Francesco Catania was an Italian trumpet player and arranger. He can be heard playing as a duo with the great Michele Lacerenza on the track ‘The Trio’ on the Ennio Morricone film score for “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly”. He was the first trumpet of the Orchestra del Teatro dell’Opera di Roma until he was suddenly struck with paralysis of the lips that forced him to abandon his instrument. He was not dismissed but appointed him director of the brass band. He continued to work there but after a few years he became completely deaf and had to retire.
Ennio Morricone commented on Catania, “Francesco was extraordinary, a great man, he could play pieces that were almost uplayable. In the already mentioned “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly”, for which I wrote very demanding parts for five different superimposed trumpet tracks. He mastered all of them – he was the only one who could play them the way they were written. My dedication to Catania was a matter of affection, while my dedication to all other trumpeters was because I was one of them.”
CATANIA, Francesco [2/2/1937, Robbio, Pavia, Italy –
1/19/2022, Marsala, Sicily, Italy] – arranger, musician [trumpet].
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly – 1966 [trumpet]
The Trio piece at the end of the movie The Good the Bad and the Ugly was not in it's entirety . I highly recommend picking up the movie soundtrack where "The Trio" is the last track as it is in the movie . It's very unfortunate of Mr. Catania's physical decline .This piece is truly a masterful , emotional bit of playing that unlike the jazzy blues of Miles Davis is on a level all his own . The top ten , best of lists of different musical genres are all just someone's opinion . I always say make your own lists , listen and enjoy. Francesco Catania will always be at the top of mine -
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