Joe Tarto

Joe Tarto (February 22, 1902 - August 24, 1986) was an American jazz tubist and bassist.

Tarto (born Vincent Joseph Tortoriello) played trombone from age 12 before settling on tuba as a teenager. He played in an Army band in World War I, where he was wounded, and received his release in 1919. In the 1920s he worked with Cliff Edwards, Paul Specht, Sam Lanin, and Vincent Lopez, in addition to doing arrangement work for Fletcher Henderson and Chick Webb and playing in pit orchestras on Broadway. He also recorded copiously throughout the 1920s, accompanying musicians including Bing Crosby, The Boswell Sisters, Ethel Waters, Eddie Lang, Joe Venuti, Miff Mole, Red Nichols, The Dorsey Brothers, Bix Beiderbecke, and Phil Napoleon.

In the 1930s he spent to years playing with Roger Wolfe Kahn, then worked extensively as a session musician both on tuba and double bass. He also played with radio ensembles and in theater and symphony orchestras. He remained active as a performer into the 1980s, playing in Dixieland jazz revival groups in his last years.

Birth and Death Data: Born February 22, 1902 (Newark), Died August 24, 1986 (Morristown)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1926 - 1946

Roles Represented in DAHR: string bass, composer, tuba

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 26-30 of 30 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Brunswick E4503-E4505 10-in. 2/3/1927 White ghost shivers Royal Flush Orchestra ; Fess Williams Jazz/dance band composer  
Decca 63230 10-in. 1/31/1938 Marie, ah Marie Al Duffy Four instrumentalist, string bass  
Decca 63231 10-in. 1/31/1938 Funiculi, funicula Al Duffy Four instrumentalist, string bass  
Decca 63232 10-in. 1/31/1938 Ciribiribin Al Duffy Four instrumentalist, string bass  
Decca 63233 10-in. 1/31/1938 La Espagnola Al Duffy Four instrumentalist, string bass  
(Results 26-30 of 30 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Tarto, Joe," accessed November 25, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/210013.

Tarto, Joe. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 25, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/210013.

"Tarto, Joe." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 25 November 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/210013

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