Pete Jolly (born Peter A. Ceragioli Jr., June 5, 1932 – November 6, 2004) was a two-time Grammy-nominated American West Coast jazz pianist and accordionist. He is known for his performance of television themes and movie soundtracks.

Biography

Jolly began playing the accordion at age three and appeared on the radio program Hobby Lobby at the age of seven. He was raised in Phoenix, Arizona, a hotbed of jazz at the time. One of his best friends and collaborators in Phoenix was guitarist Howard Roberts, whom he met at the age of 13. Following Roberts to Los Angeles in 1952, he immediately began working with the best players on the West Coast jazz scene, including Shorty Rogers. He moved easily into studio and session work. Besides his performances as a pianist, he also played the accordion. His composition "Little Bird" (a minor hit on Fred Astaire's Ava Records) was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1963, and he formed the Pete Jolly Trio in 1964. With the Trio and as a solo artist, he recorded several albums, including earning a Grammy nomination for Best Instrumental Jazz Performance – Small Group or Soloist with Small Group. One of the last albums was a collaboration—aptly entitled Collaboration—with Jan Lundgren, Chuck Berghofer, and Joe LaBarbera in 2000. His final album, It's a Cool Heat, was recorded in Phoenix in May 2004 shortly before his death. He worked with Buddy DeFranco, Art Pepper, and Red Norvo, and for many years with music arranger and director Ray Conniff and Herb Alpert, recording on Alpert's record label, A&M as both sideman and leader. Jolly's music can be heard on television programs such as Get Smart, The Love Boat, I Spy, Mannix, M and Dallas, as well as hundreds of movie soundtracks. He recreated some of Bud Powell's playing with Charlie Parker for Clint Eastwood's biographical movie about Parker, Bird. By day, Jolly worked in the studios; by night, with his trio. He continued to perform with his trio in Los Angeles jazz clubs until shortly before being hospitalized in August 2004. His final public performance with his trio was in Reno, Nevada. Jolly died at the age of 72 in November 2004 in Pasadena, California, from complications of multiple myeloma. He is buried at San Gabriel Cemetery in San Gabriel, California.

Reception

The Pete Jolly Trio had only one bassist, Chuck Berghofer, and one drummer, Nick Martinis. Berghofer later said, "In all that time, Pete never once told me how to play or what to play."

Discography

As leader/co-leader

Compilations

As sideman

With Elmer Bernstein With Kenny Burrell With Buddy Collette With Jerry Donato With Joni James With J. J. Johnson With Quincy Jones With Johnny Mandel With Gerry Mulligan With Jack Nitzsche With Shorty Rogers With Tom Waits