Tony Mottola should not be confused with Tommy Mottola.
| Tony Mottola | |
| Background: | non-vocal instrumentalist |
| Birth Name: | Anthony C. Mottola |
| Birth Date: | 18 April 1918 |
| Birth Place: | Kearny, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Death Place: | Denville, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Genre: | Jazz |
| Occupation: | Musician |
| Years Active: | 1936–1988 |
| Instrument: | Guitar |
| Label: | Command, Project 3 |
| Associated Acts: | The Tonight Show orchestra, Frank Sinatra, Perry Como |
Anthony C. "Tony" Mottola (April 18, 1918 - August 9, 2004) was an American jazz guitarist who released dozens of solo albums. Mottola was born in Kearny, New Jersey and died in Denville.
Like many of his contemporaries, Mottola began learning to play the banjo, but then took up the guitar. He had his first guitar lessons from his father. He toured with an orchestra led by George Hall in 1936, marking the beginning of his professional life.[1]
Mottola's first recordings were duets with the guitarist Carl Kress.[2] [3] By the age of only twenty-one, he was recruited by Kress to serve as a staff guitarist at the CBS Radio network.[4] During his tenure with the network he founded the "Tony Mottola Trio" which was featured on Johnny Desmond's show "Face the Music".[1] [5] In 1945, he also collaborated with the accordionist John Serry Sr. in a recording of "Leone Jump" for Sonora Records (MS-476-3) which was played in jukeboxes throughout the U.S.[6] [7] [8] [9] [10] In 1946, he also joined forces with Serry and other members of the Joe Biviano Accordion and Rhythm Sextette in a recording for Sonora Records which included Tom Delaney's composition Jazz Me Blues ("Accordion Capers", MS-476).[9] Subsequently in 1948, Mottola's trio collaborated with Carole Coleman and Danny Daniels on the CBS program "Make Mine Music".[11] During his tenure at CBS Mottola also collaborated with Sidney Lumet, Paddy Chayevsky, John Frankenheimer, and Rod Serling.[1]