Tony Fruscella (February 4, 1927 – August 14, 1969) was an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

trumpeter.

Biography

Tony Fruscella and his sister Maria, grew up in Greenwich Village, Manhattan, New York. He played in an

Army An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by ...

band early in his career. He worked as a sideman in the 1950s for

Charlie Barnet Charles Daly Barnet (October 26, 1913 – September 4, 1991) was an American jazz saxophonist, composer, and bandleader. His major recordings were "Nagasaki", "Skyliner", "Cherokee", "The Wrong Idea", "Scotch and Soda", "In a Mizz", and "South ...

Lester Young Lester Willis Young (August 27, 1909 – March 15, 1959), nicknamed "Pres" or "Prez", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and occasional clarinetist. Coming to prominence while a member of Count Basie's orchestra, Young was one of the most i ...

Gerry Mulligan Gerald Joseph Mulligan (April 6, 1927 – January 20, 1996), also known as Jeru, was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, pianist, composer and arranger. Though primarily known as one of the leading jazz baritone saxophonists—playing t ...

(1954), and

Stan Getz Stan Getz (born Stanley Gayetski; February 2, 1927 – June 6, 1991) was an American jazz saxophonist. Playing primarily the tenor saxophone, Getz was known as "The Sound" because of his warm, lyrical tone, with his prime influence being the wis ...

(1955). He played with Don Joseph later in the 1950s, but by the early 1960s his problems with drug abuse and alcoholism prevented him from performing. Fruscella released one album, ''I'll Be Seeing You'' (1955), as a leader during his lifetime. It was recorded with

Allen Eager Allen Eager (January 10, 1927 – April 13, 2003) was an American jazz tenor and alto saxophonist who also competed in auto racing and took part in LSD experiments. Early life Allen Eager was born in New York City on January 10, 1927. He grew up ...

and

Danny Bank Daniel Bernard Bank (July 17, 1922 – June 5, 2010) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, and flautist. He is credited on some releases as Danny Banks. Early life He was born on July 17, 1922. Professional career Early in his car ...

Danny Bank
JazzWax
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Atlantic Records Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over the course of its first two decades, starting from the release of its first recor ...

. He was married to singer

Morgana King Maria Grazia Morgana Messina (June 4, 1930 – March 22, 2018), better known as Morgana King, was an American jazz singer and actress.Liner notes by Joel Dorn – Morgana King album ''The Complete Reprise Recordings'' (2000).Liner notes by Ed Osb ...

.Liner notes by Doug Ramsey for Morgana King album ''Stretchin' Out'' (1977) The marriage ended in divorce after nine years.Liner Notes on Morgana King album ''I Just Can't Stop Loving You'' (1991)

Discography

* ''Tony Fruscella'' (Atlantic, 1955) * ''Fru'n Brew'' with

Brew Moore Milton Aubrey "Brew" Moore (March 26, 1924 – August 19, 1973) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. Early life He was born in Indianola, Mississippi, United States. Moore's formal musical training began at twelve, first on trombone, then c ...

(Spotlite, 1981) * ''Debut'' (Spotlite, 1981) * ''The 1954 Unissued Atlantic Session'' (Fresh Sound, 2011)

Notes

*Harrison, Max
''Modern Jazz, The Essential Records, A Critical Selection''
(1975) pp. ''61'' – *Yanow, Scott
''The Trumpet Kings, The Players Who Shaped the Sound of Jazz Trumpet''
(2001) pp. ''162'' – *Kerouac, Jack.
Lonesome Traveler
' (fiction) 1989 – Page ''115'' – *''Stan Getz: Nobody Else But Me'' by

Dave Gelly Dave Gelly MBE (born 28 January 1938) is a British jazz critic. A long-standing contributor to ''The Observer'', he was named Jazz Writer of the Year in the 1999 British Jazz Awards. Gelly is also a jazz saxophonist and broadcaster, presenting a ...

(2002) pp. ''68'' – *''Fifties Jazz Talk: An Oral Retrospective'' by Jack Gordon (2004) pp. ''71''- *''The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz'' by Leonard Feather, Ira Gitler (2007) pp. ''76'' – *''The Jazz Discography'' by Tom Lord (1993) *''The Penguin Guide to Jazz'' by Richard Cook, Brian Morton (2002) pp. ''536'' –

References

External links

Tony Fruscella at Jazz Discography
*Article on Fruscella
''Flying High and Low''
(August 11, 1981) ''The Boston Phoenix'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Fruscella, Tony 1927 births 1969 deaths American jazz trumpeters American male trumpeters Xanadu Records artists People from Orangeburg, New York 20th-century American trumpeters Jazz musicians from New York (state) 20th-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians