1904
Born
in Sicily, Grotte near Agrigento, at midnight on April 7.
1919
In New York, playing the Banjo in "Barber
shop" trio.
1921
In his
first group
: "The Aurora Troubadours", at the guitar.
1922
RKO
Circuit Tour
1924-1932
With the Ted Navarre Band
1932-1935
Discovered by the violinist Al Dufy
, the NBC
invites
him for an audition and joins the Radio City
Music Hall orchestra as
lead guitar
, Erno Rapee and Charles Previn directors.
Takes part in NBC
and CBS's broadcasts,
also in duet with violinist Al Dufy.
Composes and teaches for Paramount
.
Tour with Vincent Lopez Orchestra.
Publishes with Al Rocky
acquiring international acknowledgments.
Recordings in duet with Karl Kress
.
1936-1941
Opens the Volpe's Guitar Center
, a meeting point for musicians in New York, frequented, among others,
by Tony Mottola, Sal Salvador, Al Caiola.
Founded a musical publishing house (Volpe
Music Company).
1945
Voted "World's Greatest Jazz Guitarist"
by W.E.V.D. N.Y.
1946
Meeting with Django Reinhardt
, in New York for the Duke Ellington tour, guest at Volpe's. All night
long they are involved in a memorable
jam session
.
1948-1953
Makes the music and plays at the prizewinner "The time of the Cuckoo"
at the Empire Theater, Broadway
, with his quartet; actress
Shirley Booth
and Geraldine Brooks
.
Conducts the Pan-American Orchestra in SESAC-Columbia
recordings.
From the department of the state of Washington
he becomes the candidate for the "American Specialist" in the musical
field for a cultural exchange program.
Because of law questions
, concerning the separation from his wife, he loses the SESAC royalties
(registered by his wife so as the Volpe Music Company), is forced to reduce
the scale of his production center and (perhaps a "daring" solution of
his lawyer!) goes to jail. There the editor Charles Colin helped him acquiring
and selling books and all the press machines of the Volpe's center.
Goes out from jail, and recuperates in Florida
where he forms a trio and solves his questions by resorting to the
law. He settles in Miami.
Some TV shows and jazz
clubs concerts
while devotes himself to teaching at the Frost
Conservatory. Among his most famous pupils,
here and at New York: Sal Salvador, Al Caiola, Tony Mottola,Joe Pass,
John Colens, Johnny Smith. Publications with Charles
Hansen.
1955-1960
With Rasha Rodell signs a contract for top shows
at the Eden Rock Hotel,Miami Beach, where
he plays with Nat King Cole, Ella Fitzgerald,
Cab Calloway
, Count Basie, Perry Como, Jimmie Durante.
In trio, a week, with Arthur Godfrey in a TV showaired coast to coast.
1960-1995
Goes on publishing
with Charles Hansen and taking part to the
David Williams Hotel' exhibitions at Coral Gables
.