Frank Signorelli was an important player behind the scenes as an organizer and an accompanying pianist with several notable bands. In 1917, with
Phil Napoleon, he was a founding member of
the Original Memphis Five. He recorded extensively with that prolific group through 1931.
Signorelli was briefly a member of
the Original Dixieland Jazz Band in 1921, and in 1927, he was in
Adrian Rollini's legendary (if short-lived) New Yorker group.
Signorelli appeared on many classic records with
Bix Beiderbecke,
Frankie Trumbauer,
Joe Venuti, and
Eddie Lang during the era, plus on a countless number with dance bands and backing commercial singers. He played with a newer version of
the Original Dixieland Jazz Band (1936-1938), worked with
Paul Whiteman for a few months in 1938, and played regularly during the '40s and '50s (including at Nick's with
Bobby Hackett) and helped organize the revived
Original Memphis Five.
Frank Signorelli, who composed "I'll Never Be The Same," "Stairway to the Stars," and "A Blues Serenade" in the '30s, only led three obscure record dates in his career: four titles in 1926, four more from 1946 with a quintet that included
Phil Napoleon, and two songs for Stinson in 1950 backing singer
Art Gentry. He recorded as a sideman as late as 1958 (with
Miff Mole).
–
Scott Yanow, Rovi