Anthony C. "Tony" Mottola (April 18, 1918 – August 9, 2004) was an American jazz guitarist who released dozens of solo albums. Mottola was born in Kearny, New Jersey and died in Denville.

Career

Like many of his contemporaries, Mottola began learning to play the banjo, but then took up the guitar. He had his first guitar lessons from his father. He toured with an orchestra led by George Hall in 1936, marking the beginning of his professional life. Mottola's first recordings were duets with the guitarist Carl Kress. By the age of only twenty-one, he was recruited by Kress to serve as a staff guitarist at the CBS Radio network. During his tenure with the network he founded the "Tony Mottola Trio" which was featured on Johnny Desmond's show "Face the Music". In 1945, he also collaborated with the accordionist John Serry Sr. in a recording of "Leone Jump" for Sonora Records (MS-476-3) which was played in jukeboxes throughout the U.S. In 1946, he also joined forces with Serry and other members of the Joe Biviano Accordion and Rhythm Sextette in a recording for Sonora Records which included Tom Delaney's composition Jazz Me Blues ("Accordion Capers", MS-476). Subsequently in 1948, Mottola's trio collaborated with Carole Coleman and Danny Daniels on the CBS program "Make Mine Music". During his tenure at CBS Mottola also collaborated with Sidney Lumet, Paddy Chayevsky, John Frankenheimer, and Rod Serling.

By 1967, he emerged as an executive at the founding of Project 3 Records. His only charted single as a soloist was "This Guy's in Love with You", which reached No. 22 on the Billboard magazine Easy Listening Top 40 in the summer of 1968. During the course of his career, Mottola also emerged as a freelance composer for several luminaries within the world of entertainment including: Rosemary Clooney, Bing Crosby, Burl Ives and Mitch Miller. Mottola worked often on television, appearing as a regular on shows hosted by vocalist Perry Como and comedian Sid Caesar. He was also recruited by a young Yul Brenner to serve as music director for the 1950s series Danger. From 1958 to 1972, he was a member of The Tonight Show Orchestra led by Skitch Henderson, then by Doc Severinsen. He composed music for the TV documentary Two Childhoods, which was about Vice President Hubert Humphrey and writer James Baldwin, and won an Emmy Award for his work. In 1980, Mottola began performing with Frank Sinatra, often in duets, appearing at Carnegie Hall and the White House. He retired from the music business in 1988 but kept playing at home almost every day.

Discography

During the course of his career, Tony Mottola recorded for several labels including Command Records, Project 3 Records, RCA Victor and Sonora Records. His recordings include:

As leader

As sideman

With Ray Charles With Urbie Green With Dick Hyman With Enoch Light With Charles Magnante With Joe Reisman With Doc Severinsen With Frank Sinatra With others