Norman Amadio
Encyclopedia
Albert Norman Benedict "Norm" Amadio (April 14, 1928 in Timmins
, Ontario
) is a piano teacher, music coach, composer
, arranger
, session player, band leader, jazz pianist and accompanist. For a span of fifty years he worked for the CBC
as an orchestra leader and musical director for many TV series. In 1954, he became the first Canadian to play at Birdland
.
In 1943, he performed at a Victory Bond concert with Gracie Fields
, and was asked to travel on a Canadian tour; his parents denied him permission because of his age. Norman eventually left Timmins for Toronto when he was 17 to continue studying music with Boris Berlin
at the Royal Conservatory. He played jazz after hours, influenced by the Be-bop pianists. Subsequently Amadio was influential in starting the music scene in Toronto
, attracting many jazz greats from Canada and the US to sit in with him.
Amadio's musical career went on to include a great deal of studio work and close to a hundred CD recordings for various Canadian artists such as Moe Koffman
, Ray Back with the Ed Sullivan Orchestra, The Tommy Ambrose Orchestra, Phyllis Marshall, Don (D.T.) Thompson and most recently with Guido Basso
, Marc Jordan
, and many more.
For a span of fifty years he worked for the CBC
as an orchestra leader and musical director for many TV series including Hit Parade 1953-1957, The Tommy Ambrose Show 1956-57, Wayne & Shuster, Take 30 in 1961, Swing Gently, Music Hop 1963-1967, and Down Home Country, and TV specials with Jane Eastwood, Kenny Rogers, Robert Goulet, Mel Tormé, Al Hirt, Buddy Rich, Maynard Ferguson, Henry Mancini, Nelson Riddle to name only a few. Norman Amadio also performed a 2 hour special live-broadcast in the CBC Special: 100 Years of Canada with the 40-piece Norman Amadio Orchestra.
Then with his trio, the Norman Amadio Trio, he worked at the Old Town Tavern for fifteen years. Word traveled to the United States about Norman's playing and American superstars in jazz began to flock to Toronto to work with him. Some of the American jazz stars who came to work with Norman's Trio in Canada included: Stan Getz, Coleman Hawkins, Zoot Sims, Ben Webster, Lester Young, Chet Baker, Anita O'Day, Bud Johnson, Sonny Stitt, Miles Davis, Carmen MacRae, Joe Williams, Carol Sloane, Dinah Washington, Red Mitchell, Phip Phillips, Maxine Sullivan, Irene Krall and Lee Konitz.
Later with the Norman Amadio Orchestra, he backed Broadway and Las Vegas Stars at the Royal York Hotel's Imperial Room between 1987 to 1990 including Bobby Darrin, The Drifters, The Coasters, The Inkspots, Phyllis Diller, Eddie Fisher and the list goes on. At the O'keefe Centre Norman worked with names like Judy Garland, Paul Anka, Englebert Humperdinck, Red Skelton, The Supremes and Bob Hope. He also worked with people like Milton Berle, Jackie Mason, Phil foster, The Smothers Brothers and Steve Lawrence at other venues.
The list of Canadian musicians and vocalists Norman Amadio has worked with is too long to mention, but some musicians include Rob McConnell, Ed Bickert, Haygood Hardy, Jerry Fuller, Don Vickery, Bob Schilling, Bob Price, Alex Lazaroff, Moe Koffman, Ed Bickert, Neil Swainson, George Koller, Reg Schwager, Steve Wallace, Bill Mulhal and Phil Dwyer.
Timmins
Timmins is a city in northeastern Ontario, Canada on the Mattagami River. At the time of the Canada 2006 Census, Timmins' population was 42,997...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
) is a piano teacher, music coach, composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, arranger
Arranger
In investment banking, an arranger is a provider of funds in the syndication of a debt. They are entitled to syndicate the loan or bond issue, and may be referred to as the "lead underwriter". This is because this entity bears the risk of being able to sell the underlying securities/debt or the...
, session player, band leader, jazz pianist and accompanist. For a span of fifty years he worked for the CBC
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
as an orchestra leader and musical director for many TV series. In 1954, he became the first Canadian to play at Birdland
Birdland (jazz club)
Birdland is a jazz club started in New York City on December 15, 1949. The original Birdland, which was located at 1678 Broadway, just north of West 52nd Street in Manhattan, was closed in 1965 due to increased rents, but it re-opened for one night in 1979...
.
In 1943, he performed at a Victory Bond concert with Gracie Fields
Gracie Fields
Dame Gracie Fields, DBE , was an English-born, later Italian-based actress, singer and comedienne and star of both cinema and music hall.-Early life:...
, and was asked to travel on a Canadian tour; his parents denied him permission because of his age. Norman eventually left Timmins for Toronto when he was 17 to continue studying music with Boris Berlin
Boris Berlin
Boris Berlin was a Canadian pianist, music educator, arranger, and composer of Russian birth. He is primarily remembered for his work within the field of piano pedagogy, having published an extensive amount of material in that area and teaching a large number of notable pianists...
at the Royal Conservatory. He played jazz after hours, influenced by the Be-bop pianists. Subsequently Amadio was influential in starting the music scene in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, attracting many jazz greats from Canada and the US to sit in with him.
Amadio's musical career went on to include a great deal of studio work and close to a hundred CD recordings for various Canadian artists such as Moe Koffman
Moe Koffman
Moe Koffman, OC was a Canadian jazz musician and composer. He played the flute, soprano, alto and tenor saxophone and clarinet...
, Ray Back with the Ed Sullivan Orchestra, The Tommy Ambrose Orchestra, Phyllis Marshall, Don (D.T.) Thompson and most recently with Guido Basso
Guido Basso
Guido Basso, CM is a jazz musician from Montreal. He started playing the trumpet when he was nine. Settling in Toronto in 1960, he became a studio trumpeter. He also occasionally played harmonica in-studio. In 1963, he became a music director for CBLT, a post he held until 1967...
, Marc Jordan
Marc Jordan
Marc Jordan , is a Canadian singer-songwriter, record producer, session musician, and actor. Covering a wide variety of genres, he has written songs for a number of well-known artists, including Diana Ross, Rod Stewart, Cher, Bette Midler, and Josh Groban...
, and many more.
For a span of fifty years he worked for the CBC
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
as an orchestra leader and musical director for many TV series including Hit Parade 1953-1957, The Tommy Ambrose Show 1956-57, Wayne & Shuster, Take 30 in 1961, Swing Gently, Music Hop 1963-1967, and Down Home Country, and TV specials with Jane Eastwood, Kenny Rogers, Robert Goulet, Mel Tormé, Al Hirt, Buddy Rich, Maynard Ferguson, Henry Mancini, Nelson Riddle to name only a few. Norman Amadio also performed a 2 hour special live-broadcast in the CBC Special: 100 Years of Canada with the 40-piece Norman Amadio Orchestra.
Then with his trio, the Norman Amadio Trio, he worked at the Old Town Tavern for fifteen years. Word traveled to the United States about Norman's playing and American superstars in jazz began to flock to Toronto to work with him. Some of the American jazz stars who came to work with Norman's Trio in Canada included: Stan Getz, Coleman Hawkins, Zoot Sims, Ben Webster, Lester Young, Chet Baker, Anita O'Day, Bud Johnson, Sonny Stitt, Miles Davis, Carmen MacRae, Joe Williams, Carol Sloane, Dinah Washington, Red Mitchell, Phip Phillips, Maxine Sullivan, Irene Krall and Lee Konitz.
Later with the Norman Amadio Orchestra, he backed Broadway and Las Vegas Stars at the Royal York Hotel's Imperial Room between 1987 to 1990 including Bobby Darrin, The Drifters, The Coasters, The Inkspots, Phyllis Diller, Eddie Fisher and the list goes on. At the O'keefe Centre Norman worked with names like Judy Garland, Paul Anka, Englebert Humperdinck, Red Skelton, The Supremes and Bob Hope. He also worked with people like Milton Berle, Jackie Mason, Phil foster, The Smothers Brothers and Steve Lawrence at other venues.
The list of Canadian musicians and vocalists Norman Amadio has worked with is too long to mention, but some musicians include Rob McConnell, Ed Bickert, Haygood Hardy, Jerry Fuller, Don Vickery, Bob Schilling, Bob Price, Alex Lazaroff, Moe Koffman, Ed Bickert, Neil Swainson, George Koller, Reg Schwager, Steve Wallace, Bill Mulhal and Phil Dwyer.