Conte Candoli

[Peter Friedman]

I was quite surprised when I read the following in Jazz Journal about Conte Candoli by jazz writer Alun Morgan.

" As a mark of his standing he was the first man Max Roach turned to as a replacement for Clifford Brown after the terrible road accident. (Conte had to refuse the offer as he'd just succeeded in making headway in the competitive Hollywood studio scene.)"

Were others here aware of this?

[Chuck Nessa]

News to me.

[Larry Kart]

News to me too, but Alun Morgan is a very credible fellow in my experience -- been around a long time (was writing for Jazz Monthly before Brown's death), knows the scene from the inside, and has no axes to grind, or least none that I've ever seen.

[Kalo]

Definitely news to the likes of me.

I can kind of see it working, though. I've always enjoyed Conte's playing myself. And from a monetary perspective, as well as avoiding the road and attendent hazards, I can see staying in L.A., too.

[Scott Yanow]

Also, Charlie Parker talked with Conte Candoli about forming a new quintet and using him in 1955. But Bird soon died. Candoli might have accepted that job.

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

DUH! of course max wanted conte. conte can play some nasty bebop. ive heard him do shit i totally thought was like, mid 40s small group dizzy but no it was really early 50s conte. conte was this short funny lookin little italian dude who epitomized west coast jazz trumpet, and how west coast bebop can be just as good as east coast bop. when i met him in 2002 he was still good and he smoked this huge ass cigar during break.

[bakeostrin]

Hello,

For those of you who have the CD reissue on VSOP of the Mode Album "Conte Candoli Quartet," the supplemental liner notes by James Rozzi (1993) state:

It's not a well-known fact that Conte Candoli nearly replaced the late clifford Brown in one of the most famous and critically acclaimed hard bop quintets o the 1950's. "I'll never forget, when Clifford died, I was working at the Lighthouse and I got a call fro Max (Roach), " reminisced Candoli in an issue of JazzTimes. He wanted me to join the band. But I had just joined Howard Rumsey after trying for a long time to get with the group, and I felt I couldn't leave. I've always been very thankful that Max thought of me, and I'm sorry I never did it. I guess I was reluctant to go on the road."

I've read this board since it was the old Blue Note board, but I just never felt that I had anything to contribute, so here you go.

Ironically, I attended a function at which Pete Candoli was supposed to play. He and Conte showed up, but Pete was not well enough to play, Conte took his older brother's place and played quite well, seemed in fine fettle. Then, a few months later, Conte passed away. Thankfully, Pete, who had seemed in ill health is still with us.

Regards,

Baker

[brownie]

Baker, thanks for pointing out to the liner notes to the VSOP CD reissue. I have the vinyl reissue of that and it reproduces the liner notes by Joe Quinn from the Mode release which do not mention the Roach proposal.

The Candoli/Brownie replacement was also mentioned by Alun Morgan in his liner notes to the FreshSound CD 'Conte Candoli 'Cote-nuity' where Conte 'honors the memory of twelve trumpet legends'. He plays 'Stockholm Sweetnin'' as a tribute to Clifford Brown.

And a very warm welcome to you, Baker. No need to stay on the sideline.