On Sunday, September 24,2017, at the Waverly Tavern in Cheshire, CT, the Connecticut Accordion Association dedicated its gathering to Bob Vitale, who passed away last July 15. The crowd of some 75 CAA members viewed a slide show dedicated to Bob and heard tributes from his 2 sons, Michael and Mark Vitale.

They were entertained by Eddie Monteiro, joined by Mitchell Guido on Sax and Jack Varanelli on drums. All 3 of these musicians had the pleasure of knowing Bob personally as well as professionally and shared a mutual respect for each other as musicians. Eddie paid a visit to Bob during his last days, coming to Bob’s house and delivering a private concert to Bob just days before he passed. Mitchell Guido, Conductor of the AAA’s Youth Involvement Jazz Ensemble in 2016 and 2017, played under Bob as a participant of that program. Jack Varanelli is a well known and respected jazz percussionist who played alongside Bob in their younger days as well as with the CAA orchestra.

The program closed with a video of Bob leading the AAA’s Youth Involvement Jazz Ensemble, which he directed in Alexandria, VA in 2015. Finally, AAA Vice President Joe Ciccone presented a declaration from the AAA officially naming the Youth Involvement Program after Bob.

The following tribute, composed by Marilyn O’Neil, was distributed at the September 22, 2017 gathering of the Connecticut Accordion Association.

We’ve all already noticed that this group is not the same without Bob.

Last Saturday, orchestra members arrived to the first rehearsal of the season to find the doors of the church where we practice locked shut. I saw the crowd standing there with their equipment, uncertain as to what would happen next. This was our stark jolt into the reality of our life in the CAA without Bob Vitale.

A common site for orchestra members was the sight of Bob’s Honda parked on the side of the church, doors to the church wide open and Bob lugging in the tub of music, setting up the bass accordion and amplifier, working furiously to set chairs up, putting out doughnuts he bought, greeting people with a smile as they arrived.

If we viewed the CAA as a large table, Bob Vitale was one of the legs. He was instrumental in every aspect of keeping this organization functioning. And so was his FAMILY. His contributions included finding the CAA orchestra a place to have its rehearsals, playing for the church functions to insure that we kept the space, making sure we contribute to church food drives for the needy, running off fliers for CAA meetings and getting the mailings out, managing the CAA library of music, tutoring us in our parts, putting fingering on music, setting up, breaking down rehearsals and performances, attending numerous accordion functions and working at them without being asked.

Then, there were what I call the humanitarian efforts: visiting sick CAA members at the hospital, playing regularly at a local nursing home where one of his former students was a resident, bringing broken accordions to Emilio to be fixed……

That’s the short list. I invite you to ponder your own, because I know he’s helped many of us in this room in too many ways to count.

It’s times like these, when life “chops off one of your legs,” that we are reminded of 2 of the most important lessons that our parents teach us as children: How to say “please” and how to say “thank you.” How many of us asked Bob for assistance, drawing upon his vast fund of knowledge not only about music, but about real estate, business and, well, life in general? And how often were we all the recipients of not only his musical talent, but his innate kindness and sense of commitment?

So today is about saying THANK YOU to the man who is likely very exasperated at me right now from his place in what he called “the big orchestra” in heaven. Exasperated because he never expected recognition of ANY kind, despite his immense musical talent recognized by some of the best jazz musicians in the industry. He excelled at EVERYTHING he did. Bob and Barbara Vitale passed their legacy of success and compassion down to his boys and his grandchildren. To his sons and grandchildren: he gushed with pride when he spoke of you…

You will hear the ensemble known as Vitality play in Bob’s honor shortly. Bob, along with several members of “Vitality” had the honor of playing at the Frank Marocco Accordion Event, held in Mesa,Arizona and in Castelfidardo, Italy. That orchestra was conducted by the late, great Frank Marocco, who had tremendous respect for Bob’s musical talent, and who considered Bob a cherished friend.

Following are excerpts from a biographical article I wrote about Bob a few years after he returned to the accordion world:

Despite the 40 -year time span that has passed since he owned Bob Vitale Music School in Waterbury, CT, Bob is still “the teacher” to 5 of his former students. They play as an ensemble, rehearsing every Monday night at his real estate office in Waterbury. Kathleen (La Porta) Di Cocco, Judy (Pellitier) Sehnal, Mary (Salvio) Mascolo, Art Daigle and yours truly, Marilyn Grosso O’Neil all took lessons from Bob in the “heyday of the accordion.” A member of this ensemble, the infamous Karen Buccitti, (a former student of Vincent Spiotti), has been “adopted” by the group. We consider ourselves lucky on many accounts, but especially because we took lessons with the youngest veteran of the accordion era in Waterbury. The other accordion teachers have either passed on or abandoned the accordion for other instruments. NOT OUR BOB! I will say, he had to be coaxed, since it had been years since he’d last played. But when he saw how the CAA orchestra was blossoming, all he needed was someone to gently place an accordion on his lap. The rest, as they say, is history in the making.

He joined the Connecticut Accordion Association, and became an active participant in the orchestra. He eventually came to serve on its advisory board. Along with former accordion teachers in Waterbury, Bob was honored at the CAA’s official debut performance at Seven Angels Theatre. He performs regularly as bass accordionist with the CAA orchestra at both local and out of state events and was part of an ensemble specifically chosen to play at the 2006 opening season of the Waterbury Symphony Orchestra. Bob discovered how much he enjoyed being a member of an accordion orchestra, and this discovery prompted him to join the Accordion Pops Orchestra, a group of accordionists who reside in the Northeastern US and play under the direction of Daniel Desiderio of New Jersey. In 2007, Bob was chosen to play in the premiere World Accordion Orchestra as part of the Coupe Mondiale International Accordion Festival held in conjunction with the AAA Festival in Alexandria, VA.

What about Bob’s history??

Bob is a native of Waterbury, the eldest of 4 sons born to Rose and Michael Vitale. Michael sang Barbershop. A younger brother, Anthony, played saxophone and clarinet. Bob’s eldest son, Michael, is a drummer. And Mark Vitale, Bob’s second son, played accordion as a child and won a championship title at competition.

Bob showed promise as a musician early in life. He studied accordion from the age of 7 through 18 with Charles Deloisio and Bob Mobilio. Coaxed by his father, he was strolling the streets of Waterbury at 13, entertaining people in their homes. This was the start of his professional career, as he began performing at hotels, restaurants and weddings with several bands, most notably the Stardusters and the G.A.B. He started teaching at Leogrande Music School at age 17, meanwhile studying theory and harmony with Charles (“Chic”) Chichetti (conductor and arranger for Sergio Franchi), as well as with a professor of Jazz Music at Yale University.

At the tender age of 21, Bob opened Vitale Music School, where some 300-400 youngsters studied piano, clarinet, saxophone, guitar, drums and, of course, the accordion. Bob’s accordion students regularly earned trophies for individual, duet, ensemble and orchestra performances in statewide competition. At that time, Bob was the youngest of the founding fathers of the Accordion Teachers Association of Connecticut.

Bob’s life took a different turn once he left the music studio in 1970. He began what would be a 7-year proprietorship of a restaurant in Waterbury called The Melody Room, where jazz was regularly heard by its patrons. (Bob on accordion, of course!). Bob eventually left the restaurant business and opened Vitale Realty, where he still works today with his wife, Barbara, and his sons, Michael and Mark.

While I will always remember the man who came to our door selling accordion lessons, who demanded perfection and earned respect from his students, the teacher who taught us about music and lots of other things (how to study, work at and achieve a goal)…. the man clothed in childhood memories, I echo the sentiments of Linda Soley-Reed, CAA orchestra conductor and President of the American Accordionists Association. Linda describes Bob as “a man who gets lost in his music, is generous to a fault, always there to lend a hand. He is friendly, outgoing and affectionate, referring to the women in the CAA orchestra as “beautiful,” which no woman is too old to hear.”

I would also add that unlike many folks in the music world, he is so obviously not “full of himself,” a quality that can often spoil even the best musician’s performance. Nonetheless, Bob lights up a room when he enters it, always a smile on his face, his booming voice full of warmth. His music isn’t only technically masterful; it is heartfelt and flows freely and frequently at CAA gatherings. For those reasons alone, audiences clamor to hear him, loving the familiar jazz standards and the creative style that Bob brings to his listener’s ears.

He still makes me so proud to call him “Teacher.”

Play with the angels, Bob.

Photo of Youth Involvement 2014 with Bob Vitale and Ivy