Sal Salvador (November 21, 1925 – September 22, 1999), was an American bebop jazz guitarist and a prominent music educator.Though not as well known as some of his contemporaries, like Johnny Smith, Jimmy Raney, or Tal Farlow; the latter two were Salvador's roommates for a stint; jazz guitarist Sal Salvador was their equal in every way.
He was born Silvio Smiraglia in Monson, Massachusetts, Salvador grew up in Stafford Springs, Connecticut. Starting out on his father’s acoustic guitar, it was hearing recordings of Charlie Christian with Benny Goodman that turned him on to jazz and the electric guitar. He studied via correspondence with Nat King Cole guitarist Oscar Moore, and began playing professionally in the mid 40s in Michigan, alongside future greats, saxophonist Phil Woods and drummer Joe Morello.
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| Sal with Stan Kenton |
Moving to New York, Salvador joined many of his contemporaries in the studio world, and was recommended by his friend Mundell Lowe, with whom he was to collaborate with many times during his career, for a job in the house band at Radio City Music Hall alongside Johnny Smith. He also worked for a time on staff at Columbia Records, leading to recordings with Tony Bennett, Rosemary Clooney and Marlene Dietrich.
In 1952 Salvador joined the Stan Kenton Orchestra, and was featured on the recording New Concepts of Artistry in Rhythm. The association with Kenton proved fruitful, raising Salvador’s profile and securing him a contract with Capitol for a follow-up to his debut release as leader -1954’s Sal Salvador Quintet - leading to the album Kenton Presents Sal Salvador.
Alongside his own recordings, Salvador formed a quartet with pianist Eddie Costa, and led his own big band (1958-1963), releasing the album Colours In Sound. In 1958 he also appeared with saxophonist Sonny Stitt in Jazz On A Summer’s Day, a film of the Newport Jazz Festival. 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.
Salvador led recordings for Blue Note (1953), Capitol, Bethlehem, Decca, Jazz Unlimited, Dauntless (1963), Bee Hive, GP, and Stash. The period from 1963 to 1978 saw a hiatus in Salvador’s recording career as a leader, as he changed his focus to teaching and live playing. He worked in a guitar duo with Alan Hanlon in the early '70s, but his eventual return to the studio proved prolific, with three albums in 1978 alone. He continued to release albums under his own name and in various collaborations over the next two decades.
Salvador reformed his big band in the 80s, and joined with guitarist Mike Giordano to form the Crystal Image Quartet. A keen educator, Salvador was appointed head of the guitar department at the University of Bridgeport and Western Connecticut State University, and in the 90s released a a series of tuitional books and videos, taught privately and contributed lessons to Just Jazz Guitar magazine.
He died in Stamford, Connecticut on 22 September 1999, following a fight with cancer, at the age of 73.
(Edited from Pressreader, Wikipedia, AllMusic and guitarinstructor)