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A Laurendo Almeida Del Vecchio classical guitar image 1
A Laurendo Almeida Del Vecchio classical guitar image 2
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Lot 54

A Laurendo Almeida Del Vecchio classical guitar

19 November 2018, 10:00 EST
New York

Sold for US$8,125 inc. premium

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A Laurendo Almeida Del Vecchio classical guitar

1930, no serial number, label to interior. Signed on the face in pen by RITA HAYWORTH, AVA GARDNER, LANA TURNER, BETTE DAVIS, BING CROSBY, BOB HOPE, GREGORY PECK, STAN KENTON, RICARDO MONTALBAN, VAN JOHNSON, PEGGY LEE, and others.

Brazilian guitarist Laurendo Almeida (1917-1995) was a prolific composer and performer best remembered for having introduced the fusion of latin and jazz music known today as the bossa nova. Almeida arrived in Hollywood in 1947, buoyed by a song he wrote for the Andrews Sisters, and went to work composing and performing in studio orchestras. His studio output is massive, performing on nearly 800 tracks and composing part or all of the scores for dozens of films. He makes a brief onscreen appearance in the 1954 classic, A Star is Born, as well as Funny Girl and The Godfather. During his early career he collected signatures of actors and musicians on the face of this guitar, including Rita Hayworth, Ava Gardner, and Lana Turner.

As a performer, Almeida produced both classical and jazz albums, and partnered with giants such as Stan Kenton, Bud Shank, and even Linda Ronstadt. He was a mentor and friend to legendary jazz guitarist James "Jimmy" Stewart (1937-2018), to whom he gifted this instrument. Stewart used the guitar frequently himself during his long career.

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