Torrie Zito

Salvatore "Torrie" Zito (October 12, 1933 – December 3, 2009) was an American pianist, music arranger, composer and conductor.

He worked with many recording artists of note, including Billie Holiday, Stan Getz, Perry Como, Billy Eckstine, Herbie Mann, Steve Lawrence, Eydie Gormé, Nana Mouskouri, Bobby Short, Marvin Hamlisch, Roberto Carlos, Sinéad O'Connor, Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, Bobby Darin, Morgana King, Johnny Mathis, Clay Aiken, Liza Minnelli, Morgana King, O. C. Smith, Luis Alberto Spinetta, Quincy Jones, and Carly Simon.

Zito, however, is most widely known for his hugely popular work with John Lennon on the classic album Imagine, as string arranger.[1]

He also wrote advertising jingles, including a famous one for Maxwell House, and background music for many television programmes.[2]

He worked closely with singer Tony Bennett for many years and his work features on Bennett's Grammy-nominated 2008 album, A Swingin' Christmas.

In 1964 Torrie did the arrangements for the backing music for an album by Morgana King. Those with a good ear might like to compare the voicing of the first few bars of Torrie's arrangement of the track All Blues with that of the first few bars of Symphony No. 11 by Shostakovich. They are remarkably similar, and, in my view, are a hint by Torrie that long sections of the symphony are variations on All Blues. Helen Merrill confirms that Torrie was very interested in the music of Shostakovich.

A New York City resident, Torrie Zito was married to his second wife singer Helen Merrill, with whom he recorded several albums. He had one daughter, Lisa Zito, from his first marriage and a stepson, Alan Merrill. His brother is the drummer Ronnie Zito.

Zito died from emphysema on December 3, 2009 at his home in Manhattan, according to Alan Merrill.[3]

See also

References

  1. ↑ http://www.contactmusic.com/news.nsf/story/lennons-imagine-orchestrator-zito-dies_1124994
  2. ↑ http://www.uticaod.com/breaking/x1355826459/Utica-native-Torrie-Zito-arranger-for-music-greats-dies-at-76
  3. ↑ William Grimes, Torrie Zito, Pianist and Arranger, Is Dead at 76 The New York Times. Retrieved on December 18, 2009.

External links


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