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Frank Rosolino (August 20, 1926 – November 26, 1978) was an American jazz trombonist. He was well-known for his fast, distinct articulations and ability to improvise melodically in the upper register.

Biography

Born in Detroit, Michigan, Frank Rosolino studied the guitar with his father from the age of 9. He took up the trombone at age 14 while he was enrolled at Miller High School, where he played with Milt Jackson in the school's stage band and small group. He didn't graduate. He joined the 86th Division Army Band during World War II.^{[citation needed]}

Following his time in the Army, he returned home to Detroit. He performed in the Mirror Ballroom or the Bluebird with other musicians, such as Kenny Burrell, Paul Chambers, Tommy Flanagan, and the Jones brothers, Hank, Thad, and Elvin). He played with Charlie Parker in the 3 Deuces on 52nd Street in New York City.^{[citation needed]}

During these years Rosolino was also performing 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 (1954–1960) in Hermosa Beach.^[1]

Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, between nightclub engagements, Rosolino was active in many Los Angeles recording studios where he performed with such notables as Frank Sinatra, 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 for Liberty Records several albums of pop-style arrangements of current hits, such as the 1968 album "Grazing in the Grass." He can also be seen performing with Shelly Manne's group in the film I Want to Live! (1958) starring Susan Hayward, and also in Sweet Smell of Success (1957) with Burt Lancaster and Tony Curtis. He was a regular on The Steve Allen Show and a guest artist on The Tonight Show and The Merv Griffin Show. Rosolino was 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. He can also be seen performing in the half-hour syndicated program Jazz Scene USA, hosted by Oscar Brown, Jr.^{[citation needed]}

It was during the 1970s that Rosolino performed and toured with Quincy Jones and the Grammy Award winning group Supersax.

On November 26, 1978, Rosolino shot both of his sons as they slept. One died instantly; the other survived, but was blinded. Rosolino shot himself in the head immediately after shooting his sons and died.^[2][3]

Discography

As Leader

• 
  The Frank Rosolino Sextet (Affinity, 1954 – AFF61, LP only)


• 
  Frank Rosolino - Kenton Presents Jazz (Capitol; 1954, 1956 LP)


• 
  Frankly Speaking! - Kenton Presents Jazz (Capitol, 1955 LP)


• 
  I Play Trombone, (Bethlehem, 1956)


• 
  Frank Rosolino Quintet (Mode Records, 1957)


• 
  Free for All (Specialty, 1958 SP-2161, OJCCD 1763-2)


• 
  Turn Me Loose (Reprise, 1961)


• 
  Fond Memories of Frank, (Double-Time, 1996)


• 
  Thinking About You (Sackville, 1976)


• 
  Conversation (RCA, 1974; CD re-issue 2009)


• 
  Trombone Heaven (Live in Vancouver) (1978)


• 
  Frank Talks (1998)


• 
  Complete Recordings of the Frank Rosolino Quartet featuring Sonny Clark (2005)


• 
  Last Recording (Sea Breeze Jazz, 2006)


• 
  Let's Make It – Frank Rosolino Quintet (2008)

As a sideman

With Georgie Auld

• 
  In the Land of Hi-Fi with Georgie Auld and His Orchestra (EmArcy, 1955)

With Chet Baker

• 
  Chet Baker Big Band (Pacific Jazz, 1956)

With Elmer Bernstein

• 
  The Man with the Golden Arm OST (Decca, 1956)

With Buddy Bregman

• 
  Swinging Kicks (Verve, 1957)

With Conte Candoli

• Conte Candoli & Lee Morgan - Double or Nothin' (Fresh Sound, 1992)

With Benny Carter

• 
  Jazz Giant (Contemporary, 1958)

With Buddy Collette

• 
  Jazz Loves Paris (Speciality, 1958)

With Bob Cooper

• 
  Coop! The Music of Bob Cooper (Contemporary, 1958)

With Paulinho Da Costa

• 
  Agora (Pablo, 1976)

With Victor Feldman

• 
  Vic Feldman on Vibes (Mode, 1957)


• 
  Latinsville! (Contemporary, 1960)

With Dizzy Gillespie

• 
  The New Continent (Limelight, 1962)

With Quincy Jones

• 
  The Hot Rock OST (Prophesy, 1972)

With Stan Kenton

• 
  New Concepts of Artistry in Rhythm (Capitol Jazz, 1952 CDP 7 92865 2)


• 
  Popular Favorites by Stan Kenton (Capitol, 1953)


• 
  Sketches on Standards (Capitol, 1953)


• 
  This Modern World (Capitol, 1953)


• 
  Portraits on Standards (Capitol, 1953)


• 
  Kenton Showcase (Capitol, 1954)


• 
  The Kenton Era (Capitol, 1940–54, [1955])

With Barney Kessel

• 
  Let's Cook! (Contemporary, 1957 [1962])

With Johnny Mandel

• 
  I Want to Live (United Artists, 1958)

With Shelly Manne

• 
  My Fair Lady with the Un-original Cast (Capitol, 1964)


• 
  Manne–That's Gershwin! (Capitol, 1965)

With Gerry Mulligan

• 
  I Want to Live (United Artists, 1958)

With Anita O'Day

• 
  Cool Heat (Verve, 1959)

With Shorty Rogers

• 
  Shorty Rogers Plays Richard Rodgers (RCA Victor, 1957)


• 
  Portrait of Shorty (RCA Victor, 1957)


• 
  Afro-Cuban Influence (RCA Victor, 1958)


• 
  The Wizard of Oz and Other Harold Arlen Songs (RCA Victor, 1959)


• 
  Shorty Rogers Meets Tarzan (MGM, 1960)


• 
  The Swingin' Nutcracker (RCA Victor, 1960)


• 
  An Invisible Orchard (RCA Victor, 1961 [1997])

With Pete Rugolo

• 
  Music for Hi-Fi Bugs (EmArcy, 1956)


• 
  Out on a Limb (EmArcy, 1956)


• 
  An Adventure in Sound: Brass in Hi-Fi (Mercury 1956 [1958])


• 
  Percussion at Work (EmArcy, 1957)


• 
  Rugolo Plays Kenton (EmArcy, 1958)


• 
  The Music from Richard Diamond (EmArcy, 1959)


• 
  Behind Brigitte Bardot (Warner Bros., 1960)


• 
  10 Trombones Like 2 Pianos (Mercury, 1960)


• 
  The Original Music of Thriller (Time, 1961)

With Moacir Santos

• 
  Maestro (Blue Note, 1972)

With Lalo Schifrin

• 
  Gone with the Wave (Colpix, 1964)


• 
  Jazz Suite on the Mass Texts (RCA Victor, 1965) with Paul Horn
  

With Bud Shank

• 
  Girl in Love (World Pacific, 1966)

With Horace Silver

• 
  Silver 'n Brass (Blue Note, 1975)


• 
  Silver 'n Wood (Blue Note, 1976)

With Sonny Stitt

• 
  Sonny Stitt Plays Jimmy Giuffre Arrangements (Verve Records, 1959)


• 
  I Remember Bird (Catalyst, 1977)

Other albums

• 
  Zoot SIMS & Frank ROSOLINO (Vogue VG 655622), 1953


• Stan Levey Stanley the Steamer (Bethlehem BCP 1017, Affinity CD AFF 768) 1954–55


• Stan Levey This Time the Drums On Me (LP) Bethlehem BCP-37 US 1955


• Howard Roberts Quartet Something's Cookin' (Capitol/EMI ST 2241), 1965


• Trombones Unlimited, These Bones Are Made for Walkin' (Liberty Records LST-3449) 1966


• Trombones Unlimited, Holiday for Trombones (Liberty Records LST-7527) 1966


• Trombones Unlimited, One of Those Songs (Liberty Records LST-7549 ) 1968


• Trombones Unlimited, Grazing in the Grass (Liberty Records LST-7591) 1968


• 
  Tutti's Trombones (Bainbridge – BCD2049), 1970


• 
  June Christy 1977 (Storyville/ STCD 4168) 1977


• 
  First Flight Don Menza with Alan Broadbent, Frank Strazzeri and others, 1977


• Supersax


• 
  Conversation (RCA TPL1-1509 [LP only]), 1973


• 
  Trombomania! (Affinity CD AFF 761) [dual set with Kai Winding/JJ Johnson], 1956


• Buddy Rich This One's for Basie (Norgran MGN-1086/Verve 817 788-2) 1956


• Helen Humes 'Tain't Nobody's Biz-ness If I Do (Contemporary S-7571/OJCCD-453-2) 1959


• Mel Tormé Tormé (Verve 823 010-2)


• Mel Tormé Swings Shubert Alley (Verve – 821 581-2)


• Mel Tormé The Duke Ellington and Count Basie Songbooks (Verve 823 248-2)

On DVD

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

References

External links

• Frank Rosolino at Jazz Masters


• Frank Rosolino at Trombone Page of the World


• Frank Rosolino – 1926–1978 ... musical montage via Jazz Profiles blog 10/17/09 poignant posting