Sammy Nestico facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sammy Nestico
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Nestico in 2006
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Samuel Louis Nistico |
| Born | February 6, 1924 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | January 17, 2021 (aged 96) Carlsbad, California, U.S. |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Composer, arranger |
| Associated acts | Count Basie |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Service/ |
 United States Army United States Air Force United States Marine Corps |
| Years of service | 1942–1947, 1951–1963, 1963-67 |
| Unit | U.S. Army Combat Engineers United States Air Force Band United States Marine Band |
Sammy Nestico (born Samuel Louis Nistico on February 6, 1924, died January 17, 2021) was an amazing American musician. He was a composer, which means he wrote music, and an arranger, which means he took existing songs and changed them to sound new and exciting. Sammy Nestico became famous for his work with the legendary Count Basie orchestra, creating many of their most popular sounds.
Contents
Sammy's Early Life and Music
Samuel Luigi Nistico was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on February 6, 1924. His father, Luigi, was an immigrant from Italy who worked on the railroad. As a child, Sammy changed his name to Samuel Louis Nestico.
In 1937, Sammy joined his high school orchestra. He played the trombone. Just two years later, in 1939, he wrote his very first musical arrangement. When he was 17, Sammy started working as a trombonist for the ABC radio station WCAE in Pittsburgh. After serving in the military, he went to Duquesne University to study music education. The university later gave him an honorary music degree and a special award for being a distinguished former student.
A Career in Music
Sammy Nestico had a long and successful career in music. He worked with many famous musicians and even served in the military.
Music in the Military
During World War II, Sammy joined the United States Army and served for five years. After finishing his degree, he returned to the military. From 1950 to 1963, he arranged music for the United States Air Force Band. He also led the Glenn Miller Army Air Corps dance band, which later became known as the Airmen of Note.
In 1963, Sammy joined the Marines. He became the director and arranger for the United States Marine Band. He worked under Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson.
Working with Count Basie
After leaving the military, Sammy became a freelance arranger. This meant he worked for different people and projects. In 1967, he started working with the famous jazz bandleader Count Basie. Sammy wrote and arranged all the music for Basie's 1968 album, Basie Straight Ahead.
Sammy continued to create arrangements for Count Basie until Basie's death in 1984. Four of the albums they worked on together won Grammy Awards!
Other Famous Collaborations
Sammy Nestico worked with many other incredible musicians and singers. He composed, arranged, or conducted albums for stars like Quincy Jones, Phil Collins, Barbra Streisand, Michael Buble, Natalie Cole, Sarah Vaughan, Frank Sinatra, and Bing Crosby.
He also played the trombone in big bands led by Tommy Dorsey, Woody Herman, Gene Krupa, and Charlie Barnet. Sammy even conducted and recorded his arrangements with big jazz orchestras in Europe, like the BBC Big Band in London. He also worked with the Boston Pops Orchestra in America.
Music for TV and Movies
Sammy Nestico also had a long career in film and television. He worked as an orchestrator for almost 70 TV shows. These included popular shows like Mission: Impossible, Mannix, M*A*S*H, and Charlie's Angels.
He also arranged music for the 81st Academy Awards (the Oscars) and some Grammy Awards shows. Sammy worked as an orchestrator and arranger for the movie The Color Purple. He even composed music for commercials for big companies like Ford and Mattel Toys.
Solo Albums and Awards
In 1982, Sammy Nestico started releasing his own albums. His first solo album was called Dark Orchid. His solo albums earned him four Grammy Award nominations. These were in addition to the awards he won with Count Basie. He was nominated for his album This Is The Moment in 2002, and again for his album Fun Time in 2009. In 2016, he was nominated for his arrangement "Good 'Swing' Wenceslas."
Teaching Music
Sammy Nestico also loved teaching music. From 1998 to 1999, he taught at the University of Georgia. He taught students how to arrange music and conducted the school's studio orchestra. After that, he retired to Carlsbad, California. He also directed music programs at other schools, including Los Angeles Pierce College.
Sammy wrote hundreds of arrangements for school bands and jazz bands. He also wrote many books, including The Complete Arranger, which helps people learn how to arrange music. His autobiography, The Gift of Music, tells his life story. At the time of his death, a documentary film about him called Shadow Man: The Sammy Nestico Story was being made.
Personal Life
Sammy Nestico married his second wife, Shirley, in 1995. They were married until he passed away. He had three sons from his first marriage. Sammy Nestico died in Carlsbad, California, on January 17, 2021, at the age of 96. He was given a military burial later that year.
Honors and Awards
Sammy Nestico received many honors for his amazing contributions to music. He received honorary Doctor of Music degrees from Duquesne University and Shenandoah University. Duquesne University also gave him a distinguished alumni award and inducted him into their "Century Club."
He received awards from North Texas State University in 1978, 1979, and 1980. He was also honored by the American Society of Music Arrangers and Composers (ASMAC) and the Big Band Academy of America. The Airmen of Note, a top jazz group from the U.S. Air Force, even has an annual competition named after him. It's called the "Sammy Nestico Award" and it's for composers and arrangers of big band music.
Discography
This is a list of some of the albums Sammy Nestico worked on.
As a Solo Artist
- 1982 Dark Orchid
- 1986 Night Flight
- 1998 Big Band Favorites of Sammy Nestico
- 2000 Sammy Nestico – For You to Play
- 2000 Basie & Beyond (with The Quincy Jones-Sammy Nestico Orchestra)
- 2002 This is the Moment
- 2005 No Time Like the Present
- 2005 Basie Cally Sammy: The Music of Count Basie and Sammy Nestico
- 2009 Sammy Nestico, Vol. 3: Fun Time
- 2011 Fun Time & More Live
- 2012 On the Sammy Side of the Street
- 2017 A Cool Breeze with Sammy Nestico (with the SWR Big Band)
As an Arranger
With Count Basie
- Basie Straight Ahead (1968)
- Standing Ovation (1969)
- Have a Nice Day (1971)
- Bing 'n' Basie (1972)
- Basie Big Band (1975)
- Prime Time (1977)
- Warm Breeze (1981)
- 88 Basie Street (1983)
- Fancy Pants (1983)
With Frank Sinatra
- Songs like "It's All Right With Me" and "Stormy Weather" on L.A. Is My Lady (1984)
With Sarah Vaughan
- Send in the Clowns (1981)
