Vido Musso born 17 January 1913

Vido Musso (January 16, 1913 – January 9, 1982) was an American thick- toned tenor jazz saxophonist, clarinetist and bandleader. He is probably not near the top of many B&R readers’ lists of favourite rhythm and blues sax players but you should not make the mistake of neglecting this tenor sax man. Vido could blow that horn with the best of them and his thirty-plus years of being a sought-after musician attests to his talents ashe was involved in over 225 recording sessions. 

Vido William Musso was born in Carini, Sicily, on 16th January 1913, and his family moved to the United States in 1920, landing in New York where they lived until settling in Detroit in 1929. Vido’s mother had named him ‘Vito’ but changed it to Vido. He attended Highland Park High school in Detroit. The Mussos then moved to Los Angeles in 1930. Vido gained an instant love of American swing music and started his musical journey by playing the clarinet as a teenager. In 1933 he married Rose Rosalie Mirabella.

In 1935 Vido landed a job with Everett Hoagland, a band leader in Los Angeles whose group was based at the Rendezvous Ballroom in Balboa Beach. Whist there Arthur Rollini (a member of Benny Goodman’s band), saw Gil Evans and his group with Stan Kenton on piano and Vido Musso sitting in on tenor. Rollini was impressed with Musso’s playing, knew that Benny was looking for a soloist, and told Goodman about him. Benny agreed to let Vido audition with the band during a show at The Palomar Ballroom in LA. They played ‘Honeysuckle Rose’ and Goodman hired Vido after hearing thirteen exciting choruses of skilled tenor playing. He stayed with Goodman from 1936 – 1937. 

Vido with Benny Goodman

 After a period with Gene Krupa's new band (1938), Musso rejoined Goodman a couple times (1939 and 1941-1942). He also had stints with Harry James (1940-1941), Woody Herman (1942-1943), and Tommy Dorsey (1945) between attempts to lead his own big band (none of which succeeded). Vido Musso was at the peak of his fame during his two periods with Stan Kenton (1945-1946 and 1947), particularly for his emotional rendition of "Come Back to Sorrento."  Most of his career was spent as a sideman, but his recording dates as a leader are somewhat obscure. There was a four-song Savoy session in 1946; eight boppish titles in 1947 for Trilon; other dates for Arco, Fantasy (three songs in 1952), and RPM; plus two albums for Crown and Modern (1954-1955). 

                                    

He appeared in two films Disc Jockey (1951) and The Big Operator (1959). He eventually moved back to Los Angeles, played locally and, starting in 1959, worked regularly in Las Vegas. By 1961 he and his wife Rose had purchased a home in Paradise Palms. Vido played every hotel on The Strip alongside such popular artists of the day as Louis Prima, Sammy Davis Jr., Dean Martin and Franks Sinatra. 

Vido teamed up with singer Sonny King, because both were Italian and they became good friends.The duo regularly played several weeks at a time at The Sahara then The Tropicana. They were both good friends of Senator William J. Raggio. The senator recalled that: “Vido would cook Italian food and end up using every pot and pan in the kitchen, making a complete mess”. In a 1966 interview, Tony Bennett remarked to Johna Blinn of The Buffalo Courier-Express, that if “you want to have the greatest Italian food, you really should try some of Vido Musso’s cooking. You’ll never forget it. His pasta is so light, it’s beautifully poetic”. 

Sam Butera, Louis Prima & Vido. Late 50's

Sonny King also worked The Celebrity Room and Bootleggers Bistro in the 1960s. Freddie Bell and The Bellboys replaced King at the latter venue, and his show, Freddie Bell’s Open House, featured various performers in a variety review. Bell told Jerry Fink of the Las Vegas Sun that he, Sonny King and Vido Musso “hung together all the time”. Vido’s combo backed Sonny at The Sands Hotel in September 1964. During 1966 and 1967, Vido also played with other stars which included Count Basie, Sam Butera and The Witnesses, and Louis Prima at TheCelebrity Room and the Celebrity Theatre. 

Vido made an appearance on ‘The Tonight Show’ with Johnny Carson on 29th May 1974 and he retired from show business in 1978, and lived in Rancho Mirage – Frank Sinatra resided three blocks away. The two friends could be found spending much time together, planting basil and enjoying Italian food. When Sinatra held parties, he asked Vido and his wife Rose to handle the cooking. 

Although retired, in 1980, Vido enjoyed sitting in with the Ace Hitchinson band at the Riviera Spa Hotel in Palm Springs. Vido Musso, who ended his days in Palm Springs, passed away at Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre of a heart attack after complications of lung cancer on 9th January 1982, at the age of 69, in Rancho Mirage, California. Vido Musso was buried in the town he loved, Las Vegas.

(Edited from bio by Dan Kochakian & Wikipedia)