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 y...