Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

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CAIOLA, Al

(b Alexander Emil Caiola, 7 September 1920, Jersey City NJ; d 9 November 2016, Allendale NJ) Guitarist and studio stalwart who could and did play anything. In the early 1930s he played on WAAT in Jersey City at the same time as guitarists Tony Mottola and Al Viola, Mottola's future wife Mitzi, a singer, and Frank Sinatra, all being paid only carfare, each chasing a dream of a life in music. Caiola was still playing as well as ever in 2012.

He played in the United States Marine Band and was a stretcher bearer on Iwo Jima. His singles on RCA included a version of the international hit 'Delicado' (Percy Faith had the no. 1, '52). Caiola made quintet LPs on Savoy Deep In A Dream and Serenade in Blue '55 with Hank Jones and Kenny Clarke. He worked with Hugo Winterhalter, Faith, Andre Kostelanetz and many others; the list of hit singles by Eddie Fisher, Bobby Darin, the Four Lads, Paul Anka and many others he played on is quite incredible: a Wikipedia entry is here. One of his best-known album projects is Open Fire, Two Guitars, an intimate Johnny Mathis album from 1958 with Mattola the other guitarist. Then on United Artists Caiola's recordings of themes from the film Magnificent Seven and TV series Bonanza were chart hits '61, and he briefly had his own TV show. A CD called Soft Picks on Bainbridge compiled 16 tracks from the early '60s studio dates with Caiola, Mottola and Bucky Pizzarelli. He was married to Rosalie for 69 years.