Biography Tony Parenti

Anthony Parenti (1900-1972) was a U.S. jazz clarinettist. and saxophonist.

Parenti was born in New Orleans on 6th August 1900. His family were musical, and while young he learnt to play various reed instruments, as well as the violin. While still a child he sat in as substtute in in Papa Jack Laine's band, and soon gained a place in Johnny De Droit's Jazz Orchestra. By 1924 he'd started leading his own band at La Vida, a New Orleans restaurant, with which he released his first recordings.

In the late 1920s he moved to New York, where he worked for CBS, and in the Radio City Symphony Orchestra. During the early 1940s he played in Ted Lewis's band with Muggsy Spanier, and could also be found recording with [artist[Preacher Rollo and his Five Saints, Sidney Bechet, and Max Miller.

In the 1940s, still in New York City, Parenti formed a Dixieland jazz band called Tony Parenti and His New Orleanians, featuring Wild Bill Davison, Art Hodes, and Jimmy Archey among others. He often appeared at such New York jazz spots as Nick's and Jimmy Ryan's, and also worked with Eddie Condon. Parenti remained active until the 1960s in clubs, and died in New York City on 17th April 1972.

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