Jazz Articles about Frank Rosolino

Stan Kenton and His Orchestra: In a Lighter Vein

by Jack Bowers
December 13, 2020

Stan Kenton was a man of many moods, as was his intrepid and popular orchestra, which endured until his passing in August 1979 and whose renown is kept alive even today by the Stan Kenton Legacy Orchestra. Kenton dons his carefree hat on In a Lighter Vein, an assortment of straight-ahead themes from the orchestra's jazz library, preserved in five concert performances from 1953-55 beneath the umbrella of NBC radio's All Star Parade of Bands. Original compositions ...

Frank Rosolino / Carl Fontana: Trombone Heaven

by John Barron
May 4, 2008

Truly an unearthed gem, Trombone Heaven is a previously unreleased concert recording from 1978 at the Bayshore Inn in Vancouver, Canada, featuring the late slide legends Frank Rosolino and Carl Fontana. The spirited set is anchored by the swinging rhythm section of pianist Elmer Gill, bassist Torban Oxbol and drummer George Ursan.

Given the loose, jam-session nature of the set, the tunes are lengthy, allowing ample room for both Rosolino and Fontana to stretch out and display their unmatchable technique. ...

Frank Rosolino: The Last Recording

by Andrew Velez
November 3, 2007

Born into a musical family, trombonist Frank Rosolino had little formal training. During high school years in Detroit he played with Milt Jackson; as Diane Armesto, Rosolino's former manager (and to whom we owe thanks for preserving this previously unreleased set) observes in her liner notes, “Perhaps most influential of all was the street education Frank received sitting in at the Mirror Ballroom...where other to-be renowned musicians also congregated, such as the Jones Brothers Thad, Elvin and Hank.

Frank Rosolino: The Last Recording

by Jack Bowers
November 23, 2006

Trombonist Frank Rosolino, as brilliant musically as he was troubled personally, led this studio date on August 1, 1978, roughly four months before he took his own life--as well as that of one of his two sons--and seriously wounded the other. Whatever demons haunted Rosolino, they were never visible when he was playing; what came out of his horn was pure genius, trombone artistry that was technically and musically in a class by itself. No one has ever mastered the ...

Frank Rosolino: Turn Me Loose

by David Rickert
August 22, 2002

Those only familiar with Frank Rosolino’s trombone work may be surprised to find out that he also dabbled in vocals as well. Rosolino was highly regarded as a trombonist, especially on the West Coast scene, but seldom recorded as a leader; Free For All on the Specialty label is probably his best known work. Turn Me Loose features Rosolino doing double duty as soloist and vocalist, a la Chet Baker, and one could judge solely by the cover that this ...

Frank Rosolino: Free For All

by David Rickert
September 1, 2000

First the bad news: Frank Rosolino took the life of his two children and then shot himself in 1978 after a lifelong battle with depression. The good news: in 1959 he recorded Free For All a wonderfully spirited set that belies the psychological problems that plagued the trombonist throughout his life. Rosolino spent the first part of career honing his chops in the Stan Kenton band, like many of the West Coast musicians of the time. He developed an agility ...