Carmen Cavallaro

Carmen Cavallaro Calderone (May 6, 1913 – October 12, 1989) was an American pianist. He established himself as one of the most accomplished and admired light music pianists of his generation.

Music career Carmen Cavallaro was born in New York City, United States. Known as the "Poet of the Piano", he showed a gift for music from age three, picking out tunes on a toy piano. His parents were encouraged to develop the child's musical talents and he studied classical piano in the United States. As a young pianist, he toured Europe, performing in many capitals.

In 1933, Cavallaro joined Al Kavelin's orchestra, where he quickly became the featured soloist. After four years, he switched to a series of other big bands, including Rudy Vallee's in 1937.

He was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6301 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood.

Influences and style Cavallaro developed a piano-playing style of glittering and rippling arpeggios to augment his melody, which was often arranged in thick and lush triple- and quadruple-octave chords. His musical interests and arrangements included dance music, particularly Latin rhythms, tangos and strict tempo dancing styles, as well as some pop and jazz arrangements of classical melodies. In this, he is often cited as being influenced by pianist Eddy Duchin. Liberace was greatly influenced by both Cavallaro and Duchin. Liberace joked that he stole "everything except the flashy rings" from Cavallaro. All three shared a propensity for arranging classical piano themes in a pop idiom.

Cavallaro became a member of ASCAP in 1958. Although he wrote several songs, including "Dolores My Own" and "Anita", the most popular were "While the Night Wind Sings" and "Masquerade Waltz".

Radio and film Cavallaro also became famous through the media of radio and film, firstly with his regular program on NBC during the 1940s, The Sheaffer Parade, of which he was the host, Later in films, he played himself, starting with Hollywood Canteen (1944), then Diamond Horseshoe, Out of This World (both 1945) and The Time, The Place and The Girl (1946). In the short subject "HOLLYWOOD VICTORY CARAVAN"(1945),he played George Gershwin's piano piece "Variations On I Got Rhythm". His most celebrated film achievement was playing the piano music for actor Tyrone Power's hands to mime, in The Eddy Duchin Story (1956). He was survived by his second wife Donna S. Cavallaro and children.

Donna, at age 79, subsequently died on Friday, December 16, 2011 at Mt. Carmel West Hospital in Columbus, OH. She was preceded in death by husband Carmen and her brother Fr. Robert Schwenker, OMI. Survived by stepsons, Charles (Michelle), Frederick (Kristin) and Robert (Theresa);

Discography Albums 1939: Dancing in the Dark (Decca) 1941: I'll See You in My Dreams (Decca) 1941: All the Things You Are ... (Decca) 1942: Strauss Waltzes (Decca) 1942: Songs of Our Times – 1932 (Decca) – No. 1 in the US 1947: Serenade: Italian Folk Songs (Decca) – No. 4 in the US 1948: Irving Berlin Songs with Dick Haymes (Decca) 1949: For Sweethearts Only (Decca) 1950: Carmen Cavallaro at the Piano (Decca) 1950: Songs of Our Times – 1921 (Decca) – No. 7 in the US 1950: Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II (Decca) 1951: Guys and Dolls (Decca) 1952: Tangos for Romance (Decca) 1956: Rome at Midnight (Decca) 1956: For Latin Lovers (Decca) 1956: The Masters' Touch (Decca ) 1956: The Eddy Duchin Story (soundtrack, Decca) – No. 1 in the US 1957: Poetry in Ivory (Decca) 1958: Cavallaro with That Latin Beat (Decca) 1958: 12 Easy Lessons in Love (Decca) 1960: Informally Yours (Decca) 1960: Plays His Show Stoppers (Decca) 1960: The Franz Liszt Story (Decca) 1960: Cocktails with Cavallaro (Decca) 1961: Cocktail Time (Decca) 1962: Swingin' Easy (Decca) 1962: Hits from Hollywood (Decca) 1965: Eddy Duchin Remembered (Decca) 1969: Love Can Make You Happy (Decca)