Tony Fruscella

A mellow, lyrical cool jazz trumpeter in the vein of Chet Baker, Tony Fruscella unfortunately lived a similarly addictive lifestyle that led to a tragically premature death. Fruscella was born in Orangeburg, NY, on February 4, 1927, and gained his first important experience playing in an Army band. His cool tone--influenced by Miles Davis and swing-era veteran Joe Thomas, and also reminiscent of Bix Beiderbecke's fluidity--made him a nicely compatible sideman in the early '50s for artists like Charlie Barnet, Lester Young, Gerry Mulligan, and Stan Getz. In 1955, the same year he recorded with Getz, Fruscella led the only session officially released during his lifetime, I'll Be Seeing You (also re-released as Tony Fruscella).

Recently Japanese label Marshmallow Records released a major find -- private jam session recordings of Tony Fruscella from 1952.