New England Jazz Hall of Fame

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From the MetroWest Daily.

N.E. Jazz Alliance honors Milford musician

By Stanley Jones / Special To The Daily News

Saturday, April 24, 2004

MILFORD -- A legendary Milford musician was inducted into the New England Jazz Alliance' Hall of Fame at ceremonies held recently at the Berklee College of Music's David Friend Recital Hall in Boston.

    The late Henry "Boots" Mussulli, who earned international acclaim as an alto saxophonist with the Stan Kenton and Teddy Powell orchestras during the hey-day of big band music in the 1940s and '50s, was welcomed into the elite circle along with four other jazz immortals.

    Also inducted at the well-attended ceremonies were trumpeter Ruby Braff, pianists Ralph Burns and Nat Pierce and saxophonist Gigi Gryce. All are deceased.

    Previous inductees -- all jazz musicians with New England ties -- include Johnny Hodges, Alan Dawson, Harry Carney, Paul Gonsalves, Jaki Byard, Bobby Hackett, Tony Williams, Sabby Lewis, Serge Chaloff and Sonny Stitt.

    Mussulli was selected for the alliance's prestigious hall by an international voting college of 180 jazz musicians, critics and writers. In all, 67 jazz luminaries had been nominated for the honor and only five were chosen.

    Looking on proudly at the Boston ceremonies were three of Mussulli's daughters -- Marcia Marcello, accompanied by her husband, James; Rena Fairbanks, accompanied by her husband, Donald, and Janice Martino, accompanied by her husband, Charles. 

Others present from the Milford area were Joseph Hayes, a Mussulli son-in-law and husband of the late Marie (Musulli) Hayes; Leo Curran, a former road manager of and show producer for the Kenton orchestra; Steve Minichiello of Upton, an award-winning documentary filmmaker; and Mr. and Mrs. Jack Sullivan, avid Mussulli fans.

    Master of ceremonies was Brent Banulis, president of the New England Jazz Alliance. Extolling the skill of Mussulli as a musician and educator were Curran and Tony Lada of Webster, a trombonist with the area youth orchestra.

    Drummer Bob Tanagni of Milford, another member of the youth band, performed with a trio during a section of the program.

    Mussulli traveled extensively with the Kenton and Powell orchestras and was ranked highly as one of the nation's top alto saxapohonist by Downbeat Magazine. He was featured as a soloist and appeared with both bands in several movies.

    At the height of his career, the Milford man abandoned the national spotlight to spend more time with his wife, Rose, now deceased, and their four daughters. He continued to play with several bands in New England and also recorded several albums for Capital Records.

    In the meantime, he conducted a private teaching practice at a Main Street studio and dreamed of someday forming a youth band consisting of 10- to 18-year-olds playing jazz arrangements.

    That dream came true in 1966 when he and his close friend, Curran, co-founded the Milford Area Youth Orchestra.

    This wasn't a standard 16- or 17-piece band, however. Mussulli had trouble saying no to potential young musicians.

    Still it was something of a shock to jazz afficionados like Curran to see 54 musicians emerge as what appeared to be an unwieldy, albeit promising orchestra. Fifty-four musicians ranging in ages from 10 to 18 that is.

    Mussulli wasn't kidding. He was determined to make it work and began rehearsing the band on Sundays and sometimes twice a week, writing original jazz charts and directing the kids through numerous practice runs.

    What some jazz critics described as a miracle unfolded on Easter Sunday in 1966 when the youth band presented its first concert in Milford. Mussulli's patience and perseverance paid off. The kids were a smash hit. And once the word spread, they soon fell into great demand throughout central Massachusetts.

    Through the efforts of music critics like Ernie Santosuosso of the Boston Globe, the youth band was booked to perform at the Globe Jazz Festival at Boston Hynes Auditorium in the spring of 1967. The festival's featured band Duke Ellington.

    The kids with their big-band sound virtually stole the show at the Globefest. So much so that noted jazz producer George Wein publicly invited the orchestra to perform at the Newport Jazz Festival in July. It was the first such invitation ever extended to a youth band.

    Mussulli and his amazing kids opened the Saturday evening session of the Newport Festival before a crowd of 10,000.

    The beginning of the end came soon after the Newport Festival.

    Unbeknownst to most people, Mussilli had been diagnosed with lung cancer in September of 1966. Few realized he was gravely ill. He had kept the secret well during those days of developing the youth band.

    Boots Mussulli died Sept. 23, 1967 at the age of 51. The youth band disbanded within a year after his death.

    "They say anyone can be replaced," said Curran, "but as a brilliant musician, an innovator, a catalyst, Boots has never been replaced in Milford. This town may never again see the likes of him."

    Stanley Jones retired as news editor of The Milford Daily News in 1997 after a distinguished 53-year career as a journalist. He was honored with three Associated Press writing awards, plus the prestigious Tom Phillip Award in radio broadcasting for a documentary that he wrote and co-produced with radio-television personality Joe Hyder of Milford. He also served as public relations director for Mussulli's Milford Area Youth Orchestra.

Wish there was more on the story about Ruby Braff, Gigi Gryce, Ralph Burns and Nat Piere being inducted alongside Mussulli.