Music of Sammy Nestico - Duquesne Pappert School of Music at Dougherty Ballroom, Power Center
Duquesne University Jazz Ensemble, Jazz Workshop, and Vocal Jazz Ensemble
Jeff Bush & Kelley Krepin DeFade, directors
The Duquesne University Jazz Ensemble joins the Centennial Salute of the Mary Pappert School of Music by performing the music of Sammy Nestico.
Samuel Luigi Nistico was a Pittsburgh native and DU graduate. After a music career as a trombonist in the bands of Tommy Dorsey, Woody Herman, Charlie Barnet, and Gene Krupa and as an arranger in several branches of the military, Sammy started his legendary freelance career. While his most celebrated music was written over several decades for The Count Basie Orchestra, Sammy was an in-demand session arranger for film, television, and commercial jingles. During his career, Nestico composed, arranged, or conducted albums for Quincy Jones, Phil Collins, Barbra Streisand, Michael Buble, Natalie Cole, Sarah Vaughan, Toni Tennille, Frank Sinatra, and Bing Crosby. As an orchestrator, he worked on nearly seventy television programs, including Mission: Impossible, Mannix, M*A*S*H, Charlie's Angels, and The Mod Squad. He also composed commercial jingles for Anheuser-Busch, Zenith, Ford Motor Company, Mattel Toys, Pittsburgh Paint, and Dodge. Sammy Nestico received an honorary Doctor of Music degree from Duquesne University, a distinguished alumni award from Duquesne University, and was inducted into Duquesne's "Century Club".
