Tropea began guitar studies at the age of 12. His musical education continued at Berklee School of Music in Boston, where he studied jazz guitar, harmony, composition, and big band arranging. Immediately after arriving in Boston, Tropea began playing live R & B and jazz gigs with many different bands in the area, including The Three Degrees. Influenced by Wes Montgomery, Johnny Smith, Louis Bonfa, Pat Martino, and George Benson, it was at this time that Tropea began to absorb those influences into an original style of his own. Also among his mentors at the time were the great B3 organ players Jack McDuff and Jimmy Smith.
After Berklee, Tropea recorded and toured with Deodato. Moving to New York in 1967, Tropea quickly became one of the most sought after session players. He soon became a peer among New York’s finest studio musicians. As well as world touring, Tropea wrote and produced three critically acclaimed solo albums with TK records.
His first solo album “Tropea,” was released in 1975, followed by “Short Trip to Space,” and “To Touch You Again.” With those early recordings and other projects, Tropea formed close musical alliances with other great New York musicians including: David Spinozza, Warren Bernhardt, David Sanborn, Randy and Michael Brecker, Steve Gadd, Anthony Jackson, Don Grolnick, and Richard Tee (Tropea played in The Richard Tee band).
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