Frank Signorelli

Frank Signorelli was an important player behind the scenes as an organizer and an accompanying pianist with several notable bands. In 1917, with Phil Napoleon, he was a founding member of the Original Memphis Five. He recorded extensively with that prolific group through 1931. Signorelli was briefly a member of the Original Dixieland Jazz Band in 1921, and in 1927, he was in Adrian Rollini's legendary (if short-lived) New Yorker group. Signorelli appeared on many classic records with Bix Beiderbecke, Frankie Trumbauer, Joe Venuti, and Eddie Lang during the era, plus on a countless number with dance bands and backing commercial singers. He played with a newer version of the Original Dixieland Jazz Band (1936-1938), worked with Paul Whiteman for a few months in 1938, and played regularly during the '40s and '50s (including at Nick's with Bobby Hackett) and helped organize the revived Original Memphis Five. Frank Signorelli, who composed "I'll Never Be The Same," "Stairway to the Stars," and "A Blues Serenade" in the '30s, only led three obscure record dates in his career: four titles in 1926, four more from 1946 with a quintet that included Phil Napoleon, and two songs for Stinson in 1950 backing singer Art Gentry. He recorded as a sideman as late as 1958 (with Miff Mole). ~ Scott Yanow, Rovi