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Ed Nuccilli

Ed Nuccilli was born on the east side of Detroit and was the youngest of five children. His father, Peter Nuccilli, an Italian immigrant, played trumpet for the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and also gave private lessons to aspiring musicians. At a young age, Ed knew he wanted to go into music and play the trumpet like his father. "I remember watching my sister play the piano when I was only about 9 years old, and looking at the notes on the page and thinking I'd like to write those notes one day." Ed started studying music with his father at the age of 12, learning the "Solfeggio system". His father insisted he master the system before even picking up an instrument, so after eight months of studying the written music, his father came home one day with a trumpet for him. It was a "King" horn that his father paid $35 for. This was Ed's first trumpet. Although a classical music foundation was laid for Ed, he felt he wanted to take up a different style of music; where he could actually play his trumpet for more that a few bars here and there, like in the symphony.

Ed attended Cass Technical High School. He actually started playing jobs at the age of 14 with "Jack King and the Knights of Royal Rhythm" band. He would play at local churches and Dompolski Hall with the band. He and some school mates at Cass put together a band outside of school and began rehearsing on a regular basis, playing tunes of Benny Goodman, Count Basie, Woody Herman, and other tunes from the 1930's and early 40's. He also played joined Eddie Marshall's band, a popular saxophonist, which would later give him the opportunity to join a big name travel band.

Ed also wrote music for Eddie Marshall's band. A young Ed Nuccilli began writing arrangements during his junior year of high school. Two of his arrangements were featured in the senior concert at Cass Technical High School in 1943. That same year, just as Ed was finishing High School at Cass, WWII was well under way, and he was drafted into the army and inducted on July 19, 1943. He would spend the next three years in the army, most of that time in the deserts of Africa.

While stationed in Africa, one day at the base's PX & Recreation Building, Ed was looking around in a back room and noticed a piano. Upon further searching, he came across an old trumpet and some other instruments. So he found some other musicians at the base and they put together a 10 or 12 piece band, and Ed wrote all the music for the band. They got so good that they were sent to the American University in Beirut to play for the officers. In 1946, his arrangements were being featured at the Don Byas (a well known jazz alto saxophone player of that time) and Eddie Marshall concert at the Detroit Institute of Arts. Ed's brother picked him up from his army base in Chicago, Illinois, where he was awaiting to be discharged; and drove him to Detroit for the concert. It was an important night for him and he was introduced to the crowd. After the concert was over, his brother drove him all the way back to the Chicago army base, and Ed made it right before the lights went on in his barracks!

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