Introduction
Tony Colucci, also credited as Toots Colucci (born 1905) was an American jazz musician who played banjo, guitar, and bass guitar. He recorded with several celebrated musicians of the time, including Original Indiana Five, Brad Gowans, Larry Abbott, Red Nichols, Roger Wolfe Kahn, Sam Lanin, and The Charleston Chasers.
Life and career
Tony Colucci was born Anthony Colucci in 1905, in Boston, Massachusetts.
He started his career in New York in the mid-1920s with The Original Indiana Five, a jazz band that played in the style of The Original Memphis Five and the Original Dixieland Jazz Band. Colucci played banjo next to drummer/vocalist Tom Morton, trumpeter Johnny Sylvester, trombonist Pete Pellezzi, clarinetist Nick Vitalo, and pianist Harry Ford. He was heard on many of the band's recordings, including "Mean Mean Mama" and "Stavin' Change" (1923); "Tin Roof Blues" and "St. Louis Gal" (1924); "Oh! Boy, What A Girl" and "Indiana Stomp" (1925); and "Spanish Mamma" and "Deep Henderson" (1926); among others.
Around that time, Colucci began working with Frankie Quartell And His Melody Boys. In 1925, his banjo was heard on "Heart Broken Strain" recording on Okeh Records alongside Larry Abbott (saxophone), Jack Roth (drums), Rube Bloom (piano), Sammy Lewis (trombone), Red Nichols (trumpet), and Joe Tarto (tuba).
During these years, he also worked with Jack Shilkret, Vincent Lopez, and Miff Mole.
In 1925, Colucci played banjo and guitar for Sam Lanin And His Roseland Orchestra's recordings of "Summer Nights" and "If I Had A Girl Like You" with saxophonist Alfie Evans, drummer Vic Berton, and trumpeter Red Nichols. The next year, he was heard on "I'm On My Way Home" for Lanin with Jerry Macy (vocals), Lucien Smith (alto and tenor saxes), Joe Tarto (tuba), Frank Black (piano), and Vic Berton (drums).
In the late 1920s, Colucci recorded with Will Perry's Orchestra alongside Andy Sannella and Jimmy Dorsey (alto Saxophone, clarinet); Stan King (drums); Arthur Schutt (piano); Tommy Dorsey (trombone); Bob Effros, Phil Napoleon (trumpet); and Bing Crosby (vocals).
In 1927, Colucci's banjo was heard on Clyde Doerr And His Orchestra's recording of "Ain't She Sweet?" (Saydisc Records) with saxophonist Andy Sannella.
In 1937, Colucci worked with harpist Casper Reardon and clarinetist Joe Usifer on French singer Jean Sablon's "Can I Forget You".
In the 1940s and 1950s, Colucci worked on recordings for Benny Carter, Michael Colicchio, Anthony Mottola, Sidney Bechet, Joe Sullivan, Bobby Hackett's Chamber Music Society of Lower Basin Street, New Friends of Rhythm, Buster Bailey, Floyd Smith, Jelly Roll Morton, Ethel Waters, Maxine Sullivan, Ross Gorman, Ben Selvin, Joe Venuti, Annette Hanshaw, Lee Morse and Mannie Klein.
Between 1923 and 1946, Coluccia was involved in 287 recording sessions.