Guido Basso
Basso, Guido
Guido Basso. Flugelhornist, trumpeter, arranger, composer, conductor, harmonica player, b Montreal 27 Sep 1937.
View a video clip from a 1965 CBC TV show featuring the Jimmy Dale Orchestra with Guido Basso and Fred Stone on trumpet. From YouTube.
Life
A video clip of Guido Basso performing the song "It's Not Unusual" from the Nightcap TV series. From YouTube.
In 1960 Basso settled in Toronto, becoming a first-call studio musician trumpeter and leader. He also took assignments as a harmonica player. Basso was music director 1963-7 for CBLT's 'Nightcap' and 1968-9 for CBC-TV's 'Barris and Company.' He also co-starred in 1969 with vibraphonist Peter Appleyard on CBC-TV's 'Mallets and Brass,' was music director 1969-71 for CBC Radio's 'After Noon,' and led orchestras for two CBC-TV series devoted to the big band era, 'In the Mood' (1971-2) and 'Bandwagon' (1972-3). In 1975 he organized big bands for concerts at the CNE by Dizzy Gillespie and Benny Goodman.
Basso performed in Toronto nightclubs and hotel lounges with his own small groups - several of which brought together jazz and Latin music - and was an important soloist with the Boss Brass, the Rob McConnell Tentet, Nimmons 'N' Nine Plus Six, and the big bands of Ron Collier and others. With the downturn in studio work in the late 1970s, he began to lead what would become one of Toronto's most popular society orchestras.
Despite his pre-eminence among Canadian jazz trumpeters, Basso was reticent to work in that idiom. He was nevertheless known for the lyricism of his flugelhorn work on jazz ballads, a reputation taken far afield by his recordings with the Boss Brass, and was equally capable of incisive trumpeting in the bebop style. He was credited with the theory that one attacks the trumpet and makes love to a flugelhorn.
Basso was made a Member of the Order of Canada in 1994.
Recordings
Basso did not make his first jazz recording under his own name - Guido Basso (Innovation) - until 1986. He followed that with collaborative efforts with Doug Riley (A Lazy Afternoon, Jazz Portraits, 1997), and Dave Turner (Midnight Martini, Justin Time, 1997). His recording Lost in the Stars (CBC) won the 2004 Juno Award in the traditional jazz category.
As a sideman he appeared on some 30 recordings by the Boss Brass, as well as on albums by such diverse performers as Holly Cole, Gene Lees, Jean-Pierre Ferland, Ranee Lee, Lenny Solomon, and Oliver Jones.
Author James Hale
Norris, John. 'Guido Basso,' MSc, 246, Mar-Apr 1969
Topalovich, Maria. 'Human experience is source of Guido Basso's music,' MSc, 286, Nov-Dec 1975
Adilman, Sid. 'Guido Basso,' (Toronto Star) Star Week, 7-14 Jan 1978
Sutherland, Greg. 'Profile: Guido Basso horn player deluxe,' The Jazz Report, vol 1, Apr-May 1988
La Barbera, J. 'Guido `Giusto' Basso: an interview,' ITG Journal, vol 19:4, 1995
Miller, Mark. 'Basso isn't the type to toot his own horn,' Toronto Globe and Mail, 6 Jan 1999
Barris, Alex. 'Sounds from above: a profile of Guido Basso,' The Jazz Report, vol 13, fall 1999
Miller, Mark. The Miller Companion to Jazz in Canada (Toronto 2001)
Links to Other Sites
Inside The Music
Listen to past episodes of CBC's "Inside The Music" program featuring some of Canada's leading musicians. Click on the audio player to start streaming.
Guido Basso - It's Not Unusual
A video clip of Guido Basso performing the song "It's Not Unusual" from the 'Nightcap' TV series. Check for additional music videos on the right side of this page. From YouTube.
Guido Basso sings it like he means it
A preview of a concert featuring Guido Basso. From thestar.com website.
Inception - Guido Basso and Fred Stone
View a video clip from a 1965 CBC TV show featuring the Jimmy Dale Orchestra with Guido Basso and Fred Stone on trumpet. From YouTube.
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