Biography
A guitarist whose cool tone, hard-swinging attack, and formidable technique made him an indispensable presence on countless sessions, Al Viola appeared on far more recordings than most listeners ever noticed. During Army service from 1942 to 1945 he played in a jazz ensemble and there met Page Cavanaugh; after both men received their discharges in 1946 they relocated to California and, together with bassist Lloyd Pratt, formed a trio that enjoyed three years of steady popularity. The group performed in several Hollywood productions, among them the film A Song Is Born, and maintained an active recording schedule. On a handful of occasions between 1946 and 1947 the trio backed Frank Sinatra, and although the unit disbanded soon afterward Viola continued to work with the singer intermittently until 1980. His Los Angeles studio career expanded rapidly; he contributed to film scores, television programs, and advertising spots, delivering the notable mandolin lines heard in The Godfather among many other soundtrack assignments. Jazz work kept him alongside Bobby Troup, Ray Anthony, Harry James, Buddy Collette, Stan Kenton, Gerald Wilson, and Terry Gibbs, while additional sessions from the 1950s and 1960s paired him with Jimmy Witherspoon, Helen Humes, and June Christy. In the 1980s a reunion with Cavanaugh led to regular engagements at a Los Angeles-area club, where the two musicians performed as a trio with bassist Phil Mallory; the partnership lasted into the late 1990s, at which point Viola stepped away. As a leader he issued three albums: an unaccompanied solo recital for Mode in 1957 that VSOP later reissued, another solo set for Legend, and a 1978 Frank Sinatra tribute recorded for PBR, the final two of which yielded highlights compiled on a Starline compact disc. Diagnosed with cancer, Viola died on February 21, 2007, at the age of 87.
Albums