Music and Family

This blog will be a little different from the norm because this time, the assignment was to interview one of our family members about their experiences in music. So let's dive on in.

I decided to interview my grandmother on my mom's side, Billie, for this assignment. I knew a little about the environment in which she grew up in, but I wanted to know more. I never knew my great-grandfather, but I did know my great-grandmother and she loved music (specifically jazz) and had all these different art pieces of jazz musicians around her house including this little piano phone that I was intrigued by as a little kid and still have to this day. So needless to say, I was excited about learning more from my grandma.

My grandmother grew up in Clairton, Pennsylvania, right outside Pittsburgh, in a neighborhood of Italians (my great-grandfather was full Italian). The men loved to play jazz, and often played in the local night spots. Her father, my great-grandfather Bill Carrozza, played bass fiddle in these night spots after coming home from his day job, as another source of income for the family. This meant that she grew up listening to jazz musicians such as Count Bassie, Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, Dizzy Gillespie, and Louis Armstrong. These LP's could be heard from all around the house because "Mother liked the volume loud." She didn't play any instruments growing up, except for half hour piano lessons once a week, but her brother played drums in a band that practiced in their basement. Music was very important to their family, and it was used for any task or party, and everything in between.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPBnxG1Lirs

Bill performed with Flo Cassinelli, a well know saxophone player in the Pittsburgh area. They were longtime friends and played together in a band known as the Cassinelli Brothers in the 40's with Flo's brother Valentino. The families would get together all the time to eat, play, and socialize. My grandmother still keeps in contact with his daughter and they're still good friends. Sadly, the only recording on YouTube I can find is this one from '77, and my grandmother didn't have any digital ones on hand, but she was able to provide a couple pictures of Flo and my great-grandfather!

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Flo Cassinelli (left) and my great-grandfather Bill Carrozza on a very small piano which was apparently brought back from Japan when Flo was stationed there.

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The Cassinelli Brothers: Flo (left on saxophone), Valentino ( right on guitar), and Bill Carrozza behind them on double bass (bass fiddle). Photo taken by my great-grandmother.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrHZCmVQnNA

Even though her parents loved jazz, my teenage grandmother preferred the rock 'n roll of the late 50's and early 60's, listening to groups like the Five Satins, the Drifters, and the Four Seasons. She would listen to these artists on the TV, radio, and 45s on her record player (so much so that she wore them out). When asked what song described her life, she said "Story of My Life" by Marty Robbins (1957), because it reminds her of her life with my granddad.

Even though her preferences have changed over the years, she is still able to appreciate and enjoy listening to jazz music as an adult, as well as many other types of music such as movie soundtracks, Broadway, some opera, and instrumental Spanish guitar. Jazz, however, still reminds her of those days in Clairton: her dad playing the bass fiddle, piano, or guitar, or her mother playing jazz LP's.