Frank Rosolino: How to Sing Through the Horn

 Frank Rosolino will always and forever be a jazz trombone legend. His language and ability to navigate the horn could compete with anyone else to ever done it. The most dazzling aspect of his musicianship was not just how he could move around the horn, but also how he could move around his voice and the ability to seamlessly switch between both. He was an acrobat on and off the horn, and always an entertainer. This trait led him to have a successful career as a singer and trombonist, which was ultimately and tragically cut short. The first track that I ever heard from Frank was his rendition of "Pennies From Heaven" off his Album Turn Me Loose, which I believe highlights everything I have said.


Frank also had a tradition of playing in jazz brass ensembles, one that I discovered recently, with a trombone quartet with a trumpet frontman. The bone section is full of familiar names: Frank Rosolino, Maynard Ferguson, Tommy Pederson, Herbie Harper, with Russel Garcia as the front man. They are killer! Here is a video of them playing "Just One of Those Things."




As previously mentioned, Frank laid the groundwork for so many fantastic trombone/vocalist musicians to build upon. One who is currently tearing the scene up is Aubrey Logan. Aubrey has released four primary studio albums, but has appeared on dozens, most notably Scott Bradlee's Postmodern Jukebox, where she has, you guessed it, sang and played trombone. Below is a video of her performing "On the Sunny Side of the Street."

More examples of trombonists who have been known for doing both singing and playing would include.

Jack Teagarden

These are just a few of the many; I implore you to listen to all of the incredible musicians listed above. Thank you and happy listening!


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