Joe Venuti - Career

Career

Joe Venuti had an extensive career ranging from 1924 until shortly before his death in 1978. During this time, he redefined the role of violin playing and introduced the violin as a serious jazz instrument.

Venuti spent time in the early 1900s playing in the James Campbell School Orchestra in the violin section. It was there that he first met and befriended Salvatore Massaro, who was also playing in the violin section of the orchestra. During this time they were also experimenting with jazz and blues in addition to classical playing.

In 1924 he moved to Detroit to join Jean Goldkette’s band, and began playing with the Book Cadillac Hotel Orchestra, one of Jean Goldkette’s dance bands. It was here that he made his first recordings with Goldkette’s big band. By the summer of 1925, he had moved to Atlantic City briefly to play with Bert Estlow’s band before settling in New York. Here, he once again encountered Massaro, who had changed his name to Eddie Lang. Lang had also switched instruments from the violin to the guitar. The two friends struck up a professional partnership which was to last until Lang’s untimely death in 1933. They began playing with Roger Wolfe Kahn’s dance orchestras in addition to playing in Broadway pit orchestra’s to support themselves.

From 1926-1928, the Venuti and Lang duo were recording with most of the prominent jazz musicians of the day, including Goldkette (1926–27), Red Nichols (1927–28), Bix Beiderbecke (1927), Adrian Rollini (1927) and Frankie Trumbauer (1927). Between 1927 and 1929 Lang and Venuti were leading bands and performing in Atlantic City. Venuti then moved back to New York in 1929 to play with Paul Whiteman’s orchestra from 1929 to 1931. He also appeared in the film "The King of Jazz" (1930) with the band. From the period of 1931-1933, Venuti recorded again with Eddie Lang, Bix Beiderbecke and Frankie Trumbauer. The most famous recording of Venuti’s career was also produced during this time: his October 22, 1931 recording with Joe Venuti-Eddie Lang and their All Star orchestra. This session also included Benny Goodman and Jack Teagarden. Both Venuti and Lang rejoined Roger Wolfe Kahns’ orchestra in 1932 and played and recorded with him until Eddie Lang’s death in 1933.

Following Eddie Lang’s death, Venuti conducted a tour of Europe and the UK. During this period he also alternated from violin to guitar, varying from his almost strictly violin approach formerly. Upon returning to the US in 1935, he formed a big band and worked as its leader. During this time he also composed most of his original arrangements. Venuti was less successful as a big band leader than as a soloist, and the band folded in 1943.

After this period, Venuti transitioned from being in a position of relative prominence to one of ignominy. Venuti moved to California in 1944 to become a studio musician with MGM, in addition to playing with other film and radio studios. He also appeared regularly on Bing Crosby’s radio show during this time. Later, Venuti returned to a small group format and continued to play and record in and around Los Angeles, while touring frequently. In 1953 he conducted another tour of Europe, and in 1963 a tour of Seattle.

Throughout much of the 1950s Venuti made records and played at clubs. This was the beginning of about a 15 year lull in Venuti’s career. In the early 1960s Venuti was mostly inactive due to his development of alcoholism. The late 1960s marked a revival in his career. In 1967 he was invited to perform at Dick Gibson’s Colorado Jazz Party, and was such a success that he would be asked to repeat his performances annually until his death in 1978. In 1968 he was also invited to the Newport Jazz Festival, and in 1969 he performed at the London Jazz Expo.

During the 1970s, at the end of his life, Venuti toured extensively in Europe with a small ensemble. During this time he made his final recordings with names such as Earl Hines, George Barnes, Ross Tompkins, Dave McKenna, Marian McPartland, Scott Hamilton, Leon Redbone, and most notably Zoot Sims. Venuti continued to tour and play until his death in 1978.