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Conte Candoli papers, 1943-2001

Overview of the Collection

Title
Conte Candoli papers
Dates
1943-2001 (inclusive)
Quantity
11.5 cubic feet, (12 boxes, oversize, and offsite storage)
Collection Number
IJC MG 017
Summary
Conte Candoli was a jazz trumpeter. The papers include original music manuscripts and published sheet music either created or used by Conte Candoli during his career. They also include newspaper clippings, programs, photographs, awards, clothing, audio and video cassettes, and a Pocket Trumpet.
Repository
University of Idaho Library, Special Collections and Archives
Special Collections and Archives
University of Idaho Library
875 Perimeter Drive
MS 2350
Moscow, ID
83844-2350
Telephone: 2088850845
libspec@uidaho.edu
Access Restrictions

Collection is open for research.

Languages
Collection materials are in English.
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Historical Note

Secondo (Conte) Candoli was born on July 12, 1927, in Mishawaka, Indiana to Italian immigrant parents who had settled in the United States after World War I. Conte's father, a rubber plant factory worker, also played in a band at a local Italian club. It was through his encouragement that Conte and his older brother Pete began to play music at a young age.

Upon a recommendation from Pete, Conte joined Woody Herman's First Herd at the age of 16, filling in during his high school summer vacation. Pete was already part of the band when Conte joined. Conte then joined the band full-time after his high school graduation in 1945. The military draft cut Conte's time with the band short and he served in the United States Army from September 1945 to November 1946. After his discharge, he joined fellow Herman band alum Chubby Jackson's Fifth Dimensional Jazz Group, which toured Scandinavia.

Following his time with Jackson's group, Conte worked with Stan Kenton (1948), Charlie Ventura (1949), rejoined Woody Herman (1949-1950), Charlie Barnet (1951) and Stan Kenton again (1951-1953). Conte led his own group in Chicago in 1954 before moving to California to take session jobs and join Howard Rumsey's Lighthouse All Stars. From the late 1950's to the early 1960's, Conte worked regularly with vibraphone player Terry Gibbs, toured Europe with saxophonist Gerry Mulligan's Concert Jazz Band, and worked again with Woody Herman, Shelly Manne and Stan Kenton. During his career, Conte appeared with Woody Herman at the Monterey Jazz Festival and participated in reunions with Herman in 1976 and 1986. Conte also performed as a member of Supersax from 1972 through the 1980's and beyond, emulating the style of Dizzy Gillespie in the group's re-creations of Charlie Parker's music. Beginning in 1968, Conte made occasional appearances with Johnny Carson's Tonight Show Band led by Doc Severinsen. He became a permanent Tonight Show Band member in 1972 when Carson relocated the show from New York to Burbank, California. Conte retired from the Tonight Show, along with the rest of Severinsen's band, when Carson retired in 1992. After his Tonight Show Band retirement, Conte toured with the Doc Severinsen Band on occasion and was also in constant demand as a teacher at trumpet clinics and jazz festivals, touring extensively throughout the 1990's.

Conte collaborated frequently with his older brother Pete, leading a band with him in Monterey in 1973 and then continuing to perform together throughout the 1980's and 90's. Conte and Pete were inducted into the International Jazz Hall of Fame in 1997.

Before cancer slowed his activities, Conte continued performing at clubs, playing festivals, doing session work, and recorded 18 months prior to his death, completing Candoli Live during this time. His complete discography lists some 770 separate tracks and 123 albums on which he played. Conte Candoli died on December 14, 2001, at Monterey Palms Convalescent Home in Palm Desert, California.

References "Conte Candoli." All About Jazz. http://www.allaboutjazz.com. "Conte Candoli." http://www.grovemusic.com. "Conte Candoli." In Havard Concise Dictionary of Music and Muscians, 294. "Conte Candoli, 74: Trumpeter Played in Tonight Show Band." Los Angeles Times, December 16, 2001. "Conte Candoli Cool Jazz Trumpeter Capable of Turning Up The Heat." The Guardian, January 6, 2002.

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Content Description

The collection includes original music manuscripts, arrangements and printed/published sheet music (boxes 1-3) either created or used by Conte Candoli during his career. It also includes newspaper clippings, programs and flyers related to Candoli's musical engagements (box 11); photographs (boxes 7-8); audio cassettes and video tapes (box 4, 5, 6 and 12); awards (box 7); clothing, including a three-piece suit (offsite); a cassette player and a VHS Jupiter Pocket Trumpet in a form-fitted case (box 9). Other musical instruments and accessories in the collection include two silver trumpets in a Yamaha Japan fitted case with one a King Golden Flair (661118) and the other engraved "Conte Candoli" (661061) (offsite); a golden trumpet (322510) in a F. Besson Paris case (offsite); two trumpets in their respective cases (offsite); a Blessing Artist Elkhart-Ind. U.S.A. flugelhorn in a Reunion Blues San Francisco/The Brasswind Southbend IN case (including 2 valves and a mouthpiece in a leather case in the outside pocket (offsite); and several mutes, mouthpieces, and a set of three valve caps (box 10).

Box 8 contains oversized materials which explains why the box description is not always sequencial.

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Use of the Collection

Preferred Citation

Conte Candoli Papers, IJC MG 017, Special Collections and Archives. University of Idaho Libary, Moscow, Idaho.

Restrictions on Use

Consult Head of Special Collections and Archives on permission and use.

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Administrative Information

Related Materials

This manuscript group is part of the International Jazz Collections (IJC). There are related materials to Conte Candoli in his brother's papers; see Guide to the Pete Candoli Papers at the Univeristy of Idaho.

Acquisition Information

Gift of Mrs. Kristen Candoli, November 2002.

Processing Note

Processed in 2008 and revised in 2015.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Big Bands--United States
  • California
  • Fine Arts
  • Jazz Musicians
  • Performing Arts
  • Photographs
  • Sound Recordings

Other Creators

  • Personal Names

    • Candoli, Conte, 1927-2001--Archives (musician)

Finding aid prepared by Laura Guedes and Darcie Riedner.
2012

CC Attribution
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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