Adrian Rollini
Adrian Francis Rollini ( born June 28, 1904 in New York; † 15 May 1956 Homestead (Florida ) ) was a multi- instrumental jazz musicians of early jazz and swing era. He played saxophone, piano, xylophone, celesta, and other instruments, including such exotic as the Couesnophon.
Life and work
Rollini came from a family of musicians and grew up in Larchmont ( USA, New York). With four years he played a Chopin concert at the Waldorf -Astoria in New York; at 14 he had his first group. In 1922, he scored his breakthrough in the early big band California Ramblers, where he remained until 1926. There he began with the piano, but then learned the bass saxophone because bandleader Ed Kirkeby wanted to use this as a bass instrument along with the tuba. On the unusual bass saxophone he played liquid and modern looking solos that were ahead of their time twenty years ..
From 1924 he headed a partial formation of the California Ramblers, the Little Ramblers, and 1926-1927 he became acquainted with the Goofus Five, named after the rare instrument played by Rollini Goofus ( Couesnophon ). Rollini played with frequently changing groups, group names and occupations with many sizes of swing as a session musician with Bix Beiderbecke, Red Nichols, Joe Venuti, Frank Trumbauer and Miff Mole. After a failed attempt as a leader in the Hotel New Yorker in 1927 he went to London to play with Fred Elizalde at the Savoy. In 1929 he returned to the United States and worked for the next decade mainly as a studio musician with among others Miff Mole, Jimmy Dorsey, Coleman Hawkins, Rube Bloom, Bunny Berigan, Red McKenzie and Bobby Hackett.
In April 1934, he came up with the song recorded for Vocalion "A Thousand Goodnghts " for the first time in the national charts; was his second and last hit " Weather Man " in July 1935 with Wingy Manone and Carmen Mastren as a band singer. This year he opened his own club, Adrian 's Tap Room, in the basement of the Hotel President in the West 48th Street; played there, among others Wingy Manones quartet. Rollini played since that time vibraphone and played with his trio dance music in hotels. In his last years he played no role in the current development of jazz and was owner.
Rollini has set as a bass saxophone player for not only this rather rare instrument, but especially for the baritone saxophonist of the following swing era standards. Along with Duke Ellington, Harry Carney and Jimmy Dorsey ( who occasionally played in the twenties bass saxophone), he proved to be one of the first that one liquid and can phrasing delicate and sensitive also to the lower saxophones even. On the vibraphone / xylophone he belongs with Lionel Hampton and Red Norvo of the pioneers of this instrument (his first Vibraphonaufnahme is almost the same time as the first published by Hampton), critics missing but despite all the technical perfection of this instrument with him the stirring emotion, the his bass solos distinguished.
He died on May 15, 1956 in Homestead (Florida ).
Honors
1998 Rollini was inducted into the Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame.
Groups under his direction
- Adrian and his Tap Room transition
- Adrian Rollini and his Orchestra
- Adrian Rollini Quintette
- Adrian Rollini Trio
- Adrian's Ramblers
- Goofus Five
- Little Ramblers
Musicians in his groups
Under Adrian Rollinis line played:
Charlie Barnet (tenor saxophone), Bunny Berigan (trumpet ), Artie Bernstein ( bass), Clay Bryson (vocals), Chick Bullock (vocals ), Pat Circirello (trumpet ), Harry Clark ( bass), Jimmy Dorsey (clarinet, alto saxophone), Tommy Dorsey (trombone ), type Drellinger (clarinet, tenor saxophone), Al Duffy (violin), Benny Goodman ( clarinet), Irving Goodman ( trumpet), George Hnida ( bass), Pat Hoke (vocals), Jonah Jones ( trumpet), Stan King ( drums), Dave Klein ( trumpet), Manny Klein ( trumpet), Carl Kress (guitar), Gene Krupa (drums), Eddie Lang (guitar), Ella Logan ( vocals), Charlie Magnante (piano, accordion ), Dick McDonough (guitar), Johnny McGee (trumpet ), Fulton McGrath ( piano ), Red McKenzie (vocals), Art Miller ( bass), Joey Nash (vocals), Gwynn Nestor (guitar ), Al Phil Burn (trombone), Howard Phillips ( vocals), Paul Ricci ( clarinet), Buddy Rich (drums), Arthur Rollini (tenor saxophone), Pee Wee Russell ( clarinet), Jack Russin ( piano ), Artie Shaw ( clarinet, alto saxophone), Al Sidell (drums), Phil Sillman (drums), Howard Smith ( piano ), Sid Stoneburn ( clarinet), Jack Teagarden (trombone), George Van Eps (guitar), Jane Vance (vocals), Joe Venuti (violin ), Frank Victor ( guitar), Herb Weil ( drums, vocals ).
Compilations with recordings of Rollini
- Adrian Rollini - Bouncin ' in Rhythm. 1995 Pavilion Records Ltd..
- The Goofus Five. 1998 Timeless Records
- Tap Room Swing. 2002 Living Era
Title discography
Had been moved to Adrian Rollini / Discography