Pete Fountain - One of the most famous of all New Orleans jazz
clarinetists,
Pete Fountain has the ability to play songs that he has performed a
countless number of times (such as "Basin
Street Blues") with so much enthusiasm that one would swear he had just
discovered them. His style and most of his repertoire have remained unchanged
since the late '50s, yet he never sounds bored. In 1948,
Pete Fountain (who is heavily influenced by
Benny Goodman and
Irving Fazola) was a member of the Junior Dixieland Band and this was
followed by a stint with
Phil Zito and an important association with
the Basin Street Six (1950-1954), with whom the clarinetist made his first
recordings. In 1955,
Pete Fountain was a member of
the Dukes of Dixieland, but his big breakthrough came when he was featured
playing a featured Dixieland number or two on each episode of The Lawrence Welk
Show during 1957-1959. After he left,
Pete Fountain moved back to New Orleans, opened his
own club, and has played there regularly up until retiring from the nightclub
business in early 2003.
Pete Fountain's finest recordings were a lengthy string for Coral during
1959-1965 (they turned commercial for a period after that). ~ Scott Yanow, All
Music Guide
Contact Grabow for more information or
to book
Pete Fountain for your next corporate or private event.
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