Carl Fontana

Charles " Carl" Fontana ( born July 18, 1928 in Monroe, Louisiana; † 9 October 2003 in Las Vegas, Nevada ) was one of the best jazz trombonist, who in the 1950s in the United States had many successes and then to 2003 in Las Vegas has lived and worked. He could play very fast and extremely controlled. He improved a tongue technique called " Dudelzunge " (English: " doodle tongue" ) is called. Do can generate an impulse even when taking back of the tongue, so instead of do do do do do, dl - The tongue is twice quickly, because you - should work together instead of the usual every note with TA TA TA TA for example, or DO DO DO DO do do dl dl.

Life and work

Fontana was from his father, saxophonist and violinist Collie Fontana (who brought his family through the Depression as a plumber ), taught and played from 1941 to 1945 in addition to the school 's band. Then he studied at Louisiana State University, where in 1950 he earned a degree as a music teacher; incidentally, he played in symphony orchestras. 1951/2 he was one of Woody Herman's Third Heard, in New Orleans after he stepped in for Urbie Green in 1951 and was retained by the return of Herman. 1952 to 1953 he was with Al Belletto, 1954 at Lionel Hampton, 1954/5 at Hal McIntyre. 1955/6 he was with Stan Kenton as a soloist out, eg with " Carl" and "Polka Dots and Moonbeams " and went with him in 1956 on a European tour. 1956/7 recruited him from Kai Winding of Kenton. From the late 1950s he was in Las Vegas ( after he once again stepped in briefly in December 1957 with Herman ). There he played in show bands. In 1966 he played with Benny Goodman and went with Woody Herman to Europe and Africa tour. From 1968 he was a member of the previous bands of the "The World's Greatest Jazz Band " by Bob Haggart and Yank Lawson and played on the " Colorado Jazz Parties ". In the 1970s, he was one of Supersax ( from 1973) and played with Louie Bellson and Georgie Auld. In 1975, he had a band with drummer Jake Hanna (Japan tour). In the 1980s, he appeared regularly on the "Monday Night Jazz " show from National Public Radio. In 1985, he took on with its own quintet, including Al Cohn. From the 1990s he no longer played in Vegas bands, but only appeared worldwide as soloist and conducted in Vegas with the saxophonist Bill Trujillo and Arno Marsh a quintet. Last Fontana suffered from Alzheimer's.

He was married and had three children.

Lexical entries

• Carlo Bohländer inter alia: Reclams jazz leader. 1989
• Wolf Kampmann (ed.): Reclam Jazz Encyclopedia. Stuttgart 2003; ISBN 3-15-010528-5