Carl Fontana R.I.P.

[hermann]

sad news
The trombone world has lost a legend.

[zemry]

Carl Fontana was a great musician. Somehow him dying seems the end of an era.....always a sad thing.

My father, a now deceased trombonist, always thought that Carl and J.J. were the preeminent trombonists. I agree with him.

I remember hearing Carl play live at then Northeast Louisiana University in the mid 1970's. I remember him playing a jam session at the end and having the local musicians that he knew come up and play with him. He called my father up and asked him to play whatever instrument he wanted to play. My father, wisely, chose piano!

Having been born and raised in Monroe, Louisiana, Carl's hometown, I can tell you that he was an icon. He was born in a musical family and is still a legend amongst musicians in the know. I emphasize, "in the know."

Unfortunately, in the world of commercial music, all anyone remembers about Louisiana music these days is Brittany Spears.....a shame.

I meant to send an e-mail to Carl many times since his Alzheimer's set in and "never got around to it." I suppose there's a hard lesson there somewhere.

I always meant to buy a copy of The Great American Trombone Company and never did. I'm ordering one right now. When it comes in, I'll put it on the cd player, drink the beverage of my choice and remember old Monroe, Louisiana trombonists gone to rest.

Rest in Peace, Carl. You used your talents wisely as God intended.....may we all do so.

[zemry]

Here is a link to an article about Carl in the Monroe News-Star:

http://www.thenewsstar.com/localnews...929F7FDA.shtml

Monroe-born jazz legend dies at 75
Fred Phillips
fphillips@thenewsstar.com

October 10, 2003

Carl Fontana, hailed by some critics as "the world's greatest trombonist," died Thursday in Las Vegas.

Fontana, 75, was born July 18, 1928, in Monroe. He made his mark on the jazz world by creating a technique called "doodle tonguing," which he called "a self-defense against saxophone players." The technique allowed trombonists to play extremely fast and extremely clean, said Jeremy Davis, leader of the Equinox Jazz Orchestra, who remembers Fontana as a "super-friendly guy."

"He really made a mark on the world," Davis said. "The trombone is a different instrument after that guy. He raised the bar and set the standard."

Fontana's father, Charles "Collie" Fontana, had a local dance band, which gave Carl his start. His brother Michael "Mickey" Fontana said Carl always knew he wanted to be a jazz musician.

"My dad put a horn in his hand when he was about 6 years old," Michael Fontana said. "My dad actually had a dance band back in the '20s, '30s and '40s, and that's where my brother Carl picked it up."

His brother George "Bootsie" Fontana, a local dentist and musician, said Carl decided to be the best he could be and never wavered from that goal.

"That's about all he ever wanted to do, play music," George Fontana said. "That was his goal early on in life, and he decided to be the best he could be. We've always been proud of his accomplishments."

Fontana graduated from Neville High School before attending then-Northeast Louisiana Junior College. He went on to pursue a master's degree from Louisiana State University, but while there got an opportunity that was too good to pass up. Jazz master Woody Herman invited him to join the Third Herd. He toured with jazz greats like Herman, Stan Kenton and Kai Winding for several years, performing on the "Ed Sullivan Show," "The Tonight Show" and at Carnegie Hall.

In 1957, he settled in Las Vegas, where he played with the likes of Lionel Hampton, Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman and Frank Sinatra.

Las Vegas Sun columnist Jerry Fink wrote that Fontana was "one of the world's greatest jazz trombone players," adding that, "even on a bad day, he plays better than most good trombonists."

Ken Hanlon, a music professor at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas, where Fontana gave workshops, said of him, "Carl at 80 percent is better than 99 percent of all living trombone players. You are dealing with a phenomenon."

Despite his travels and busy schedule, George Fontana said his brother maintained close ties with his family and always made time for them.

"He was always there when we needed him," he said. "He was always ready to do something with the family."

Though slowed by Alzheimer's in his final years, Fontana continued to play almost until his death on Thursday, said Michael Fontana.

"His horn-playing was one of the last things that left him," he said. "He died peacefully after suffering with this horrible disease for several years, the comforting sounds of the music he so loved carrying him to his final rest."

He was survived by his two brothers, two sons Mark and Scott, a daughter Felicia and eight grandchildren.

Funeral arrangements for Carl Fontana were incomplete on Thursday night.


©The News-Star
October 10, 2003