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Carl Fontana RIP


Gordokae

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I just heard about this myself. Carl was my friend and my favorite trombonist. He was an under-appreciated master of the instrument and a hell of a nice guy. Fortunately there are recordings to document his greatness, not a lot, but some great ones. He made it sound easy, which of course it isn't, and had a gift for melody. Plus he swung his ass off. He has been battling Alzheimer's, and had gone downhill pretty quick, just over the last several years. A friend and I visited him out in Vegas a year and 1/2 back, and while he did remember us at that point, he obviously was deteriorating. I knew this was coming, but that doesn't make it any easier. At some point let's talk about recordings of Carl to check out.

Thank you, Carl, for your musical genius, your great spirit and most of all thanks for inspiring me to play. God Bless.

Edited by Free For All
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At some point let's talk about recordings of Carl to check out.

Thank you, Carl, for your musical genius, your great spirit and most of all thanks for inspiring me to play. God Bless.

Thank you Free for all and Amen! One of the greatest of all trombone players, perhaps not quite as explosive as Rosolino, but Carl was nearly nearly unbeatable for melodic flow. Bill Watrous was a really big fan of Carl's.

Two fine recordings in my collection (besides this one) come to mine.

Heavyweights - a mid-90's quintet recording by Bobby Shew and Carl (on Mama)

Bobby Knight's Great American Trombone Company (from around '78). Carl and Ros' are guest soloists, and my memory is slipping here, but I think they play together on a couple of tracks. There is one funny story in the liners about how Carl was late for the gig one night because of a traffic jam. As soon as he stepped on stage Knight called an uptempo "I Got Rhythm" and let Carl take the first solo. Carl sailed through it. (it's on the recording). He said he figured Knight would do this and so had been warming up on his mouthpiece in the cab!

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There another story from that same night. At the start of the first set Rosolino went over to the empty chair where Carl should have been sitting, curled his arm around the back of the chair, and said, "Hello Carl, I see you've lost some weight!" Only trombone players are crazy enough to think of these things (that's OK - I'm one of them, well, I was!).

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Those are some great recommendations, John. The Bobby Knight recording is one of my personal favorites, but I'd have to recommend it only to Frank/Carl fanatics because you have to wade through some fairly cheesy trombone ensemble charts to get to the good stuff, but the good stuff is certainly plentiful. The CD release of this session has two excellent extra quartet cuts- one featuring Frank on Lover Man and one featuring Carl on Stardust.

My first exposure to Carl was on the Supersax "Salt Peanuts" album. Carl blew on Yardbird, Confirmation and Salt Peanuts. When I heard those solos, I knew this was it- THIS was the way trombone should be played. I figured at that point I could either quit or I could start working. I'm glad I chose the latter.

There's an old Impulse Louie Bellson side from 1963 called "Thunderbird" with Carl playing some nice solos. Also a Pacific Bill Perkins Octet side from 1956. Kenton's Cuban Fire Suite (plus a classic Carl solo on Intermission Riff). Some assorted Woody Herman dates.

Another classic- the Concord Hanna-Fontana Band. For some reason Carl never liked this side, but for me any many others he sounded magnificent. This Is The End Of A Beautiful Friendship is a lesson in swing and solo development.

I got to know Carl through being on the Herman band. For Woody's 5oth Anniversary there was a concert at the Hollywood Bowl- the current Herd played alongside an alumni Herd- Fontana, Jake Hanna, the Candoli brothers et al. Stan Getz was there. Afterward there was a a big party at Woody's house-the one he eventually lost to the IRS. John Fedchock and I hung with Carl all night, and he drank us under the table. Through fate and manipulation I got to hang with Carl many times after that, and he played on my CD for next to nothing (I tried to pay him more, but he refused). I never thought I'd actually get to play with someone I held in such high esteem as Carl. He kicked my ass, BTW.

He had a general mistrust of the music business, and the consequence is that his too-small discography is littered over many labels. He wasn't particularly a hustler, but if you could get him to a gig, he'd always steal the show. I attended a clinic of his once- someone asked about his warm-up routine. He said "Oh, this is what I usually do to warm up" and launched into a doodle-tongue frenzy that left all the kids slack-jawed. Carl's warm-up. Right.

Plus he always chewed gum WHILE PLAYING. Any horn player knows how odd this seems. I kept waiting for a giant bubble to come out his bell.

OK, any of you guys with Carl stories, please speak up.

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Paging Chuck Nessa! You recently posted that you were in possession of some Carl and Frank recordings. Elaborate, please. :)

I have some tapes that have been floating around of these two doing some gigs together. I wish they'd have done something that was released. They really played off each other well.

Man, I think about my three favorite trombonists- JJ, Carl and Frank and realize they all had a sad demise. Not that that's unique in the history of jazz, just sad.

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Some favorite Carl Fontana solo contributions are on:

- the Max Bennett Bethlehem album where he is in the good company of Nick Travis, Charlie Mariano, Dave McKenna and others,

- the Martial Solal and the Kentonians Swing/Vogue date (his solo on 'Jive at Five' is a marvel),

- the Bill Perkins On Stage Pacific Jazz album (that was reissued several years ago),

- the Bill Holman Big Band 'Jazz Orbit' date on Andex (he is featured on 'After You've Gone'),

- the Louis Bellson Octet 'Thunderbird' album on Impulse (his solo on 'Back on the Scene' is another beautiful improvisation).

Not to speak of that 'Great Fontana' album on Uptown.

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My Favorite is "The Great Fontana". Only second to that are the 2 sessions with another Bone-great Jiggs Whigham.

Cameo appearences that I like are on "Bill Perkins on Stage", and on several of the Woody Herman bands.

Hey didn't Randy's father, Arno Marsh, played a lot with mr. Fontana in Las Vegas?

Why don't we ask him for some first hand memories!!! I bet he has some great memories to share!

Edited by White Lightning
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I only have the Great Fontana and have, unfortunately, never checked out his other recordings. However, if that were the only thing he ever recorded, his reputation would have been cemented with just that one disc. The whole band is great on this date, especially Al Cohn and Richard Wyands. The first time I listened to this I couldn't believe how good this was. I believe this is hard to find but if you have the opportunity to get it, don't pass it up.

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Deep (Danny D'Imperio) posted this at AAJ.

He bought the farm.

Here's a letter from his daughter:

Dearest Deep,

Today my father passed away, I am so sad......and yet I am so happy that he is free from this terrible disease that has kept him prisoner for these past 3 years. I know he is in heaven having a huge jam session with all his old friends and his family. I have not arranged the services yet but will let you know asap. Please let all of his friends and fans know that he passed away peacefully listening to his music playing in the background. I believe that is what he needed to let go. All his children were near. He was not in pain. I am doing alright...I sorry this is short....It is hard to write....Just be happy for my dad that he can be free to do anything he wants to now...he is free.

Chatcha Later, Felicia

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BTW, for anyone who might be interested, Carl's memorial service will be on Tuesday, October 14th at 3 pm at Palm Mortuary, 7400 West Cheyenne, Las Vegas.

You might have heard it was going to be on Sunday, but that was incorrect. I wish I could attend, I'm still trying to work it out. My heart goes out to Carl's family and friends.

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Guest ariceffron

i actually bought a lp last week by the world greatest jazz band- i had no idea of the people on it sans ralph sutton but if you saw the cover you wouldnt believe how cool it was. that is all i know

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Hey didn't Randy's father, Arno Marsh, played a lot with mr. Fontana in Las Vegas?

Why don't we ask him for some first hand memories!!! I bet he has some great memories to share!

I'm pretty sure they did work together, and even recorded a live cd.

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The Carl Fontana-Arno Marsh Quintet, Live at Capozzoli's, Las Vegas, 1997, Woofy Productions Inc. PO Box 272, Phoenix, Arizona 85001 with Brian O'Rourke, piano; John Leitham, bass; Dick Berk, drums. Rangy (12 minutes on average) versions of Milestone, Perdido, Mulligan's Disc Jockey Jump...Was listening to a Kenton concert CD issued in England last night. The disc features Kenton with guests Lee Konitz, Bird and Fontana (all on different cuts). Interesting to hear Fontana's feature on Polka Dots and Moonbeams with Kenton in the late 1950's compared to the near perfect version he recorded on The Great Fontana...(sorry I don't have the Kenton disc title with me ).

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Thanks for that info, Lazaro. I need to get that one- I do have some of the other Woofy recordings w/Carl. As I said before, his general disdain of the music business resulted in a dearth of recordings, so it's great that he managed to get some things out over the last 10 years or so.

His memorial service is today. I regret that I couldn't attend, but I'm with him in spirit. Thanks again, Carl, for sharing your great gift. You will be fondly remembered by many, and your legacy will live on.

Edited by Free For All
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The New York Times carried this obituary today:

October 15, 2003

Carl Fontana, 75, Trombonist Who Improved Jazz Technique, Dies

By BEN RATLIFF

Carl Fontana, a jazz trombonist whose effortless-sounding virtuosity became widely known through his tenure      with the Woody Herman and Stan Kenton bands, died on Thursday in Las Vegas, where he lived. He was 75.

He had been suffering from Alzheimer's disease.

Mr. Fontana was born in Monroe, La. As a teenager, he played in the jazz band led by his father, Collie Fontana. After graduating from Louisiana State University, he was hired by Herman for his Third Herd band; at the time, the trombone section included the brothers Urbie and Jack Green. Mr. Fontana then joined bands led by Lionel Hampton and Hal McIntyre.

In 1955 he was hired by Kenton, with whom he recorded 11 albums; his plangent playing on "Fuego Cubano," from "Cuban Fire!" (1956), is some of his best-known. Mr. Fontana also played in Kai Winding's four-trombone band in 1956 and 1957.

In 1966 he joined Woody Herman again for a State Department tour. In the late 1970's he toured Japan with the bandleader Georgie Auld, and worked with Supersax and the World's Greatest Jazz Band.

Mr. Fontana invented a technique he called "doodle-tonguing," in which a trombonist creates legato by mouthing "doodle doodle" in the mouthpiece. He developed it, he once said, "in self-defense against tenor saxophone players."

"They were playing breakneck tempos," he said, "and I came to the conclusion that if I didn't learn to play fast, I would not be able to keep up with the times. So I started practicing a fast way of articulating."

Mr. Fontana is survived by a daughter, Felicia Valenty, and two sons, Mark and Scott, all of Las Vegas; two brothers, George and Michael, of Monroe, La.; and eight grandchildren.

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