The name Carl Fontana brings forth accolades from both fellow trombonists and jazz musicians. It is therefore surprising to realize that Carl has not toured consistently with any jazz group for nearly 35 years (since 1958), nor had he made an album solely under his own name until 1985 (The Great Fontana). Since 1958 Carl has spent the majority of his life working the lounges and show bands of Las Vegas – an effective place to hide and get lost. It is a testament to the respect and appreciation of Carl's reputation that knowledgeable jazz supporters have not allowed his voice to become silent over the years.

Carl was born Charles Carl Fontana in Monroe, Louisiana, on July 18, 1928. He is the oldest of three brothers, all of whom maintain their interest in music. His brother "Bootsie" is a dentist who still gigs on trumpet. There is little doubt that Carl's versatile, relaxed, blues-tinged playing had its roots in the popular music heard in Louisiana in his youth. His father, Collie Fontana, was a tenor saxophonist with his own traveling band. Starting lessons in a traditional public school program, Carl played in his father's band at age 16. The majority of Carl's early listening experiences were the popular swing bands of the '40s, featuring trombonists Tommy Dorsey and Jack Teagarden, and Bill Harris with Woody Herman's band.

Sports, especially baseball and football, were Carl's main interests while at Louisiana State University, where he earned a bachelor's degree in music education in 1950. In college, Carl was member of the marching band, concert band and orchestra (there was no jazz band or jazz curriculum), and he gigged with Lee Fortier's dance band at local clubs in Baton Rouge. His first professional job with a name band was filling in for Urbie Green (whose wife was having a child) with Woody Herman's Third Herd in 1951. He joined the band at the Blue Room in New Orleans. (Nothing like starting in a "hot seat!") Woody was so taken with Carl's playing, that when Urbie returned to the "Herd," Woody kept Carl and let one of the other trombonists go. The section settled down to Carl, Urbie and Urbie's brother Jack Green. His teacher and former band leader, trumpeter Lee Fortier, joined Woody's band later on.

The experience with Woody was Carl's start of an eight-year tour on the road with several bands. Because 1951-52 was a low point for the big bands, he was with the band for over a year before his first recording in 1952. Woody Herman, no longer having a Columbia Records recording contract, moved to the new but short-lived Mars Record label (MGM). Due to the limited recording and appearance on a new label, Carl Fontana did not receive the acclaim or attention he might have a few years earlier. To this day he remembers how he froze during his solo break his first time in front of a recording microphone. He hasn't missed a break since! Phil Wilson remembers first hearing Carl with the Woody Herman Band on a 10-inch MGM recording of East of the Sun and assumed it to be Urbie Green. In the February 1974 Instrumentalist, Wilson describes first hearing Buck Dance by the Herman Band. "What immediately caught my ear was Carl's melodic fluency and sense of humor. And you felt he was in control of the horn, instead of the horn controlling him, a rare trait among trombonists." Interestingly, within a few months of Carl's departure from Woody's Band, Woody added a fourth trombone and recorded Four Others (with Urbie Green, Vern Friley, Frank Rehak and Kai Winding). The Mars material was later reissued on Verne long playing records.

Tiring of the lifestyle, he returned home in 1953 and joined former college roommate Al Belletto's Band. A saxophonist, Belletto had a fine small band that over the years featured young musicians such as trumpeters Paul Fontaine and Willie Thomas, saxophonist Don Menza and trombonists Phil Wilson and Jimmy Guinn.

Althought Carl was not to have his own recording session for almost another three decades, the impact of his few brief solos recorded with the Herman band were strong enough in 1953 to tie him with the 27-year old Willie Dennis as Metronome's Yearbook New Trombone Star. Willie Dennis had been featured with the Lennie Tristano group and Elliot Lawrence Band.

1954 and '55 presented opportunities to tour with the hard blowin' Lionel Hampton Band (where Carl roomed with Boston trumpeter Herb Pomeroy) and the dance band of Hal McIntyre (offering Carl his first association and beginning of a lifetime friendship with arranger/saxophonist Al Cohn).

Herb Pomeroy remembers that when the Hampton Band toured the Deep South, Carl was able to get a car from home and for three weeks they traveled together. Herb remembers, "Conditions were rough. Carl and I had lots of fun – we weren't married then. Lionel Hampton thought enough of Carl's lyricism that he used to feature him playing ballads just with the rhythm section. He'd bring Carl right up in front of the band."

Late 1955 through 1956, as a member of the Stan Kenton Band, Carl received some of his best exposure. Carl was fortunate to have been with one of Kenton's best swinging bands. Unpretentious arrangements by Bill Holman, the constant yet vibrant swing of drummer Mel Lewis, soloists the caliber of trumpeter Sam Noto, saxophonists Bill Perkins, Lennie Niehaus, and for a while Lucky Thompson, plus a successful European tour created an exciting environment. Although not recorded commercially at the time, Carl received his own features in Bill Holman's up-tempo original Carl and the ballad Polka Dots and Moonbeams by Jimmy Van Heusen, arranged by Holman.

Bill Holman also used Carl on some late '50s West Coast dates incorporating Kenton band members. Carl's solos on two (they recorded three) of the original '50s Kenton albums for Capitol Records were classics. Intermission Riff by Ray Wetzel (from "Kenton on HiFi" recorded in Hollywood February 12, 1956), is a simple riff-like tune with just three chord changes, but Carl's floating, lyrical, four choruses are as stunning and fulfilling today as when they were recorded over 35 years ago. The solo line is not only "singable" but also enhanced by Carl's relaxed, fluent articulation and slide manipulation.

Recorded on May 22-24, the same year, Johnny Richard's Suite – Cuban Fire included outstanding and memorable solos by Carl on Fuego Cubano, Recuerdos and Quien Sabe. After two years, Carl left the Kenton Band in New York City and began regular work with Kai Winding's Septet (a four bone band, piano, bass, and drums). Kai and J. J. Johnson had recently disbanded their popular quintet and Kai wanted to expand the trombone ensemble concept.

Carl remembers the Septet working regularly and touring a great deal offering him little opportunity or desire to play elsewhere while in New York. The big band sound with only seven players, the promotion of Columbia Records, arrangements by Kai, Dick Lieb, Bob Brookmeyer, Nat Pierce, Al Cohn among others, and the friendly outgoing personality of Kai Winding all added to the public reception of the ensemble. Carl's playing was featured, although no extended solos were recorded. The ensemble thrived on the variety of soloists – Kai, Wayne André and bass trombonist Dick Lieb – and on their changing timbres and textures.

Carl, who was nicknamed "The Captain" (a tune Nat Pierce wrote for him), is heard paying tribute to Jack Teagarden on Kai's history of the jazz trombone: "Trombone Panorama" (Columbia CL999). One can hear how Carl adapted the legato approach, lip turns, and close position slide manipulation of Jack Teagarden to his own personal sound.

Bass trombonist, composer/arranger Dick Lieb joined the original Kai Winding Septet in July 1956. Following graduation from the Eastman School of Music, the Septet was Lieb's first regular professional gig. He remembers the group coming together and rehearsing for nine days before making its first Columbia album The Trombone Sound (CL936). Following that recording the group played mostly jazz clubs in the east. After one and a half years of standing next to Carl in the band, Dick Lieb says, "I could almost take him for granted. He was so low key. He makes it look so easy when he does it; I can't even think as fast as he could play!"

Dick Lieb also recalls Carl's endless search for the perfect mouthpiece, as Carl described his own sound at the time as having "too much edge." The second year of the group Kai started hooking college campus concerts. "Once," Lieb recalls, "the band was walking through a college gymnasium where we were to play. Out of the blue, Carl put down his case, walked over to a horizontal bar, and gracefully did a back flip off the bar, walked back to his horn and quietly continued walking." Carl Fontana is a big man, but that incident is evidence that he is also athletic and agile.

In 1957, Carl joined the Sextet of his friend al Belletto once again for a year. (Frank Rehak once again followed Carl's footsteps and joined the Kai Winding Septet.) For many listeners, 1958 marked the apparent disappearance of Carl Fontana on the national jazz scene. While traveling with Belletto, he tired of the road life again and settled into the Royal Nevada Hotel in Las Vegas.

While the next 15 years offered him minimal jazz exposure outside of Vegas (with exceptions in 1966 of a Benny Goodman tour and a State Department tour with Woody Herman), the casino lounges and show bands provided him regular work, security, and opportunity to settle down and raise a family of two daughters and a son.

Carl varied his activities between three venues: hotel/casino show bands; backing the likes of headliners Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Sammy Davis, Jr., and Wayne Newton; and small group lounge work such as the 1963 period he spent at the Thunderbird and Bourbon Street as a member of Louis Bellson's Octet (as head on the thrilling Bellson album "Thunderbird," Impulse A-9107), and the legendary after-hours jam sessions at The Tender Trap (also known as The Jazz Trap), Colonial House, and the '70s Palms. Other legendary trombonists who could be found working in town were Archie LeCoque, Eddie Morgan, and Tommy Turk.

His longest association in Las Vegas was with singer Paul Anka's band. While leader of the trombone section, Carl was able to bring trombonists Kai Winding and Frank Rosolino on the band with him. His relationship with Frank Rosolino was very close. The two used to head out to late night sessions together and called themselves "The Fastest Guns in The West." Rosolino, the extroverted, seemingly happy go-lucky prankster, was influential in Carl performing more frequently during the '70s. There are some collector's items of live tapes of the two of them playing in Canada and Texas. Rosolino's death in 1978 was very difficult for Carl – he had lost a close friend and spirit.

It was during the late '60s that Carl began to be heard more at a new phenomenon – the Jazz Party. Dick Gibson, a businessman and supporter of jazz in Colorado, was responsible for putting together and promoting The World's Greatest Jazz Band, which, along with co leaders bassist Bobby Haggart and trumpeter Yank Lawson, eventually included Carl on trombone. The nine to 10-piece group (first called the Nine Greats of Jazz) consisted of two trumpets, two trombones – Lou McGarity usually playing with Carl, two reeds, piano, bass and drums. The group was actually the offspring of jazz get-togethers that Gibson had been organizing since 1963. The format – hire a couple dozen of the best traditional jazz musicians alive, bring them to Colorado for three days; invite friends and people who would appreciate the affair; and mix and match musicians for almost two days of continuous music. This was Gibson's procedure, which made the Colorado Gibson Party the granddaddy and model for the frequent jazz parties and similar mini-festivals around the country. Don't overlook Carl's performances with the WGJB – as they are brief (usually no more than a chorus, or portion alternating with other soloists), but wonderful, humorous, swinging affairs.

It was actually Dick Gibson again who brought Carl back to the attention of jazz and the trombone underground. The 1971 Colorado Party was recorded and distributed on MPS records. It featured Carl in the company of Kai Winding, Urbie Green, and Trummy Young as well as a much acclaimed quartet performance of Johnny Mandel's Emily. With that performance, Carl added Emily and Polka Dots and Moonbeams to his list of personal favorite tunes and progressions. Carl accurately describes himself as a "pretty tune freak."

Although there was a return tour with Woody Herman and a few recordings featuring classic Fontana, it was the '70s that seemed to bring about the resurrection of a more general appreciation for Carl Fontana. In 1970 he toured with Benny Goodman and George Auld's band (a post previously held by Frank Rosolino), and in 1973 toured with the saxophone group Supersax. Supersax was an L.A.-based group organized by saxophonist (and actor) Med Flory and bassist Buddy Clark. Supersax recreated Charlie Parker's improvised solos, harmonized for sax section. Carl participated in their cross-country record promotion tour sponsored by Capitol Records.

That tour was the first time I had the pleasure of hearing and seeing Carl live. I had actually expected trumpeter Conte Candoli to be the soloist and my main reason for attending the program was to hear another one of my personal heroes, tenor saxophonist Warren Marsh. Imagine the shock of walking in a back door to the hall and hearing Carl Fontana warming up on trombone! I was amazed at how effortlessly he could handle the most incredible breakneck tempos. As the result of our meeting I was able to arrange for Carl Fontana to be the first guest soloist with the Harvard Jazz Band and to appear at the 1974 Boston Sackbut Week. The solos he recorded with Supersax (Salt Peanuts, Confirmation, Yardbird Suite, and Lover) were overdubbed.

Carl's life continued to be centered in Vegas but an August 1975 Concord Jazz Festival recording brought further attention and a Grammy nomination for best jazz combo recording of the year. Co-led by Carl and Supersax colleague drummer Jake Hanna, the band included trumpeter Bill Berry, saxophonist Plas Johnson, guitarist Herb Ellis, pianist Dave McKenna and bassist Herb Millman. Swing and fun certainly describe this infectious program. Carl's solo on A Beautiful Friendship has become a classic and model of construction and shape.

Later this same year L.A. jazz writer/critic Leonard Feather described Carl as "a master improviser – builder of solos that are created as effortlessly out of thin air as Duke wrote them on an empty piece of manuscript paper." In 1976 he was also acknowledged as the Las Vegas Entertainer of The Year.

The late '70s included more parties, invitations to trombone workshops (he was featured at both the 1980 Eastern Trombone Workshop in Washington and the International Trombone Workshop in Nashville), with less work in Las Vegas. (Carl said in 1989, "There used to be 1500 musicians in Vegas…now there are 160.") Carl was also involved in several mass trombone events including Bobby Knight's Great American Trombone Co., Vegas 76 + 4 Trombones events and Billy Robinson's Bay Bones. In 1989 he was featured at the ITW held at Eton College outside London, England and invited to serve on the 1992 ITW artist staff at Detmold, Germany.

Although the '80s continued the demise of regular lounge work in the Vegas casinos, they brought Carl many honors and several featured recordings. In 1985 Louisiana State University School of Music named him Alumnus Of The Year. As a result, he was featured playing Cherokee as guest soloist with the Tiger Marching Band at an LSU/Kentucky halftime show.

Besides CD reissues and air checks of some of his earlier features with Kenton, Carl was heard soloing with Bill Watrous in the movie score Sharkey's Machine (with Burt Reynolds) and was featured on albums by The Woody James Septet ("Hardcore Jazz"), with Bill Watrous ("Bill Watrous and Carl Fontana"), Louis Bellson and Raoul Romero big bands ("Don't Stop Now," "The Music of Raoul Romero," respectively), The Brass Connection ("A Five Star Edition") and finally in 1985 with Al Cohn, on Carl's own album, "The Great Fontana." (Be aware that the CD has four additional cuts not on the record for 20 additional minutes of glorious music.)

Carl's trombone stylistic influences include Jack Teagarden, Tommy Dorsey, J. J. Johnson, Bill Harris and Lou McGarity. Having played with McGarity in WGJB, Carl, in Cadence Magazine, said, "You never know how great a guy plays until you sit and work aside him. He was probably one of the all-time greats – he could really belt it out." Carl also attributes much of his dexterity on the trombone to little known Pittsburgh trombonist Tommy Turk, and listening to other horn players such as Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie. Carl's playing is unusual because of the seeming contradiction in his abilities. He can play the fireworks and up-tempo technical show to perfection but is also a warm and intimate ballad player. Like Lester Young, he plays long lines with his melodic shapes overlapping the chord changes.

Without effort he can drive ahead but also can lay back. He plays very cleanly yet is very soulful. Rather than smearing notes together, his doodle tongue (fast or double time articulation) produces a smooth yet precise individual note each with a rhythmic life and forward motion of its own; rather than smearing notes together, they have a life and forward motion of their own. Carl seldom incorporates glissandos into his solo work but is constantly personalizing phrases with short bends, dips, and blues nuances. He has personalized a technique Kai Winding used frequently – creating a bent note combining slide movement with a change in the oral cavity. Carl teaches by example. How did he learn the doodle tongue, and such elegant and economic use of the slide? "I'm lazy and I just don't like to tire my arm out. I think it's just utilizing the most comfortable register of the horn. You really have all you need in the first four positions."

Former teacher and leader Lee Fortier says, "He is the best natural jazz player there is." To quote the great J. J. Johnson, "To sit in the audience and witness a Carl Fontana performance is a mind-blowing experience."

In attempting to describe Carl Fontana's approach to the trombone, he has combined and contrasted relaxation and fire as much as any modern player. Add to that Carl's supreme command of the bebop language and blues inflection. He has beautiful time (Carl loves to take a chorus break without rhythm) and a warm, distinctive sound. His soloing contains signature licks; lip slurs from high F chromatically up to G, and his famed diatonic double-time figures create elements of surprise and joy.

Keen listener and observer Herb Pomeroy describes Carl's sound as "beauty with jazz roots. His music flows rather than has right angles. Carl plays with as much grace as any player with which I'm familiar. Except maybe on Cherokee, Carl is not a 'lick' player – he's broader than a bebop player. The thrill of my life would be to have Carl Fontana play in my band."

Carl continues to this day to check out mouthpieces and horns. Not interested in the business end of the music field, all he wants is a good rhythm section. Carl loves to play golf and his greatest joys are his grandchildren. The '90s hopefully will bring more visibility, honors and great rhythm sections for Carl. Ken Hanlon, professor of trombone at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, is working on his biography, and Michael Webb at Florida State University (A Study of the Jazz Performance Techniques of Carl Fontana. Thesis, Florida State University, 1992) and Howard Lamb at Penn State University are working on Carl Fontana dissertations. Ken Hanlon was most helpful in securing early pictures of Carl Fontana.

Bibliography

Atkins, Jerry. "Carl Fontana Interview." Cadence Magazine, Vol. 5, December, 1979,
pp. 7-8+.

Baker, David. "Jazz Styles and Analysis: Trombone." Downbeat Music Workshop
Publications, 1973.

Burnap, Gampbell. "Carl Fontana – A Virtuoso's Virtuoso." Crescendo International,
Vol. 25, November-December, 1988, pp 24-25,

Grissom, Nancy. "Trombonist Carl Fontana." Jazz Notes (Newsletter of The
Gainesville, Florida, Friends of Jazz), Vol. 5, No. 10, April, 1988.

Morrill, Dexter. Woody Herman -- A Guide to the Big Band Recordings, 1936 – 1987,
NY: Greenwood Press, 1990.

Rusch, Robert. "Carl Fontana Interview." Cadence Magazine, Vol. 16, July, 1990,
pp. 14-15+.

Sloan, Gerald. "Something Old, Something New." International Trombone Association
Newsletter, Vol. 7, No. 1, December, 1979, pp. 3-7.