Allegro
Requiem
Volume CVI, No. 2February, 2006
Roberta Como – Piano/Arranger/Copyist
Anthony Corbiscello – Drums
Larry Covell – Saxophone
Scott J. Cutler – Saxophone
Daniel Derasmo – Saxophone
Harry DiVito – Trombone
Gene Forrell – Conductor
Harold Glick – Conductor
Sol Jotim – Cordovox
Ruth M. Laredo – Piano
William H. Mills – Bass
Vic Pierce (Pesce) – Bass
Amy J. Polimeni – Piano
Matthew P. Sellitti – Trumpet
Saul Weinstein – Saxophone
Chris Whitley – Guitar
Anthony Corbiscello
Anthony Corbiscello, 53, a drummer and an 802 member since 1981, died on Jan. 15.
Following tenures with various pop bands while in high school, Mr. Corbiscello moved into a higher level while a student at Fairleigh Dickinson University in Madison (N.J.) in the 1970’s. One of his music teachers — the noted swing era trumpeter Pee Wee Erwin, who played with Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey and others — suggested he study drums with Sonny Igoe of Emerson, N.J. Igoe had played with Goodman and Woody Herman.
Mr. Corbiscello became a versatile, in-demand drummer. His calls might find him on stage at the Rainbow Room at Rockefeller Center, doing wedding gigs all over the New York-New Jersey area, or playing for mingling singles at H.B.’s on Route 17 in Paramus. At the last room, he played with guitarist John Pizzarelli, in whose quartet and big band he performed from 1990 to 1994.
It was as part of John Pizzarelli’s quartet that Mr. Corbiscello opened for Frank Sinatra on several engagements in 1992, including one at the Garden State Arts Center, now known as the PNC Bank Arts Center, in Holmdel, where he played behind the singer.
In the mid-1990’s, Mr. Corbiscello started his big band, which eventually backed such luminaries as Bob Hope and Clark Terry.
The band, composed of top area players, made two CD’s: “In Full Swing” in 1999 and “Real Time” in 2004.
In addition to his father and sister, Mr. Corbiscello is survived by his mother, Ann, and wife of 23 years, Ellen.
This obituary edited from the Star-Ledger.
Harry DiVito
Harry DiVito, 81, a trombonist and an 802 member since 1940, died on Feb. 12.
Mr. DiVito began his professional career at 16 when he joined the Tommy Reynolds orchestra. After his stint with Reynolds he played with the big bands of Isham Jones, Les Brown, Harry James, Benny Goodman, Charlie Spivak, Stan Kenton, Sam Donahue, and Gene Krupa. From 1950 to 1956 he was a member of Phil Napoleon’s Memphis Five.
A lifelong lover of big band and Dixieland music, Mr. DiVito became a successful and respected bandleader of the Empire City Six and the 7 Shades of Jazz.
From 1959 to 1988 he appeared with the orchestras of numerous shows on Broadway including “On a Clear Day You Can See Forever,” “Over Here,” “Sugar Babies” and the original Broadway production of “Chicago.” He performed with various artists including Frank Sinatra, Bobby Darin, Tony Bennett, Barbara Streisand, Peggy Lee and Paul Anka. Mr. DiVito also lent his talents to the soundtrack recordings of hundreds of TV and radio commercials and numerous record albums.
During his military service in World War II, Mr. DiVito was a member of the Glenn Miller Army Air Force Band.
He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Virginia (Gini), his son Jeff, his daughter Debra Senn and his granddaughter Bianca.
Harold Glick
Harold Glick, 90, a music supervisor and conductor and an 802 member since 1942, died on Jan. 10.
Mr Glick’s early years were spent in the Pacific Northwest. Born in Portland, Oregon, he came east to attend New York University. His academic background included a three-year scholarship with the noted conductor Leon Barzin, and studies with the legendary Pierre Monteux.
For 14 years, Mr. Glick was music supervisor of the Rodgers and Hammerstein organization.
As guest conductor of some of America’s most celebrated orchestras, he conducted music from all phases of symphonic literature. His program, “An Evening With Richard Rodgers,” was introduced at the Stony Brook Festival. Conducting the Miami Symphony later that year with this unique program, Mr. Glick set an unprecedented attendance record in the Miami Pops concert history and returned for a total of five consecutive seasons, each time repeating this phenomenal success.
Mr. Glick conducted almost every musical medium from symphony and ballet to Broadway and television. He conducted the American Ballet Theatre in New York and on tour coast to coast. For 10 years he conducted the annual Chevrolet Show. Vinyl fans will recall his album “Bach For Percussion.”
Formerly associated with Morton Gould, he was also the music director of radio dramas on CBS, WOR and WNYC, and the music director of station WFDR-FM. While involved in radio, he conducted the first American broadcasts of three Henry Purcell operas.
In recent years he completed the recording of an extensive dramatic music library for the ABC-T’V series “All My Children.”
His composition talents were tapped for Broadway when he wrote the incidental music for the Broadway production of Orson Welles’ play “Moby Dick Rehearsed” starring Rod Steiger.
He is survived by his wife Ruth Devorah, daughter and son in-law Jayne and Paul Thompson, son Steve Trelin and grandsons Reid and Grant Thompson.