Harry Volpe

Onofrio “Harry” Volpe (1904–1995) was born in Grotte, Sicily, Italy. He began his musical journey as a clarinetist at a young age but later switched to the guitar. At the age of fourteen, Volpe moved to New York City with his father, who was an accordionist.

During the 1920s, following Eddie Lang’s pioneering work with the electric guitar, and before the world was introduced to Django Reinhardt and Charlie Christian, Harry Volpe embarked on an impressive career as a jazz guitarist.

In 1922, Volpe started playing in the New York music scene within the RKO circuit. From 1924 to 1932, he became a member of “The Ted Navarre Band.”

In 1932, Volpe was designated as the first guitarist for the Radio City Music Hall orchestra.

In 1936, Harry Volpe recorded on the Decca label together with Frank Victor, and he was part of the introduction of the Gretsch Synchromatic 400 guitar model.

Until 1941, Volpe managed his own Guitar Center, and from 1941 to 1944, he was associated with Paramount and RCA.

In addition to his performing career, Volpe had a long tenure as a writer and publisher of guitar instructional books.

One notable event occurred in 1946 when Django Reinhardt visited and performed with Harry Volpe during Duke Ellington’s tour in the US. Django’s visit coincided with his transition from acoustic to electric guitar. Witnesses reported that Django instantly fell in love with the electric guitar, despite the initial challenge of adjusting the volume. The influence of jazz bebop style after the war also played a role in Django’s decision to embrace the electric guitar, providing him with a new sound and expressive possibilities.

During his time in the US, Django had expected to have different guitars and luthiers waiting for him, but that did not materialize. However, he had the opportunity to jam and perform with various musicians, including Duke Ellington. Django left the US in February 1947, returning to France with an electric guitar and the influence of bebop.

A memorable all-night jam session took place between Volpe and Django Reinhardt in 1946 at Volpe’s studio in Jackson Heights, Queens, resulting in famous photographs from that night.

Harry Volpe was an endorser of Gretsch guitars at the time, which were in competition with Gibson and Epiphone for the arch-top market. Hence, both Harry Volpe and Django were seen playing Gretsch guitars during these jam sessions. Additionally, during the Duke Ellington tour, Django Reinhardt played a Gibson ES-300.

In the following years, from the 1940s to the 1950s, Volpe continued to perform in New York. However, in 1954, after going through a divorce and legal proceedings with his wife, he moved to Florida and made Miami his new home and performance base until his passing in 1995.