Episode #122 Sal Cracchiolo (and Rachel Niendorf)

This episode of The Other Side of the Bell, featuring trumpeter, Sal Cracchiolo, is brought to you by Bob Reeves Brass. Tickets for the Youth Trumpet Scholars Trumpet Trilogy can be purchased here.

About Sal Cracchiolo:

Salvator William Cracchiolo II was born in Long Beach, California as the son of two talented music teachers.  His father, Sal Cracchiolo I, owned a music studio where he taught piano and played professional accordion.  His mother, Edith, was his first trumpet teacher and started Sal on trumpet at the age of 12.  He played in concert, marching and jazz band in high school.  By his Junior and Senior year of High School, he was attending Cerritos College playing in their jazz and concert bands.

He started working as a professional musician at 15 in nightclubs with various R & B and Latin bands.   In 1975 he started a long musical friendship with Poncho Sanchez, which ultimately let to 18 albums.  Between working with Poncho, in the 1980s, he was a member of the Pasadena City College Big Band under the direction of saxophonist, Gary Foster.  While in this band, Sal played with such jazz greats as Warren Marsh, Lee Konitz, and Peter Erskine.

In the late-80s, Poncho traveled internationally.  Since then, with Poncho and other acts, Sal has traveled to 45 countries globally.  With Poncho, he has played and recorded with Dizzy Gillespie, Freddie Hubbard, Cal Tjader, Chick Corea, Stanley Turentine, Tito Puente, Mongo Santamaria, Clare Fischer, Gary Foster, Arturo Sandoval, Eddie Harris, Joey DeFrancesco, Dianne Reeves, Justo Almario, Andy Martin, Celia Cruz and Pete Escovedo.  He performed for and with these artists at the Monterey, Playboy, Concord, and Nice Jazz Festivals plus many others throughout the U.S., Europe, Canada, Mexico, South America, Thailand and Japan.

He has also done worldwide tours with such artists as Tom Jones, Vicki Carr, Harry Connick and Brian Setzer.

He was with the Clayton/ Hamilton Jazz Orchestra and has played with them since 2003. The CHJO has been rated as the #1 Big Band in the USA by Downbeat Magazine from 2007 to 2010.  He also performing with his own sextet featuring his wife, Melanie Jackson, on vocals  In 2001 “Fly” was nominated for a Latin Grammy. He has performed on the latest albums of Michael Buble, Gladys Knight, Joss Stone, Jamiroquoi, and Dr. Dre and on various sountracks for HBO.

In 2001,  their CD, “Fly”, was nominated for a Latin Grammy.  In 2002 they performed at the Du Maurier Vancouver International Jazz Festival.  In 2003 they will be performing for the warm-up for the Playboy Jazz Festival. In 2004 through 2006  Sal and Melanie’s sextet was sponsored by the California Arts Council.