Chieli Minucci (born April 17, 1958) is an American guitarist who co-founded the band Special EFX.

Career

His father,

Ulpio Minucci Ulpio Minucci (June 29, 1917 – March 9, 2007) was an Italian-born American composer and musician. Minucci wrote a number of popular hits in the 1950s, including "Domani," "A Thousand Thoughts of You," and "Felicia." He was nominated for two E ...

, was a concert pianist and composer who wrote the music to the 1955 song "

Domani "Domani" (Italian for "tomorrow") is a 1955 song written by Ulpio Minucci with lyrics by Tony Velona. The melody is based on the intermezzo from the comic opera I Quattro Rusteghi by Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari. The most popular version of the son ...

." Chieli Minucci started Special EFX in 1982 with

George Jinda George Jinda was a Hungarian-American percussionist who co-founded the smooth jazz Smooth jazz is a genre of commercially-oriented crossover jazz and easy listening music that became dominant in the mid 1970s to the early 1990s. History Smo ...

, a drummer from Hungary. The band combined rock, Latin rhythm, and smooth jazz. When the duo separated in 1995, Jinda continued to perform under the name Special EFX. After Jinda's death in 2001, Minucci performed under the name Chieli Minucci and Special EFX. He recorded albums as a solo act, beginning in 1994 with ''Jewels''. He has worked as a record producer and composer for

Deborah Henson-Conant Deborah Henson-Conant (born November 11, 1953 in Stockton, California) is an American harpist and composer. Nicknamed "the Hip Harpist", she is known for her flamboyant stage presence and her innovation with electric harps. Career Deborah Henso ...

and Kim Pensyl and as a sideman for

Angela Bofill Angela Tomasa Bofill (born May 2, 1954) is an American singer-songwriter of Cuban- Puerto Rican origins. A New York native, Bofill began her professional career in the mid-1970s. Bofill is most known for singles such as, " This Time I'll Be Swee ...

Roberta Flack Roberta Cleopatra Flack (born February 10, 1937) is a retired American singer. She topped the ''Billboard'' charts with the No. 1 singles " The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face", " Killing Me Softly with His Song", " Feel Like Makin' Love", " W ...

, Chaka Khan, and

Noel Pointer Noel Pointer (December 26, 1954 – December 19, 1994) was an American jazz violinist and record producer, whose life inspired a music foundation. Career Pointer made his solo debut at the age of 13, performing Vivaldi with the Symphony of t ...

Awards and honors

* Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction and Composition for a Drama Series, Daytime Emmy Awards, ''The Guiding Light'', 1999, 2007, 2008 * "Deep as the Night" was the #1 Smooth Jazz Song of the Year 2018

Discography

As leader

* ''Jewels'' (JVC, 1995) * ''Renaissance'' (JVC, 1996) * ''It's Gonna Be Good'' (JVC, 1998) * ''Sweet on You'' (Shanachie, 2000) * ''Night Grooves'' (Shanachie, 2003) * ''Got It Goin' On'' (Shanachie, 2005) * ''Solos, Duos, & Trios'' (ChieliMusic, 2008) * ''Pop Today'' (ChieliMusic, 2008) * ''Raspberry & Cream'' (ChieliMusic, 2008) * ''Drippings'' (ChieliMusic, 2008) * ''Travels'' (Watchfire Music, 2009) * ''East of the Sun'' (Watchfire Music, 2009) With Special EFX * ''Special EFX'' (GRP, 1983) * ''Modern Manners'' (GRP, 1985) * ''Slice of Life'' (GRP, 1986) * ''Mystique'' (GRP, 1987) * ''Double Feature'' (GRP, 1988) * ''Confidential'' (GRP, 1989) * ''Just Like Magic'' (GRP, 1990) * ''Peace of the World'' (GRP, 1991) * ''Global Village'' (GRP, 1992) * ''Play'' (JVC, 1993) * ''Catwalk'' (JVC, 1994) * ''Body Language'' (JVC, 1995) * ''Masterpiece'' (Shanachie, 1999) * ''Butterfly'' (Shanachie, 2001) * ''Party'' (Shanachie, 2003) * ''A Night with Chieli Minucci & Special EFX'' (Shanachie, 2006) * ''Sweet Surrender'' (Shanachie, 2007) * ''Without You'' (ChieliMusic, 2010) * ''Deep as the Night'' (Trippin 'n' Rhythm, 2017) * ''All Stars'' (Trippin 'n' Rhythm, 2020)

As sideman

With

Anastacia Anastacia Lyn Newkirk ( ; born September 17, 1968) is an American singer, songwriter and former dancer. Her first two albums '' Not That Kind'' (2000) and '' Freak of Nature'' (2001) were released in quick succession to major success. Spurred o ...

* ''Not That Kind'' (Epic/Daylight, 2000) * ''Freak of Nature'' (Epic/Daylight, 2001) * ''You'll Never Be Alone'' (Epic/Daylight, 2002) * ''Pieces of a Dream'' (Epic/Daylight, 2005) With

Celine Dion Céline Marie Claudette Dion ( ; born 30 March 1968) is a Canadian singer. Noted for her powerful and technically skilled vocals, Dion is the best-selling Canadian recording artist, and the best-selling French-language artist of all time. Her ...

* ''Let's Talk About Love'' (Columbia, 1997) * ''These Are Special Times'' (Columbia, 1998) * ''I'm Alive'' (Columbia, 2002) * ''A New Day Has Come'' (Columbia, 2002) * ''One Heart'' (Columbia, 2003) With

* ''Caught in the Act'' (GRP, 1990) * ''Talking Hands'' (GRP, 1991) * ''Budapest'' (MCD Jazz, 1992) With

Chris Hinze Christiaan Herbert "Chris" Hinze (born June 30, 1938, Hilversum, Netherlands) is a Dutch jazz and New age flautist. Life an work Hinze initially performed publicly as a pianist until the mid-1960s, when he began studying flute at the Royal Co ...

* ''Saliah'' (Keytone, 1984) * ''African Dream'' (Keytone, 1991) * ''Music for Relaxation'' (Keytone, 1992) With others *

Marc Anthony Marco Antonio Muñiz Rivera (born September 16, 1968), known professionally as Marc Anthony, is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He is the top selling tropical salsa artist of all time. A three-time Grammy Award and six-time Latin G ...

, ''Mended'' (Columbia, 2002) *

, ''Love in Slow Motion'' (Shanachie, 1996) *

Backstreet Boys Backstreet Boys (often abbreviated as BSB) are an American vocal group consisting of Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, AJ McLean, and cousins Brian Littrell and Kevin Richardson. Lou Pearlman formed the group in 1993 in Orlando, Florida. The ...

, ''Millennium'' (GSM Music, 1999) * B. B. & Q. Band, ''All Night Long'' (Capitol, 1982) * B. B. & Q. Band, ''Six Million Times'' (Capitol, 1983) * Bob Baldwin, ''Standing Tall'' (Narada, 2002) *

Jay Beckenstein Jay Barnet Beckenstein (born May 14, 1951) is an American saxophonist, composer, producer, and the co-founder of the band Spyro Gyra. He owned BearTracks Studios in Suffern, New York. Music career Beckenstein was born in Long Island, New York ...

, ''Eye Contact'' (Windham Hill, 2000) * Tom Browne, ''R'N'Browne'' (Hip Bop, 1999) *

Will Downing Wilfred "Will" Downing (born November 29, 1963) is an American singer and songwriter. He is married to singer Audrey Wheeler, who was a member of the R&B group Unlimited Touch. Biography Downing enrolled in Erasmus Hall High School in Brookly ...

, ''Invitation Only'' (Mercury, 1997) *

, ''Oasis'' (Atlantic, 1988) *

Russell Gunn Russell Gunn (born October 20, 1971 in Chicago) is an American contemporary jazz trumpeter. He grew up in East St. Louis, Illinois playing trumpet. As a kid his musical interest was hip hop, with LL Cool J being his first music idol. His projec ...

, ''Ethnomusicology Vol. 1'' (Atlantic, 1999) *

Omar Hakim Omar Hakim (born February 12, 1959) is an American jazz, jazz fusion and pop music drummer, producer, arranger and composer. He has worked with Weather Report, David Bowie, Foo Fighters, Sting, Madonna, Dire Straits, Bryan Ferry, Journey, Kat ...

, ''We Are One'' (OzMosis, 2014) *

Lionel Hampton Lionel Leo Hampton (April 20, 1908 – August 31, 2002) was an American jazz vibraphonist, pianist, percussionist, and bandleader. Hampton worked with jazz musicians from Teddy Wilson, Benny Goodman, and Buddy Rich, to Charlie Parker, Charle ...

, ''For the Love of Music'' (MoJazz, 1995) *

Enrique Iglesias Enrique Miguel Iglesias Preysler (; (born 8 May 1975) is a Spanish singer and songwriter. He started his recording career in the mid-1990s on the Mexican indie label Fonovisa and became the bestselling Spanish-language act of the decade. By th ...

, ''Escape'' (Interscope, 2002) * Jewel, ''Joy'' (Atlantic, 1999) * Jennifer Lopez, ''On the 6'' (Work, 1999) *

Cheryl Lynn Cheryl Lynn (born Lynda Cheryl Smith; March 11, 1957) is an American singer. She is best known for her songs during the late 1970s through the mid-1980s, including the 1978 R&B/disco song " Got to Be Real". Lynn's singing career began with her ...

, ''It's Gonna Be Right'' (Columbia, 1985) *

Marion Meadows Marion Meadows is an American soprano saxophonist and composer, mainly in smooth jazz. He was born in West Virginia and grew up mainly in Connecticut. His first album as a leader was ''For Lovers Only'' in 1990. He has had several other commerci ...

, ''Player's Club'' (Heads Up, 2004) * Kim Pensyl, ''Eyes of Wonder'' (GRP, 1993) *

, ''Never Lose Your Heart'' (Shanachie, 1993) *

Nicole Renee Nicole may refer to: People * Nicole (name) * Nicole (American singer) (born 1958), a contestant in season 3 of the American ''The X Factor'' * Nicole (Chilean singer) (born 1977) * Nicole (German singer) (born 1964), winner of the 1982 Euro ...

, ''Nicole Renee'' (Atlantic, 1998) *

Rick Rhodes Rick Rhodes (July 28, 1951 – November 2, 2005) was an American musician and television composer. His music for TV shows including ''Santa Barbara'', ''Another World'' and ''Guiding Light'' won a total of five Emmy Award. In 2005, he died of b ...

, ''Now You See It'' (Beverly, 1994) * Rick Rhodes, ''Indian Summer'' (Beverly, 1995) * Lionel Richie, ''To Love a Woman'' (Island, 2003) *

Jessica Simpson Jessica Ann Simpson (born July 10, 1980) is an American singer, actress, entrepreneur and philanthropist. After performing in church choirs as a child, Simpson signed with Columbia Records in 1997, aged seventeen. Her debut studio album, ''Swee ...

, ''Irresistible'' (Columbia, 2001) *

Kevin Toney Kevin Kraig Toney is an American jazz pianist and composer who was a member of The Blackbyrds. Biography A native of Detroit, he graduated from Cass Technical High School. In his teens he listened to the music of John Coltrane and Art Tatum. He a ...

, ''Strut'' (Shanachie, 2001) * Nestor Torres, ''Mi Alma Latina'' (Shanachie, 2002) *

Gerald Veasley Gerald Veasley (born July 28, 1955) is an American jazz bass guitarist. Veasley was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he played in R&B groups as a teenager. He worked with Joe Zawinul from 1988 to 1995, and began releasing his ...

, ''Signs'' (101 South, 1994) * Gerald Veasley, ''Love Letters'' (Inak, 1999) *

Roseanna Vitro Roseanna Elizabeth Vitro (born February 28, 1951) is a jazz singer and teacher from Arkansas. Biography Born Roseanna Elizabeth VitroScott Fredrickson and Gary W. Kennedy.Vitro (Wickliffe), Roseanna" In ''The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz'', 2 ...

, ''Catchin' Some Rays'' (Telarc, 1997)

Music library production

References

External links

Official site

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Minucci, Chieli American jazz guitarists American people of Italian descent Smooth jazz guitarists 1958 births Living people GRP Records artists Daytime Emmy Award winners American jazz musicians American male guitarists 20th-century American guitarists 20th-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians