Frank Rosolino

FRANK ROSOLINO s far as really being here, weeks has been a complete ball. have. Those I've met and heard in- this was my first visit to Also, on a few nights John Taylor clude John Marshall, Wally Smith, Britain. I was here in 1953 was committed elsewhere; so Bobby Lamb, Don Lusher, George Awith Stan Kenton, which Gordon Beck come in to take his Chisholm. I liked George's playing was just an overnight thing; so place. He's another really excellent very much; he has a nice conception twenty years have elapsed in be- player. You've got some great play- and feel, good soul, and he plays tween. I've been having an abso- ers round here! with an extremely good melodic lutely beautiful time here, and en- They're equal to musicians I sense. joying London. work with in the States. I mean, it As for my beginnings—I was Playing at Ronnie Scott's with doesn't matter where you are; once born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, me I had John Taylor on piano, Ron you've captured the feeling for jazz, until I was old enough to be drafted Mathewson on bass and Martin and you've been playing it practi- into the Service, which was the latter Drew on drums. Absolutely great cally all your life, you're a pro at it. part of '44. I started playing guitar players, every one of 'em. I can't tell I've heard so much about when I was nine or ten. My father you how much I enjoyed myself, and trombonist Chris Pyne that when I played parties and weddings on it just came out that way. This met him I asked him if he'd come mandolin, guitar, clarinet and a few rubbed off on the people, too. When over and play some time. So he sat things; that's where we get our basic you get musicians of that calibre, it's in one night, and we had a nice time. training, you might say. I used to go just a happy feeling all the way He sounded beautiful; he's a mar- along and accompany him, until I round; everybody's just grooving to- vellous musician. It amazes me how was around twelve years old. He gether. Every night of the three many good trombone players you thought it would then be wise for me Frank Rosolino Page 1 of 12 to go on to another instrument; he Russell was a virtuoso of the violin, good time and swinging. When I suggested accordion, but—to put it and he's never forgotten that. I think wasn't practising at home, I'd con- mildly—I wasn't too keen on that! he was playing mostly piano then; stantly be out on dances or whatever. Actually, it was my brother later he started getting into the vibes. I was a slow starter, as far as Russell who instigated my playing They had a stage band and a small reading, because I was more into the the trombone. He suggested it to my group that we could play in; we got horn that I was into that—let's put it father, and we went to a pawnshop the whole treatment there—it was that way. And I guess, in a lot of downtown and picked one up. I be- great. The students at the school ways, that’s what made me a better gan to play it immediately; I didn't were eighty-five to ninety per cent trombone player than I would have know what I was doing exactly, but I black. So I grew in that environ- been. I wasn't just stuck in the book, just tried to get a sound. Being mu- ment, with jazz music around me all learning how to read music, pe- sic in the family, I had an ear; so I the time; this is where I developed a riod—that could be accomplished at fished around, finding the notes on natural feel for it. a later time. I'm not saying that's the the horn before I could even read. I guess the music Milt and I proper way to go about it; it's just Then I took it up in grammar school, were playing in school was consid- the way it happened for me. and learned the actual positions. ered Swing style; it was the days It wasn't until 1947 that I Russell used to practise all the when all the bands, like Benny started playing with a professional time—almost continuously. I used to Goodman, Bob Chester, Gene band. I got out of the Service in listen to him, and try to mimic on Krupa, were just playing Swing mu- early '46, I believe. I went back to the trombone what he was playing sic. But there were a lot of jam ses- Detroit, and was working around the on the violin. I probably owe a lot of sions going on all the time then—a clubs there. Downtown in Detroit, the technique to that—you know, lot of small groups and places to there used to be a place called the getting around faster on the horn. play. Before I was really into the Mirror Ballroom, and it became the We went to school with Milt horn, reading-wise and learning the spot where, when bands would come Jackson. As a matter of fact, he techniques of arranging and com- in town, they'd come down there to graduated a year before I did. To this posing, stuff like that, we were just blow. We had some marvellous ses- day, Milt will ask me, how's my into blowing all the time—getting sions. brother RusseIl? He remembers that out, playing tunes, and just having a Frank Rosolino Page 2 of 12 One time, members of both the Drop"; I think ours was the first one Yes, right then Krupa was Bob Chester and Sonny Dunham out. Chubby Jackson and Terry modernising his band; he had bands came down to play. They Gibbs recorded it with Woody Her- changed a lot of musicians. I joined heard me, and I was offered jobs man just after us; they had a little shortly after Ventura had been on with both bands. So then I started more exposure and theirs became the band. I was on records like putting two and two together, and I more popular. But that was one of "Leave Us Leap". Oh, Krupa had a figured it was about time I made the the first things I did; I had a ball on great jazz band them, with trumpet move. I picked Bob Chester, for the that, scat singing and playing. players like Don Fagerquist, Al Por- simple reason that I thought if I went It seems like all my life I've cino, Ray Triscari and a fantastic with Sonny Dunham's band I always sung somewhat, from church tenor player, Buddy Wise. It was a wouldn't be doing much blowing right on down. I always liked other great experience. Gene never had an there, with Sonny being a trombonist singers, and it's just something I've ego thing going like some leaders; himself as well as the leader. And enjoyed doing once in a while. I he was always very friendly, very Bob Chester had put together a sang a couple with Bob Chester` and nice to work with. He's a beautiful pretty good jazz band at that time; with Krupa I did a few, like "Pennies man. which I joined—and went out on the From Heaven". Of course, I didn't I can honestly say that I've road professionally for the first time. do the version of "Pennies From enjoyed every band I've been on. Then one thing led to another. Heaven" that I do on that "Turn Me You learn from everything. They all When you start working with a pro- Loose" album, and the way I used to have their own style, and I chalk it fessional band, you're touring sing it with Stan Kenton. That was a all off as worth-while experience. around, meeting different musicians, pure accident, really. I was clowning I stayed with Krupa about a and the word gets about that there's a around one day in front of the year-and-a-half; then I moved on to new trombonist or a new soloist on Kenton band, and all of a sudden I some small groups. I worked with the scene. From there, in 1948, I had started scat singing and yodelling. Herbie Fields for about a year, had a an offer to work with Gene Krupa. People flipped over it; so Stan said: job with Glen Gray that lasted about That's when they were calling "Keep that in!" And I've been stuck six months, followed by a stay with me Frankie Ross, the Lemon Drop with yodelling for twenty years! Georgie Auld. Then Tony Pastor— Kid. We did a recording on "Lemon that was another short spell, because Frank Rosolino Page 3 of 12 it wasn't really a jazz band. Still, I are, and the kind of music they pro- That was the band that came to enjoyed that. From Tony Pastor, I duce. Today, Stan's pretty much that Europe, in 1953. And to this day, started working with Stan Kenton. way; 1953 was the only time he's everybody says—whether Stan ad- This was in the winter of 1951.

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