Conrad Gozzo

"Goz! and Other Greats" - The Definitive Volume About One of the Greatest Lead Trumpeters in History

Often when I am lecturing about music history or presenting on a specific topic, I encourage young historians to choose one figure or subject that you can devote your career exploring and writing about. You will have a direction, seek out sources that perhaps are not previously known, and will add an important piece of the puzzle to Jazz History. Several writers have done just that - Bing Crosby has been wonderfully covered by Gary Giddins (and we await the last volume of his three-volume biography), Ricky Riccardi has written the definitive bio in three volumes of Louis Armstrong (he has just informed us that he is revising the first volume published), Gary Carner devoted many years writing his biography of Pepper Adams, and on and on.

Now Robert Strickland and W. Sue Strickland have presented an absolute masterpiece. Bob has always been devoted to and fascinated by Conrad Gozzo, one of the giants of 20th century trumpet players who left us too early but left many recordings, and radio and television appearances. This book is a tome - over 700 pages of solid information and photos compiled over many, many years. It was mailed to me two weeks ago, and I am in awe of what the authors have done.

Gozzo was born in New Britain, Connecticut, the son of an Italian father and a Jewish mother, who was fifteen years old when she had Conrad. “Jimmy” Gozzo was a trumper player himself, and was Conrad’s only teacher. Conrad was on the road with several bands before WWII, and was a member of Artie Shaw’s band that he led in the Navy. Shaw was discharged, and the band was taken over by tenor saxophonist/arranger Sam Donahue. I have written previously that this ensemble was one of the finest big bands in the history of American music, and happily there are many recordings that would prove that statement. Gozzo played lead.

Here’s a sample of the Gozzo sound from that era. “Paradise” was based on a Benny Carter arrangement that Sam re-scored.

Of course once the war ended, he was back on the road with Benny Goodman, Woody Herman, Boyd Raeburn and Tex Beneke. He eventually settled on the west coast and was in demand immediately. A good musician like Gozzo was going to be busy once he hit town. Of course the book chronicles the many leaders and artists he worked with (a few are Billy May, Frank Sinatra, Dinah Shore, Van Alexander, Ray Anthony, Henry Mancini, Les Brown), and the television shows and movie soundtracks he played on.

A series of articles written on Gozzo by Harold Kaye for the International Association of Jazz Record Collectors magazine had been published years before, and Gozzo’s cousin, Marc Gordon, did his own extensive interviews. But Strickland himself conducted many interviews on his own from the 1970s on of the many people who interacted with Gozzo. They are all valuable, and being a trumpet player himself, he was able to ask excellent questions of the many trumpet players who knew and played with Gozzo, and the many who grew up with his sound in their ears.

Unfortunately, Gozzo was an alcoholic and a diabetic, and several pages in the book are devoted to information on various addictions. He was only forty-two years old.

Here is “You Go to My Head” with the Luis Alcaraz Orchestra.

Here is a radio program devoted to Gozzo. I have no information on it except there are car commercials and it emanates from Connecticut. Of course it includes Gozzo’s best known recording, “Trumpeter’s Prayer,” composed and conducted by Salvatore “Tutti” Camarata for the album “Tutti’s Trumpets.” At one time, every student and professional trumpet player had a copy of this recording.

It is hard to put into words the incredible job the authors did in compiling the massive amount of information to be found here. It is available from Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Other-Greats-Robert-Strickland-M-S/dp/0963591991/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2K1RAVPNKGNT0&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.IRaqxffH7ANcApbmeiHVygSYwS9gInmewxenEKtiyTPLeGVJGb_lsgZNLP_QdBFL.YD2Kq3EPxW9eH1HOuyH1KCYngJSA2MZ_JHzzv3bZf5I&dib_tag=se&keywords=goz+and+other+greats&qid=1780692072&sprefix=Goz%21+and+other+%2Caps%2C160&sr=8-1

Recommended without reservation!!!