Irving Fazola: Biography

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• Buddy Arnold
• Roger Wolfe Kahn

• Pete Fountain
• Johnny Mince

• The Musical Maniacs
• Gus Arnheim

• Billy Butterfield
• Joe Sullivan
• Jess Stacy
• Bob Zurke
• Joe Kearns
• Ray Bauduc
• Gil Rodin

Born:

Dec 10, 1912 in New Orleans, LA

Died:

Mar 20, 1949 in New Orleans, LA

Genres:

Big Band Jazz Music, Swing

Decades Active:

1930's|1940's

Artistic Quality

Medium

Cultural Impact

Low

Popularity

Low

Ratings Guide

A great clarinetist, particularly skilled at counterpoint and playing the blues. Irving Fazola began to study C-melody sax and clarinet at 13, and performed in New Orleans with Candy Candido, Louis Prima, Sharkey Bonano, and Armand Hug before joining Ben Pollack in 1935. He went north with Pollack's orchestra in 1936. During the late '30s and '40s, Fazola returned periodically to New Orleans, while playing with a number of big bands. These included Augie Schellang, Gus Arnheim, Glenn Miller, Pollack, Bob Crosby, Jimmy McPartland, Tony Almerico, Claude Thornhill, Muggsy Spanier, Teddy Powell, and Horace Heidt. He resettled in New Orleans after 1943 due to poor health, ad played with various small groups as well as reuniting with Almerico and both Leon and Louis Prima.

- Ron Wynn, All Music Guide