plays a medium bore Calicchio

Larry Gianni

Hi Marathoner, welcome.

The “medium bore " Calicchio's are becoming very popular now with the Bobby Shew "Z ", Schilke B6 , S42 and Bach 37 crowd.

Most of these players are looking for trumpet that plays like the what I've mentioned , but want to have a little better airflow and what I would call "more personality " to their sound and an ease of playing in the upper register that's a Calicchio charasteristic.They really don't play like a " medium " bore trumpet in the traditional sense.

Dave Trigg , who played with Maynard in the 80's and is currently touring with Natalie Cole ( past 11 years ) just got John Duda to make him a 1s/3 - medium bore - reversed leadpipe - minimal bracing - with a " Z " alloy bell Calicchio which he's says " is the best I've ever had "

Larry

Another guy who is playing a Medium Bore Calicchio is my friend, John Mills of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. He's a monster player of the Heartland.

MPM

Larry,

The last few times I saw Kenny, he was playing a very good Bach 37. Great playing horn. And too recently was trying a few Yamaha 6310Z's. Don't know if he still has his calicchio or not.

Another guys who I think still has his Calicchio (although is now a Scodwell player) Greg Neer in LV.

Intersting you mentioning Charley Davis playing a Benge and a 13A4a on Buddies band. I've seen a few video tapes of Charley on Buddies band. On one you can see the Schilke mpc & the Benge, on the other he's playing a Bach, and a Reeves mpc.

Michael

Larry Gianni

Hi Mike,

Charlie switched to his Mt Vernon and a Reeves just as he was about to leave the band because he chops were getting chewed up a bit and he was getting physically tired ( from the road ) so he wanted something with more resistance to blow against ( His Mt. Vernon 37 ) , plus having "road chops " , he could overcome the 37's inherent resistance and use it to loosen up a bit.

At that point, he could lay back alot more because he knew the book and could really pace himself thru-out the night The Reeves he used had more of a cusiohioned rim to help his " lip cutting " issues and sounded better in a Bach with the more open backbore ( 692 )

He told me after a while, he was on " auto-pilot " by the end of his tour with the band.

Larry