Rosolino, Frank
Rosolino, Frank
Rosolino, Frank , jazz trombonist; b. Detroit, Mich., Aug. 20, 1926; d. Los Angeles, Nov. 26, 1978. He was born in a musical family, and first played guitar at age 10; he switched to trombone in high school. From 1944–45, he was in an Army band; on his discharge, he settled in Los Angeles and played with a number of bands, leading up to two years with Gene Krupa (1948–49), where his humorous scat singing was highlighted. In the early 1950s, he was back in Detroit leading his own band, but by 1952 had joined with Stan Kenton, remaining with him for two years. He played at the famous Lighthouse sessions in the late 1950s, and also worked as a session musician for recordings and films through the 1960s. In 1970s, he toured with the Supersax ensemble. A fluid and engaging player, known for his extroverted sense of humor, he shocked the jazz world by murdering his wife and two children before turning the gun on himself in 1978.
Discography
Frank Rosolino Quartet (1952). Kenton Presents Jazz: Frank Rosolino (1954); Howard Rumsey’s Lighthouse All (1955); Frankly Speaking (1955); I Play Trombone (1956); Legend of Frank Rosolino (1957); Frank Rosolino Quintet (1957); Free for All (1958); Turn Me Loose (1961); Thinking About You (1976); In Denmark (1978); Frank Rosolino Sextet (1983); Rosolino Connection (1984).
Bibliography
R. Machado, Basic Discography of Frank Rosolino (Fortaleza, Brazil, 1988).
—Lewis Porter