Joe Venuti
ESSENTIALS
1925-1977
There is over a half-century of Joe Venuti ESSENTIALS to choose from; below are a baker’s dozen. They have been selected, for the most part, to represent a highlight from each of the six decades Joe Venuti performed.
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1925, ca. November 20 (Fri): Joe Venuti-violin, Perfect RECORDING SESSION, NYC.
Lou Gold & His Orchestra
WHO? (Harbach-Hammerstein II-Kern)
SOURCE: Perfect 14534, 106413, venutilang.com
Note: Recording date confirmed by Steven Lasker
1926, November 8 (Mon): Joe Venuti-violin & Eddie Lang-guitar, Columbia RECORDING SESSION, NYC.
Joe Venuti & Eddie Lang
Joe Venuti-violin & Eddie Lang-guitar.
W142697-11 STRINGING THE BLUES (Venuti-Lang)-Columbia 914-D
SOURCE: The Classic Columbia and OKeh Joe Venuti and Eddie Lang Sessions, Mosaic Records MD8-213, 2002.
NOTE: The Application For Copyright below is in Eddie Lang’s handwriting.
1930, ca. January-March: Joe Venuti-violin & Eddie Lang-guitar, FILM, Universal City, California.
Joe Venuti & Eddie Lang
King Of Jazz
Joe Venuti-violin & Eddie Lang-guitar.
WILD CAT (Venuti-Lang)
SOURCE: King Of Jazz DVD, 2018.
1930, November 20 (Thu): Joe Venuti-violin & Eddie Lang-guitar, OKeh RECORDING SESSION, NYC.
Joe Venuti’s Blue Four
Joe Venuti-violin, Jimmy Dorsey-clarinet, alto sax, baritone sax, Frank Signorelli-piano, Eddie Lang-guitar, Joe Tarto-bass.
W404549-B I’VE FOUND A NEW BABY (J. Palmer-S. Williams)-OKeh 41469
SOURCE: The Classic Columbia and OKeh Joe Venuti and Eddie Lang Sessions, Mosaic Records MD8-213, 2002.
1934, September 20 (Thu): Joe Venuti-violin, Regal Zonophone RECORDING SESSION, London, England.
Violin Solo By Joe Venuti
Joe Venuti-violin, Arthur Young-piano.
CAR 2860-1 ROMANTIC JOE (Venuti)-Regal Zonophone (E ) MR-1508
SOURCE: The Classic Columbia and OKeh Joe Venuti and Eddie Lang Sessions, Mosaic Records MD8-213, 2002.
1934, September 20 (Thu): Joe Venuti-violin, Regal Zonophone RECORDING SESSION, London, England.
Joe Venuti And His Blue Four
Joe Venuti-violin, Arthur Young-piano, Frank Victor-guitar, Doug Lees-bass.
CAR 2858-1 SATAN’S HOLIDAY (Venuti)-Regal Zonophone (E) MR-1452
NOTE: Venuti uses the harmonies of Pardon Me, Pretty Baby for Satan’s Holiday.
SOURCE: The Classic Columbia and OKeh Joe Venuti and Eddie Lang Sessions, Mosaic Records MD8-213, 2002.
1938: Joe Venuti-violin, FILM, Burbank, California.
Garden of the Moon
A Warner Bros.-First National Picture
Directed by Busby Berkeley
Music by Harry Warren, lyrics by Al Dubin and Johnny Mercer.
With John Payne, Jerry Colonna, Johnnie “Scat” Davis, Ray Mayer, Tony Romano, and Joe Venuti.
LADY ON THE TWO CENT STAMP
SOURCE: GARDEN OF THE MOON, 1938.
1939, September 20 (Wed): Joe Venuti-violin, Decca RECORDING SESSION, NYC.
Bing Crosby and The Andrews Sisters with Joe Venuti and His Orchestra
66632-A CIRIBIRIBIN (THEY’RE SO IN LOVE)-Decca 2800
SOURCE: Bing Crosby and The Andrews Sisters, Their Complete Recordings Together, MCA|Decca MCAD2-11503, 1996.
Note: Ciribiribin-Original melody by Alberto Pestalozza (1898 melody); English version and arrangement of melody by Harry James and Jack Lawrence (1939).
1940, July 15 (Mon): Joe Venuti-violin, CBS RADIO BROADCAST, NYC.
CBS FORECAST (excerpt)
The Battle of Music
With Raymond Paige, Albert Spaulding (violinist), Frankie Hyers, Joe Venuti, Freda Gibson, Gordon Gifford, and Arlene Francis.
Ode to a Cement Mixer (Venuti)
SOURCE: www.oldtimeradiodownloads.com/drama/forecast/battle-of-music-1940-07-15
1954: Joe Venuti-violin, RECORDING SESSION, Gold Star Studios, Los Angeles, California.
Joe Venuti … Tony Romano “Never Before… Never Again”
Joe Venuti-violin, Tony Romano-guitar.
ALMOST LIKE BEING IN LOVE (A. J. Lerner-F. Loewe)
SOURCE: Joe Venuti … Tony Romano “Never Before… Never Again,” Dobre Records DR-1066, 1979.
1968: Joe Venuti-violin, Ovation Records RECORDING SESSION.
The Jazz Violin of Joe Venuti-Once More With Feeling
Joe Venuti-violin, Lou Stein-piano, Ron Steele-guitar, Jack Lesberg-bass, Cliff Leeman-drums.
AUTUMN LEAVES (Joseph Kosma)
SOURCE: The Jazz Violin of Joe Venuti-Once More With Feeling, Ovation Records OV/14-04, 1968.
1974, May 29 (Wed): Joe Venuti-violin, Chiaroscuro Records RECORDING SESSION, NYC.
The Joe Venuti Blue Four
Joe Venuti-violin, Dill Jones-piano, Bucky Pizzarelli-guitar, Spencer Clark-bass sax.
DIGA DIGA DO (D. Fields-J. McHugh)
SOURCE: The Joe Venuti Blue Four, Chiaroscuro Records CR134, 1974.
1977, April 27-28 (Wed-Thu): Joe Venuti-violin, vocal, Chiaroscuro Records RECORDING SESSION, Palace Theatre, Albany, New York.
Alone At The Palace
Joe Venuti-violin, vocal, Dave McKenna-piano.
AIN’T DOIN’ BAD DOIN’ NOTHIN’ (Venuti-Jarvis)-Chiaroscuro Records
SOURCE: The Joe Venuti Blue Four, Chiaroscuro Records CR160, 1977.