Charles Magnante is my Grandfather. He asked me once what I wanted to when I grew up. I replied "I want to drive a Funny Car". He was puzzled and probably hoped I'd say "play the accordion like you". But I was 8 or 9 and had Mickey Thompson's blue 1970 Mach 1 flip top Funny Car on the brain! Grandfather was a wonderful man. I'm happy the world still appreciates his music.
I hope that your grandfather's extensive open reel library has been archivally preserved onto a more permanent preservation format [even the best quality open reels have a shelf-life of only approx. 30 years - the max. even if stored under optimum climate-controlled conditions. There was much important material recorded in his personal studio - even into the early 1980s - - much experimental, much never commercially issued. [I actually met your grandfather back in 1964 at a Magnante Accordion Workshop, Washington, D.C. @ the Mayflower Hotel].
He was the gold standard of the accordion. A master musician. Buy chance do you have any memorabelia from your grandfather. I know the accordion world would love to see any things he might have saved during his career.
My 9 year old daughter started playing the accordion. I’ve been showing her these videos of the best. She really enjoys watching. She said she found the accordion interesting because not many people play it.
when I was 17 years old I had the honor of playing a concert with Mr Magnante, I am nearing 80 years old and still playing drums with local dance bands
As an 8 year old out of LI School of music got a Third Place ribbon in NYC Waldorf Astoria performing " Waltz Allegro" as orchestrated/written by Charles Magnante...all fingers non stop as I recall,.....he was a great inspiration.......
I wasn't aware there was a duet of Magnante and George playing together. I am both an accordion and organ player and always held both of these guys in the highest esteem as musicians. Sad there aren't more videos available of these old time great musicians. Thanks for sharing.
I was also fortunate enough to be on stage with Magnante,in 1958,when I was eight years old. My accordion teacher had a recital for all his students and Magnante was there as the featured artist. I remember him telling us he practiced up to eight hours a day.
I was 14 years old when I saw him in Boston May 6,1962 at the Hotel Somerset I have his autograph also, this was a big dealwhen you are this young and play the accordion. A group of us from Rosita Lee Accordion School from Lowell Mass got the chance to go and see him perform, it was great. I have some of his music and when you get a chance like this to see him perform it was WOW WOW
Lovin this- the "Les Paul"of accordionists- contemporary-Ha! Beautiful- people were better at what they did then than they are now - the worl of less distraction for sure.
Amazing finding this. Actual film footage of George Wright playing organ. I've always wondered if any film existed! Thanks so much for finding these and posting them online.
I never realized how popular my great grandfather, when my grandfather told me what he did I didnt think much of it, but now I realise how popular he was.
Hey Nick, not sure if you still use this account at all, but I’m learning accordion from your brother i’m assuming? ((Since you’ve said Charles was your great grandfather, and that your grandfather told you of him, I can only assume Dave/Mr.Music is your brother)) I decided to look up some of his grandpa’s actually stuff since I didn’t know the extent to his fame, but I’m so glad I found this! I’ve only seen his pictures in Dave’s office, but it’s awesome to see some actual footage of him! Your dad, grandfather, and great grandfather are all amazing! Now, I’d have to double check with the lineage, and also wether Dave actually has a brother, but it’s really awesome to see one of his family happens to have a youtube account!
Nicholas Magnante Correction, Dave should then be your father, if i’m thinking correctly? Either way, it’s cool to see someone else in the family on here. :-)
Nicholas Magnante You know, I think i’ve actually been thinking of this wrong the whole time. Dave always said Charles was his uncle, so that would make him... another uncle? Agh, this is a bit hard to wrap my head around because i’m not too educated on what kind of family Dave has ((like siblings and whatnot)) but like i said, nice to see a part family contributing their words on here! I’ll be sure to ask him about it today since i’ve got lessons with Dave 👍
In Nazareth,Pa at the high school auditorium.However just to make it clear Magnante played solo. He certainly needed no help from me or any of my accordion teachers students.
Here at RU-vid I see three "movie snuts" of Charles Magnante. I have hear number four in this series - but it`s still on 16 mm film - not converted to DVD..
@tictac21 Thank you. I never would have guessed. Never thought I'd ever see him playing a Hammond organ, either. This is a great video, but I'm suprised that he is not mentioned in the credits. Maybe he wasn't well-known at the time. But, he was a great theater organist--probably the best ever!
This was one of several short films that were available in 1940s "jukebox" style film formats - they were called "Soundies." This example is the clearest, best-sounding Soundie I've ever seen. I once examined a catalog of these Magnante "Soundies" during my 35 year career as an archivist employed in the Motion Picture-Broadcasting-Recorded Sound Division, Library of Congress. I certainly hope everyone understands that Charles Magnante was the accordionist, not the Hammond organist - who was George Wright. Wright recorded several Wurlitzer theater organ recordings during the 1950s-1960s. Magnante was - most likely - the greatest virtuoso - ever on the piano [!] accordion. Began recordings ca. 1928 with a recording made on Edison's thick 1/4 inch Diamond Discs. Continued recording into the late 1960s. I worry about the large open reel tape library that Magnante had at his home in NY. Open reel is a non-perm. format only able to survive for approx. 30 years according to the company spokesmen willing to comment of the expected lifespan of the format.
Sorry,I don't have the score. The recording was done sometime in the nineteen forties probably at the radio station that Charles played on a daily basis.
@tactac21 My cousin Angelo Presti was my teacher for several years after I outgrew group lessons and inherited one of Angelo's Mussi Constellations. He saw what I was about to see and he tried to keep me busy, learning and practicing before I fell thru the window after seeing girls. He knew all these Nunzio, Magnante, Van Damme guys.Rumor hazzit he's the youngest kid in N.Y. to play ON RADIO (Rhapsody in Blue). What I know (music) iz Angelo Presti foundation. He wasn't an ACTOR . HE PLAYED!!
@princess5257 I got these from a person who only had these three I have on youtube. That person passed away years ago. If there are more videos of Charles I have no source to them. Maybe your brother can locate or find out if there are more videos since he is related to Charles. If there are more out there I would enjoy seeing them
Hey Nicholas, Charles is my father's cousin... are we related?????? He is so amazing, right? I am using this to show my 2nd grade music class what a cool instrument this is!
No, Jesse Crawford was the best ever! Then George. Come on, even George would say that. Gymnastics VS art, well that is another subject. This is an awesome video. Curious, are there any George Wright Hammond records out there? I actually took a hiatus from my Hammond for a few years ago because I found that everything sounded the same voice wise The electronic theater organ,w/ the 5 voices opened me up to a new world. Then one day I found a record Jesse Crawford Remembering on Hammond. I'm back
I spent the last four years researching a biography I'm now finishing of George Wright. I found dozens and dozens of tracks of him playing transcription disks with Magnante, as well as a lot of Hammond solos from the Jack Kirkwood show in LA. After the book is finished, I'll be releasing CDs on the BANDA label, which I've acquired. Check out www.GeniusOfGeorgeWright.com Thanks!
His playing is superb.I have learnt from his book but I have a feeling that he lacks expression.I have a feeling that music should be analogue and not digitsl.India.
