- Salvo's Records
Most restaurateurs probably haven’t considered a sideline in the record biz, but then, Salvo’s isn’t your average restaurant. The acclaimed Headingley eatery regularly plays host to live bands at the popular ‘Gip’s Supper Club’ evenings.
“Music and food is not a combination that’s done well in restaurants,” says Gip Dammone, who runs the restaurant and label along with brother John. “There’s too much lightweight stuff — McJazz, shopping music and the like. ‘It’s Raining Men’ by that Spice Girl gave me aural indigestion at Anthony’s once. “I tell people coming in that we like LOUD JAZZ. I only book musicians who swing.” The label isn’t without precedent.
As the Dig! Family, which started out in the 80s, Gip and John ran two labels, Cooker Records and Yardbird Suite Records, releasing about 20 albums and singles including releases by Masters At Work (under the Groovebox monik-er), Glamorous Hooligan and Jocelyn Brown. The Salvo’s label itself came about as “an excuse to celebrate 30 years at the restaurant,” and its first release is Trenta, a fine collection of Italian tunes recorded by Armley roughneck guitar hero Eddie Roberts and his band.
“We chose a bunch of tunes that meant something to us,” says Gip. “Mum and Dad’s favourite old Neapolitan tearjerkers, the stuff we heard on the beach jukeboxes when we lived in Salerno in the early 70s and classic tunes from the Salvo’s jukebox.
Gip’s latest project is to have Eddie and another musician compose music while he cooks up a storm in the kitchen. “We’re gonna record any interesting sounds in the kitchen to use in the recordings. Then we’d like to release it with the recipes included. Anyone who’s cooked Sunday lunch with a nice bottle of Montepulciano d’Abruzzo for lubrication and Monk on the stereo will tell you this is the best way to cook!
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