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Jazz trombonist Frank Rosolino matched any of the idiom's giants in fluidity, technique, and imagination. He was a comic vocalist, but there was nothing funny about his solos. They were smooth and dazzling, delivered with ease and precision.

Born in Detroit, Rosolino began as a guitarist at 10 and trombone later in his teens. He joined the army at 18, and played with service bands both in America and the Philippines. He played in several big bands after his discharge, among them Bob Chester, Glen Gray, Gene Krupa, Tony Pastor, Herbie Fields, and Georgie Auld. Rosolino began leading his own group in Detroit, then joined Stan Kenton's orchestra in late 1952. He spent his latter career in California, playing with Howard Rumsey's Lighthouse All-Stars from 1954 to 1960 and with Donn Trenner's band for Steve Allen's television show from 1962 to 1964.

Rosolino did several studio dates in Hollywood, then worked in Europe with Conte Candoli during the '70s. He toured with Benny Carter in 1974, and worked with Supersax and Quincy Jones in Japan, appearing often on recording sessions and film soundtracks. Tragically, Rosolino committed suicide in 1978. ~ Ron Wynn & Michael G. Nastos

Best-known as the trumpet section leader in Doc Severinsen's Tonight Show Band, Conte Candoli was a fine all-around jazz stylist most at home in the worlds of bop and West Coast cool jazz. Younger by four years than his similarly accomplished trumpet-playing brother Pete, Conte was born Secondo Candoli in Mishawaka, IN, on July 12, 1927. He first patterned himself after players like Harry James, Roy Eldridge, and Dizzy Gillespie, later discovering Miles Davis and Clifford Brown. His first job came at age 16, when brother Pete recommended him for a summer gig with Woody Herman's Thundering Herd; after graduating high school, he joined full-time. He went on to play with several other bands, including Stan Kenton, whom he left in 1954 to form his own band. After leading some recording dates, he soon found a more comfortable existence, moving to Los Angeles and taking session jobs in between gigs with Howard Rumsey's Lighthouse All-Stars. After about four years, he left in 1960 to work with drummer Shelly Manne, while he and Pete both enjoyed top-dog status in the L.A. session community. In 1968, Candoli took a part-time gig with the Tonight Show Band and joined permanently in 1972, when the show officially moved to Burbank. During the '70s, he was also a member of Supersax, among other L.A. all-star outfits, and also continued his periodic collaborations with his brother. Candoli retired from the Tonight Show along with Johnny Carson in 1992, and continued to play until a battle with cancer slowed his activities. Candoli died in a convalescent home on December 14, 2001. ~ Steve Huey