Johnny Frigo

American jazz musician

Johnny Frigo (December 27, 1916 – July 4, 2007) was an American jazz violinist, bassist and songwriter. He appeared in the 1940s as a violinist before working as a bassist. He returned to the violin in the 1980s and enjoyed a comeback, recording several albums as a leader.

Frigo was born in Chicago and studied violin for three years beginning at age seven. In high school he started to play double bass in dance orchestras. In 1942 he played with Chico Marx's orchestra and performed a comedy routine on violin with Marx on piano. He entered the United States Coast Guard during World War II and played in a band on Ellis Island with Al Haig and Kai Winding. After a brief turn at active service near the end of the war he moved to New Jersey. He toured with Jimmy Dorsey's band from 1945 to 1947, later forming the Soft Winds trio with Dorsey's guitarist Herb Ellis and pianist Lou Carter. During this time he wrote the music and lyrics to "Detour Ahead",

In 1951, Frigo returned to Chicago, primarily working as a studio bassist and arranger. He also led the band at Mr. Kelly's, a popular Rush Street nightspot. Between 1951 and 1960 he played fiddle hoedowns and novelties with the Sage Riders, the house band for the WLS radio program National Barn Dance. He played with the Sage Riders for another fourteen years after WGN revived the show in 1961. In that time he worked with Chicago jazz vocalist Anita O'Day in live and studio recordings done in Chicago. He was featured (on bass) on O'Day's quartet version of "No Soap, No Hope Blues". Frigo is credited as playing fiddle for the track "A Rectangle Picture" on the Mason Proffit album Wanted released in 1969 on the Happy Tiger label. In the mid 1980s Frigo largely abandoned playing bass to concentrate on violin. After performing with Monty Alexander, Ray Brown, and Herb Ellis at Chicago's Jazz Showcase, he was invited by Alexander to join the trio for several live dates that produced Triple Treat II and Triple Treat III (Concord, 1987). Johnny Carson asked Frigo why it took so long to start his career as a violinist. Frigo replied, "I wanna take as long as I could in my life so I wouldn't have time to become a has been".

Frigo was married twice and had one son with each wife. He was survived by his second wife, the former Brittney Browne, and one son, jazz drummer Richard "Rick" Frigo, who was born to his first wife, Dorothy Hachmeister. His other son, Derek John Frigo, who was born to Browne, was the lead guitarist for the rock band Enuff Z'nuff. Derek Frigo died of a drug overdose on May 28, 2004.

Title Release date Notes Label Jump Presents Johnny Frigo 2009 06 02 JCD 12 33 Jump Summer Me! Johnny Frigo Live at Battle Ground 2008 07 24 8021 Log Cabin Johnny Frigo's DNA Exposed! 2002 02 05 19258 Arbors Live at the Floating Jazz Festival 1999 08 24 358 Chiaroscuro Debut of a Legend 1994 01 01 JD119 Chesky Live from Studio A in New York City 1988 11 16 CD: JD001SACD: SACD264 Chesky I Love John Frigo He Swings 1957 12 12 LP: MG20285CD: Verve 145602 Mercury

Title Release date Artist Label Solitaire Miles 2006 01 01 Solitaire Miles Seraphic Quiet Village: The Exotic Sounds of Martin Denny 2006 11 21 Martin Denny Rev Ola Out of Nowhere 2006 01 01 Harold Fethe Southport Blue Suede Shoes 2006 02 28 Pee Wee King Bear Family Comes Love 2005 06 Elaine Dame Blujazz Simply With Spirit 2005 05 10 Hanna Richardson & Phil Flanigan Arbors Barn Dance Favorites 2004 09 08 Pine Valley Cosmonauts Bloodshot Strange Weather 2004 05 04 Jack Donahue PS Classics Multitude of Stars 2004 06 08 Statesmen of Jazz Arbors Hot Club of 52nd Street 2004 05 25 Bucky Pizzarelli & Howard Alden Chesky Singin' Our Mind/Reflectin 2004 05 25 Chad Mitchell Trio Collectors' Choice The Slightly Irreverent/Typical American Boys 2003 10 07 Chad Mitchell Trio Collectors' Choice Legends 2003 07 01 Skitch Henderson & Bucky Pizzarelli Arbors Delicate Hour 2003 01 07 Patty Morabito Lml Music Pentimento 2002 06 04 Jessica Molaskey PS Classics Triple Scoop 2002 03 26 Monty Alexander Concord Romance Language 2002 02 14 Claudia Hommel Maison ClobertTitle 2001 03 27 Buddy Greco Polygram RCA Country Legends 2001 09 25 Skeeter Davis Buddah Hoagy on My Mind 2001 07 17 Phillip Officer Jerome Now and Then 2001 01 01 Claiborne Cary Original cast Time, Seasons and the Moon 2000 09 19 Linda Tate Southport Little Things We Do Together 2000 01 01 Anne Pringle & Mark Burnell Spectrum Round About 1999 02 09 Audrey Morris Fancy Faire Royal Street 1997 Raul Reynoso Blame It On My Youth 1991 Holly Cole Capitol Records Love Words 1958 Ken Nordine Dot