Attilio J. Cantore was music director of several of New York City & State Department of Corrections for over 9 years. During this time he taught music to countless youths who were incarcerated for crimes ranging from protesting the Viet Nam war to drug abuse to murder. Mr. Cantore saw his students going through the revolving door of justice as they had inadequate skills for coping in the outside world. Thusly they would get into trouble & wind up in jail yet again.

Mr. Cantore knew that he had to do something so he created an organization called Soul Rock from the Rock, Inc. in which he & his wife would arrange to have the men form a Jazz band that would tour various churches & colleges telling all who would listen about the horrors of prison and Police brutality and & implore them to demand prison reform. The band even recorded a Great album- "From the Cold Jaws of Prison" which was filled not only with some of the greatest jazz music that you will ever hear but also some very powerful poetry all of which was written by these ex- cons.

The Cantores continued their work until the reality of working with such dangerous men finally hit home & they had to move to protect their lives. The Cantores were very proud of their accomplishments in helping to promote prison reform and watching it all come to fruition throughout the turbulent 1960s & 70s.

SOUL ROCK FROM THE ROCK, Inc.