In the world of jazz trombone, Frank Rosolino displayed a command of fluidity, technique, and imagination that placed him alongside the idiom’s foremost masters. Although he occasionally sang in a comic style, his instrumental solos contained no trace of levity; instead they unfolded with smooth brilliance, executed through effortless precision.
A native of Detroit, Rosolino started on guitar at age ten and took up the trombone in his later teens. He enlisted in the army at eighteen and performed with military ensembles in both the United States and the Philippines. After leaving the service he worked with several prominent big bands, among them those of Bob Chester, Glen Gray, Gene Krupa, Tony Pastor, Herbie Fields, and Georgie Auld. He formed his own group in Detroit before entering Stan Kenton’s orchestra in late 1952. The remainder of his career was centered in California, where he appeared with Howard Rumsey’s Lighthouse All-Stars from 1954 to 1960 and with Donn Trenner’s band on Steve Allen’s television program from 1962 to 1964.
Rosolino recorded numerous studio sessions in Hollywood and later performed in Europe alongside Conte Candoli during the 1970s. In 1974 he toured with Benny Carter and joined Supersax and Quincy Jones for engagements in Japan, contributing regularly to recording dates and film soundtracks. In a tragic development, Rosolino took his own life in 1978.
