Tony LaVorgna is... Bebopman!...
Biography
Look, up on the stage...He thinks he's Bird, He can't stop playing...He's BEBOPMAN!
Bebopman Tony LaVorgna's association with music began when his mother started teaching him the piano at the age of five. When he was twelve his father gave him an alto saxophone and a few years later a friend turned him on to the bebop king Charlie "The Bird" Parker. Tony became obsessed with imitating Bird's playing and by his senior year in high school had become a formidable bebop musician himself. He attended an engineering college to keep his parents happy but quit after his freshman year.

The following fall Tony went on the road with The Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra, a nationally known band at the time, so he could play the jazz tenor seat. Soon after Tony moved to Cleveland and became one of the top jazz pianists in the region. As the years passed Tony's talents grew. He lived in Georgia and formed The Atlanta Allstar Quartet. Composed of the top jazz musicians in the Southeastern US it's recording of Bill Evans compositions received a coveted NARAS (National Association Of Recording Arts And Sciences) award for Best Jazz Group.

Tony spent two years in Chicago and toured with the musical "Ain't Misbehavin". Moving back to Connecticut in the nineties to take care of his father Tony had the good fortune of being neighbors with nationally known Glen Miller arranger Bill Finegan, and working with Bill Tony fine-honed his compositional skills. In 2005 Tony wrote a graphic novel based on his life as a jazz musician called "Bebopman". It became nationally acclaimed. More recently Tony has written a musical of the same name based on his graphic novel. Today Tony teaches and plays jazz in the New York tri-state area.
Some of the Many Jazz Tunes Played by Tony Lavorgna Include:
Oleo jazz, My One and Only Love, Secret Love, Harlem Nocturne,  A Fine Romance, Shauna’s Dance, Turn Out the Stars, Killer Joey, Show Type Tune, I'll See You in My Dreams, Green Dolphin Street, The Lady From Mars, Nightcrawler, East Living, Flintstones, Doxy, Why I Fall in Love, I Got Rhythm, I Fall In Love Too Easily, Dance Samba, Now's the Time, Inspiration, Yardbird Suite, Gone With the Wind, Can't Get Started.

Tony's Favorite Jazz Players Include:
Charlie "the Bird" Parker, John Coltrane, Stan Getz, Lester Young, Coleman Hawkins, Sonny Rollins, Cannonball Adderley, James Carter, Brandon Fields.

Tony's Favorite Book:
The Graphic Novel Bebopman (his life in the funny pages) which include excerpts and assistance by Harvey Pekar, Lois Gilbert, Gary and Laura Dumm.

Content: Copyright ©2014 Tony Lavorgna all rights reserved

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