Adrian Rollini

Adrian Francis Rollini, born on June 28, 1904, was an Italian-American jazz multi-instrumentalist. A child prodigy, he began playing piano at the age of two and, remarkably, performed a Chopin recital at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel aged four. Rollini joined the California Ramblers at 16, where he played piano, xylophone and, later, bass saxophone, a role that became central to his career. He was a prolific session musician, contributing to over 1,000 recordings with artists such as Annette Hanshaw, Joe Venuti, and Bix Beiderbecke. By the mid-1930s, Rollini shifted focus to the vibraphone, becoming one of the instrument's early pioneers. In 1935, he opened the venue Adrian’s Tap Room in the Hotel President in New York. After relocating to Florida in the 1940s, Rollini continued to perform infrequently, hosting private jam sessions at his Key Largo property. He passed away in 1956 at the age of 51.

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