Anthony Gorruso
Anthony Gorruso (born Buffalo, New York) is an American jazz trumpeter who has performed with Buddy Rich, Frank Sinatra, and Sting. He has also been a regular orchestra member of the Broadway musicals White Christmas, Spamalot, 42nd Street, Miss Saigon and Gypsy: A Musical Fable.
Professional career
The son of Anthony Gorruso Sr., a high school band director, Tony began his professional career playing at age 17 with the local Buffalo area band Spyro Gyra on their eponymous first LP, Spyro Gyra. His name is incorrectly listed on that album as Tony Garusso.[1] From 1979 to 1983 he attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston to further pursue his interest in jazz and big band music as an arranging major.
He has since performed with Buddy Rich, Frank Sinatra, Sting, Tony Bennett, Clark Terry, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Junior, The Duke Ellington Orchestra (under the direction of Mercer Ellington), Ray Charles, Liza Minnelli and many others. He has recorded with Frank Sinatra on the laser disc Sinatra in Japan 1985 which also aired on PBS in 1986, the CD Sinatra 80th Live In Concert,[2] and the recently released "Sinatra: Live at the Meadowlands" recorded live at what was then the Brendan Byrne Arena in 1986.
Mr. Gorruso can also be found on the CD by Jon Lucien, entitled "Mother Nature's Son" [3] released in 1993,[4] Mary Ellen Bernard's 1993 CD Point of Departure [5] "Music is My Mistress" by Mercer Ellington.[6] "Pearls" by David Sanborn.[7] Kanye West's 2010 CD My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
He is currently employed as 2nd trumpet for the Broadway show Spamalot and was first trumpet on the Broadway show 42nd Street (June 2002 – 2005). He also played first trumpet on the 1989 revival of the Broadway show Gypsy starring actress Tyne Daly and was featured soloist on the show's famed Overture from 1989–1991. He is also seen briefly and heard on the soundtrack of the 1989 Woody Allen film Crimes and Misdemeanors.[8]
Mr. Gorruso played lead (first) trumpet for both Buddy Rich from January through December 1984 and Frank Sinatra from January 1985 through July 1991. Since then he has performed on hundreds of national radio and TV jingles. After completing over six and a half years of road tours with Sinatra, Tony continued as 2nd trumpet for the complete nine year, eleven-month run of Miss Saigon on Broadway (1991–2001) this despite suffering a severe upper lip injury requiring over 30 stitches in May 1998 which nearly ended his career. He fully recovered and is currently an active musician in Broadway theatre and on the NYC recording scene.[9] He currently resides in Northern New Jersey.
Notes
- ↑ http://spyrogyra.com/spyro-gyra/
- ↑ (Capitol CDP 7243 8 31723 2 0 released 1985)
- ↑ Polygram #514 816
- ↑ http://www.jazzdiscography.com/Artists/Barron/lucien.htm)
- ↑ http://www.maryellenbernard.com/albums.html
- ↑ (Music Master released 1989) http://www.artistdirect.com/nad/store/artist/album/0,,81396,00.html)
- ↑ Elektra/WEA # 61759-2 released March 28, 1995
- ↑ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097123/fullcredits
- ↑ http://www.ibdb.com/person.asp?ID=393459
External links
- Discussion of lead trumpet players in New York
- (To be uploaded soon) A video clip showing Tony Gorruso being featured by Buddy as lead trumpet and soloist on pianist Bill Cunliffe's arrangement of the Count Basie original "One O'Clock Jump" taken from a live performance at the Berlin Philharmonie in 1984.
- audio clips and personnel info of the complete Berlin concert
- Recent discussion of recent recording and picture of Tony with sir Paul McCartney
- Discussion of recent recording session and pictures of Tony recording for Kanye West's Song All of the Lights. When viewing the pictures at maximum resolution the notes for the song are visible on the console.