Frank Rosolino


Frank Rosolino was an American jazz trombonist.

Biography

Rosolino was born in Detroit, Michigan, on August 20, 1926. He learned to play the guitar at age nine from his musically inclined father, but switched to the trombone at age fourteen. He performed with the big bands of Bob Chester, Glen Gray, Tony Pastor, Herbie Fields, Gene Krupa, and Stan Kenton. After a period with Kenton, he settled in Los Angeles, where he performed with Howard Rumsey’s Lighthouse All-Stars in Hermosa Beach. His composition “Blue Daniel” was first recorded by Shelly Manne & His Men in 1959 and later became a jazz standard, with notable versions by The Cannonball Adderley Quintet and Ben Sidran, who wrote lyrics for the song in 1979.
Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, between nightclub engagements, Rosolino was active in Los Angeles recording studios, performing with such notables as Frank Sinatra, Billy Eckstine, Sarah Vaughan, Tony Bennett, Peggy Lee, Mel Tormé, Michel Legrand, and Quincy Jones. In the mid-to-late 1960s, he and fellow trombonist Mike Barone, billed as “Trombones Unlimited,” recorded several albums for Liberty Records featuring pop-style arrangements of current hits, including the 1968 album Grazing in the Grass. He can also be seen performing with Shelly Manne’s group in the films I Want to Live!, starring Susan Hayward, and Sweet Smell of Success, with Burt Lancaster and Tony Curtis. He was a regular on The Steve Allen Show and appeared as a guest on The Tonight Show and The Merv Griffin Show. Rosolino was also a talented vocalist, renowned for his exuberant style of scat singing, notably on Gene Krupa’s hit recording “Lemon Drop.”
During the 1970s, Rosolino performed and toured with Quincy Jones and the Grammy Award–winning group Supersax.
Rosolino’s private life was deeply troubled. On November 26, 1978, he shot both of his sons—11-year-old Justin and 7-year-old Jason—as they slept. Justin died instantly; Jason survived but was blinded. Rosolino then fatally shot himself.

Discography

As leader

Frank Rosolino Frankly Speaking I Play Trombone Frank Rosolino Quintet Turn Me Loose! Jazz a Confronto 4 Conversation with Conte Candoli Just Friends with Conte Candoli Thinking About You – rec. 1976Free for All – rec. 1958The Last Recording – rec. 1978

As sideman

With Georgie AuldIn the Land of Hi-Fi with Georgie Auld and His Orchestra The Georgie Auld Quintet Plays the Winners
With Max BennettMax Bennett Max Bennett Plays
With Francy BolandBlue Flame Red Hot White Heat
With Buddy BregmanSwinging Kicks Swingin' Standards
With Benny CarterJazz Giant Aspects
With June ChristyFair and Warmer! June's Got Rhythm June Christy Recalls Those Kenton Days Do-Re-Mi Big Band Specials Impromptu
With Victor FeldmanVic Feldman on Vibes Latinsville!
With Terry GibbsLaunching a New Band The Exciting Terry Gibbs Big Band Explosion!
With Vince GuaraldiYou're in Love, Charlie Brown It Was a Short Summer, Charlie Brown
With Bill HolmanIn a Jazz Orbit Bill Holman's Great Big Band
With Quincy JonesThe Hot Rock OST Body Heat Mellow Madness I Heard That!!
With Stan KentonNew Concepts of Artistry in Rhythm Popular Favorites by Stan Kenton Sketches on Standards This Modern World Portraits on Standards Kenton Showcase The Kenton Era
With Gene KrupaDrummin' Man 1949
With Stan LeveyThis Time the Drum's On Me Grand Stan
With Shelly ManneMy Fair Lady with the Un-original Cast Manne–That's Gershwin!
With Charlie MarianoMariano Charlie Mariano Plays
With Skip MartinScheherajazz Songs and Sounds from the Era of the Untouchables Perspectives in Percussion Vol. 1 Perspectives in Percussion Vol. 2
With Gerry MulliganThe Jazz Combo from I Want to Live! Nightwatch
With Anita O'DayCool Heat Trav'lin' Light
With Shorty RogersShorty Rogers Plays Richard Rodgers Portrait of Shorty Afro-Cuban Influence The Wizard of Oz and Other Harold Arlen Songs Shorty Rogers Meets Tarzan The Swingin' Nutcracker An Invisible Orchard
With Pete RugoloMusic for Hi-Fi Bugs Out on a Limb An Adventure in Sound: Brass in Hi-Fi Percussion at Work Rugolo Plays Kenton The Music from Richard Diamond Behind Brigitte Bardot 10 Trombones Like 2 Pianos The Original Music of Thriller
With Howard Rumsey's Lighthouse All-StarsVol. 6 Lighthouse at Laguna Volume Three Music for Lighthousekeeping Double or Nothin' In the Solo Spotlight! Jazz Rolls Royce Jazz Structures
With Lalo SchifrinGone with the Wave Jazz Suite on the Mass Texts
With Horace SilverSilver 'n Brass Silver 'n Wood
With Zoot SimsZoot Sims Hawthorne Nights
With Joanie SommersFor Those Who Think Young The Voice of the Sixties!
With Sonny StittSonny Stitt Plays Jimmy Giuffre Arrangements I Remember Bird
With Frank StrazzeriTaurus Frames
With SupersaxSupersax Plays Bird with Strings Chasin' the Bird Dynamite!!
With Mel TormeSwings Shubert Alley I Dig the Duke/I Dig the Count A Day in the Life of Bonnie and Clyde
With others