“Torna Sorriento” 

Jerry Vale

*

Jerry Vale’s wonderfully smooth interpretation of this famous Neapolitan Song

Jerry Vale (born Genaro Louis Vitaliano; July 8, 1930 – May 18, 2014) was an American singer and actor. During the 1950s and 1960s, he reached the top of the pop charts with his interpretations of romantic ballads, including a cover of Eddy Arnold hit “You Don’t Know Me” (1956) and “Have You Looked into Your Heart” (1964). Vale, who was of Italian descent, sang numerous songs in Italian, many of which were used in soundtracks by films of Martin Scorsese.

Vale showed his love of Italian music with his albums, I Have But One Heart (1962) and Arrivederci, Roma (1963), full of Italian standards such as “Amore, Scusami“, “Ciao, Ciao, Bambina“, “Arrivederci, Roma“, and “O Sole Mio“.^[2] His renditions of “Volare“, “Innamorata (Sweetheart)”, and “Al di là” became classic Italian-American songs.^[3]

“Torna a Surriento” is a Neapolitan song composed in 1902 by Italian musician Ernesto De Curtis to words by his brother, the poet and painter Giambattista De Curtis. The song was copyrighted officially in 1905, and has become one of the most popular songs of this traditional genre, which include others such as O sole mio, Funiculì funiculà, and Santa Lucia.

 

 

 

*

Gennaro Louis Vitaliano was born in the Bronx, New York, to Italian immigrant parents, and grew up in the Bronx Italian American community. In high school, to earn money, Vale took a job shining shoes in a barbershop, singing while he worked. His boss, Vito Veneziano, liked the sound so well that he paid for music lessons for the boy. Vale started singing in high school musicals and at a local nightclub. Still a teenager, he left school to work in a factory as an oiler alongside his father.

 

Ya’ Gotta’ Love Jerry Vale

Good Guy and Wonderful Singer

*