Biography.guide
Home › People › Bandleader › Sal Salvador
Portrait of Sal Salvador

Sal Salvador

1925 – 1999

American bebop jazz guitarist and a prominent music educator

Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About Sal Salvador

Lived 1925 – 1999 (aged 73). Sal Salvador was an American bandleader, jazz guitarist, music teacher and composer.

Sal Salvador (November 21, 1925 – September 22, 1999), whose name was originally Silvio Smiraglia, was an American bebop jazz guitarist and a prominent music educator.

He was born in Monson, Massachusetts, United States, and began his professional career in New York City. He eventually moved to Stamford, Connecticut. He taught guitar at the University of Bridgeport in Bridgeport, Connecticut as well as at Western Connecticut State University in Danbury, Connecticut. He wrote several instruction books for beginning to advanced guitarists.

In addition to recordings with Stan Kenton and with his own groups, Salvador can be heard in the film Blackboard Jungle, during a scene in a bar where a recording on which he is featured is played on the jukebox. He is also featured playing with Sonny Stitt in the film, Jazz on a Summer's Day, at the Newport Jazz Festival.

He died in September 1999, following a fight with cancer, at the age of 73.

Discography With Stan Kenton Popular Favorites by Stan Kenton (Capitol, 1953) Sketches on Standards (Capitol, 1953) This Modern World (Capitol, 1953) Portraits on Standards (Capitol, 1953) The Kenton Era (Capitol, 1940–54, )

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

People in Sal Salvador's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Sal Salvador's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Sal Salvador?

American bebop jazz guitarist and a prominent music educator (1925–1999)

When was Sal Salvador born?

Sal Salvador was born on 21 November 1925 in Massachusetts.

When did Sal Salvador die?

Sal Salvador died on 22 September 1999 in Stamford.

What was Sal Salvador's occupation?

Sal Salvador was a bandleader, jazz guitarist, music teacher and composer.

What nationality was Sal Salvador?

Sal Salvador was American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Sal Salvador

· Wikidata: Q727283

· DBpedia: Sal Salvador

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Sal Salvador. https://biography.guide/sal-salvador/

MLA: "Sal Salvador." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/sal-salvador/.

Chicago: "Sal Salvador." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/sal-salvador/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:25 UTC