Tony Cennamo
Encyclopedia
Tony Cennamo was for 25 years a jazz
disc jockey
on Boston University
's WBUR
.
When he had a morning show in the 1970s and 1980s he began his show with Oliver Nelson
's Stolen Moments
.
Cennamo was born in Brooklyn
, New York
, the firstborn to Louis Cennamo and Marie (Esposito) Cennamo. Cennamo started his radio career as producer of a talk radio show at WCBS
. He was also the program director at the old WCAS (AM). In the early 1960's Tony worked as a disc Jockey at KOIL-FM in Omaha, Nebraska. On weekends he headed up a popular Omaha jazz quartet known as 'Tony Cennamo and the Jazz-All-Stars.' In 1986 he represented the city of Boston in an exchange program with Melbourne, Australia to lecture about jazz history and appear on radio programs (Emerson Beacon, Winter 1989). A tribute was given to him at Berklee Performance Center
in September 1997 to honor his quarter century at WBUR. Sissy Smith, James Williams, Tony Zano, Phil Wilson, and Rebecca Parris were the headliners at this event. (Boston Herald, Thursday, September 25, 1997. Arts and Lifestyles.)
In 1977 Cennamo received the Boston Jazz Society's Man of the Year. He also taught Jazz History at Emerson College
.
In 1986 Cennamo suffered a stroke
. After an absence of a few months he was back on the air (WBUR) for another eleven years, with his son James producing and engineering. Tony helped a lot of Boston Jazz musicians, always ready to offer them support and airplay.
Cennamo died on June 8, 2010 at the Glen Ridge Nursing Care Center in Malden
, Massachusetts
.
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
disc jockey
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
on Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
's WBUR
WBUR
WBUR refers to two radio stations in Massachusetts, WBUR AM and FM, both owned by Boston University. WBUR is the largest of three NPR member stations in Boston, Massachusetts, along with WGBH and WUMB-FM, and the only one to focus exclusively on news and talk...
.
When he had a morning show in the 1970s and 1980s he began his show with Oliver Nelson
Oliver Nelson
Oliver Edward Nelson was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, arranger and composer.-Early life and career:...
's Stolen Moments
Stolen Moments (song)
"Stolen Moments" is a jazz standard composed by Oliver Nelson. It is a sixteen-bar piece , though the solos are on a conventional minor key 12 bar blues structure....
.
Cennamo was born in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, the firstborn to Louis Cennamo and Marie (Esposito) Cennamo. Cennamo started his radio career as producer of a talk radio show at WCBS
WCBS (AM)
WCBS , often referred to as "WCBS Newsradio 880" , is a radio station in New York City. Owned by CBS Radio, the station broadcasts on a clear channel and is the flagship station of the CBS Radio Network...
. He was also the program director at the old WCAS (AM). In the early 1960's Tony worked as a disc Jockey at KOIL-FM in Omaha, Nebraska. On weekends he headed up a popular Omaha jazz quartet known as 'Tony Cennamo and the Jazz-All-Stars.' In 1986 he represented the city of Boston in an exchange program with Melbourne, Australia to lecture about jazz history and appear on radio programs (Emerson Beacon, Winter 1989). A tribute was given to him at Berklee Performance Center
Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music, located in Boston, Massachusetts, is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known primarily as a school for jazz, rock and popular music, it also offers college-level courses in a wide range of contemporary and historic styles, including hip...
in September 1997 to honor his quarter century at WBUR. Sissy Smith, James Williams, Tony Zano, Phil Wilson, and Rebecca Parris were the headliners at this event. (Boston Herald, Thursday, September 25, 1997. Arts and Lifestyles.)
In 1977 Cennamo received the Boston Jazz Society's Man of the Year. He also taught Jazz History at Emerson College
Emerson College
Emerson College is a private coeducational university located in Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1880 by Charles Wesley Emerson as a "school of oratory," Emerson is "the only comprehensive college or university in America dedicated exclusively to communication and the arts in a liberal arts...
.
In 1986 Cennamo suffered a stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
. After an absence of a few months he was back on the air (WBUR) for another eleven years, with his son James producing and engineering. Tony helped a lot of Boston Jazz musicians, always ready to offer them support and airplay.
Cennamo died on June 8, 2010 at the Glen Ridge Nursing Care Center in Malden
Malden, Massachusetts
Malden is a suburban city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 59,450 at the 2010 census. In 2009 Malden was ranked as the "Best Place to Raise Your Kids" in Massachusetts by Bloomberg Businessweek Magazine.-History:...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
.