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Frank Rosolino (August 20 1926 - November 26 1978) was an American jazz trombonist.

Biography

Born in Detroit, Michigan, in a family that included brothers Russell and Gasper, Rosolino studied the guitar with his father starting at age 9. Frank took up the trombone at age 14, and graduated from Miller High School, while playing in the Cass Tech Symphony Orchestra, a fine music program that also produced Donald Byrd. Following service in the U.S. Army's 86th Division during World War II, he played with the big bands of Bob Chester, Glen Gray, Tony Pastor, Herbie Fields, and Gene Krupa. He became famous during a stint in the most popular of Stan Kenton's progressive big bands, (1952-1954), and settled in Los Angeles, where he worked with everybody in the business: Howard Rumsey's Lighthouse All-Stars (1954-1960), Terry Gibbs, Shorty Rogers, Benny Carter, Buddy Rich, Dexter Gordon, Carl Fontana, Jean "Toots" Thielemans, Stan Levey, Shelly Manne, Pete Christlieb, Bobby Knight, Conte Candoli, Med Flory, Donn Trenner, Mel Tormé, Louis Bellson, Marty Paich, Zoot Sims, Quincy Jones, and Tutti Camarata. He attempted to maintain his popularity in the 1970s through high-profile associations with non-jazz bands, including Tower of Power and Brass Machine, but most fans remember this period in his career through his association with Med Flory's Supersax. It was also during this time that Frank went on a very successful tour in Japan with Supersax. During the late 50s he participated in various Stan Kenton road tours which also included the Four Freshman and a jocular stage-rivalry as to who was the better trombonist between the Freshmen's Bob Flanigan and Rosolino became part of the act and a delight to all involved.

Rosolino was also a talented vocalist, renowned for his wild form of scat-singing. He recorded one vocal album, Turn Me Loose!, featuring both his singing and trombone playing. During his first tour with the Gene Krupa aggregation he recorded under the name of "Frankie Ross" his soon to be bop powerhouse, Lemon Drop. He often sang novelty songs on The Tonight Show and the second Steve Allen Show, produced for Westinghouse. He was also featured singing and playing in an episode of the Allen-produced half-hour syndicated program The Jazz Scene, hosted by Oscar Brown, Jr..

Frank's third wife, and the mother of their two sons, committed suicide in February 1972 in Los Angeles, California. He died in 1978 in Van Nuys, California, after a shooting which also included shooting both sons, Justin, 9, and Jason, 7. Jason survived, blinded, and was adopted by his mother's cousin, Claudia Eien, and her husband Gary. Jason is doing well and now resides in California and is a very talented musician.

The International Trombone Association established its first award for jazz trombone in Frank's memory, and he continues to be remembered as one of the greatest jazz trombone players of all time.

DISCOGRAPHY

New Concepts of Artistry in Rhythm (Capitol Jazz CDP 7 92865 2),1952
The Frank Rosolino Sextet (LP only - Affinity - AFF61), 1954
I Play Trombone, 1956
Free for All (Specialty - OJCCD - 1763 -2[SP-2161]), 1958
Turn Me Loose, 1961
Fond Memories of Frank, 1996
Thinking About You, 1976
Trombone Heaven ("Live" in Vancouver), 1978
Frank Talks, 1998
Complete Recordings of the Frank Rosolino Quartet featuring Sonny Clark, 2005
Last Recording, 2006
Let's Make It - Frank Rosolino Quintet, 2008

AS A SIDEMAN

Zoot SIMS & Frank ROSOLINO (Vogue VG 655622), 1953
Benny Carter-Jazz Giant, 1957
The Music of Bob Cooper - Coop! (Contemporary - OJCCD-161-2[C-7544]), 1958
Stan Levey - Stanley the Steamer (Affinity - CD AFF 768)
Tutti's Trombones (Bainbridge - BCD2049), 1970
Conversation (RCA TPL1-1509[LP only]), 1973
June Christy 1977 (Storyville/ STCD 4168), 1977
First Flight - Don Menza with Alan Broadbent, Frank Strazzeri and others, 1977
Supersax

OTHER ALBUMS

Trombomania! (Affinity CD AFF 761)[dual set with Kai Winding/JJ Johnson],1956
This One's for Basie - Buddy Rich and his Orchestra (Verve -817 788-2), 1956
Helen Humes - 'Tain't Nobody's Biz-ness If I Do (Contemporary/OJCCD-453-2[S-7571]), 1959
Mel Torme - Torme(Verve 823 010-2)
Mel Torme Swings Shubert Alley (Verve - 821 581-2)
Mel Torme - The Duke Ellington and Count Basie Songbooks (Verve 823 248-2)

On DVD

Jazz Scene USA (Hosted by Oscar Brown, Jr.) 1962

External links

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@@ Line 18: / Line 18: @@
 Frank's third wife, and the mother of their two sons, committed suicide in February 1972 in [[Los Angeles, California]].  He died in 1978 in [[Van Nuys, California]], after a shooting which also included shooting both sons, Justin, 9, and Jason, 7.  Jason survived, blinded, and was adopted by his mother's cousin, Claudia Eien, and her husband Gary.  Jason is doing well and now resides in California and is a very talented musician.
-Frank Rosolino also had two daughters.  His oldest child is Felecia Rosolino.{{Fact|date=December 2007}} She was given a one way ticket to New Zealand without being told when she was 11 to be with her birth-mother by the request of his girlfriend Diane Armesto.{{Fact|date=December 2007}} Frank also has another daughter named Parris Rosolino who was born to girlfriend Leslie Ann Bashore in 1963 whom he married 2 years later.   Parris Rosolino resides in Seattle, WA and has been working on the facts of the shooting since 2001 and has a lot of information regarding the shooting and factually is aware that Frank Rosolino did not shoot the gun per discussions with the LAPD Van Nuys and his friends and family and confession of the women that did shoot him and his children.{{Fact|date=December 2007}} {{Dubious|date=March 2009}}
 The International Trombone Association established its first award for jazz trombone in Frank's memory, and he continues to be remembered as one of the greatest jazz trombone players of all time.