Pete Fountain, Clarinet, 1930, New Orleans, La
Pete started clarinet lessons before he was in his teens, and before he was 20 years old he was playing with The Junior Dixieland Band in New Orleans. In 1949 he became a member of Phil Zito's International Dixieland Band, and also made his first recordings. Fountain was one of the founding member of the Basin Street Six, a dixieland group that stayed together from 1950 to 1954. Pete next formed a group of his own, with musicians he had been performing with for several years, Pete Fountain and His Three Coins. In the mid '50s he also played an extended (7 months) gig in Chicago with The Dukes Of Dixieland. He then returned to New Orleans where he played in a group with Tony Almerico and Al Hirt. In the late '50s he became nationally famous through his appearances on the Lawrence Welk television show. In 1959 Pete opened a club of his own in New Orleans where he still performes frequently. Pete's main influences on Clarinet were Irving Fazola and Benny Goodman.
Johnny Coles, Trumpet, 1926, Trenton, N.J.
Johnny, a self- taught musician, first played in a band while in the service. After his discharge in 1945 he worked with Slappy and His Swingers, a group that was popular in the South Jersey area. From the late '40s to the mid '50s Coles played with many prominent groups such as those led by Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson, JohnColtrane, and Red Garland. From the late '50s to the mid '60s Johnny played and recorded with Gil Evans and was featured on Gil's album "Out of the Cool". He toured Europe with Charles Mingus, and upon returning to this country performed in festivals and recorded with Duke Pearson and Astrud Gilberto. In 1968 Johnny was one of the original members of Herbie Hancock's sextet. He joined Ray Charles the following year, and left two years later to play with Duke Ellington. In the mid '80s Johnny toured with Count Basie's orchestra for several years, and after the Count's death, settled in the San Francisco bay area. Cole's trumpet style was warm and serene with a huge tone. He would often say that Miles Davis and Dizzy Gillespie were his main influences. After his widely varied career, Johnny Coles died in 1997.
Jerry Gray, Bandleader, 1915, Boston, Mass
Johnny Hartman, Singer, 1923, Chicago, Ill
John Heard, Bass, 1938, Pittsburgh, Pa
John Klemmer, Tenor sax, 1946, Chicago, Ill
