Johnny Frigo

Johnny Frigo pursued two distinct paths in music. His introduction to strings came via violin lessons during grammar school, yet he switched to tuba so he could join his junior high ensemble and later settled on bass. He launched his professional career as a bassist in 1934, taking low-profile engagements before signing on with Jimmy Dorsey in the mid-'40s. In 1947 Frigo assembled the trio Soft Winds alongside guitarist Herb Ellis and pianist Lou Carter; the group enjoyed several years of popularity and together penned “Detour Ahead” and “I Told Ya I Love Ya, Now Get Out.” Once the ensemble dissolved in the early ’50s, Frigo spent the next few decades working as a Chicago studio bassist, handling sessions, jingles, and club work. Although he was offered the chance to cut a violin album for Mercury in 1957, he did not revisit his original instrument until 1988, when he appeared as a guest on a Herb Ellis Justice CD and led a pair of his own strong, swinging sessions for Chesky that established him among the leading players in the field.