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Al Porcino

Al Porcino was an American jazz trumpeter.

Porcino began playing professionally in 1943, playing in many big bands of the 1940s and 1950s, including those of Georgie Auld, Louis Prima, Jerry Wald, Tommy Dorsey, Gene Krupa, and Chubby Jackson. He played with Woody Herman in 1946, 1949-1950, and again in 1954. He also did two stints with Stan Kenton, in 1947-48 and 1954-55. In the 1950s he played with Pete Rugolo, Count Basie, Elliot Lawrence, and Charlie Barnet.

In 1957 he moved to Los Angeles and played in studios. While there he played in the Terry Gibbs Dream band between 1959 and 1962. In the 1960s he often played in orchestras backing vocalists, and also did time with Buddy Rich in 1968, Thad Jones and Mel Lewis in 1969-70, and Herman again, in 1972. In the 1970s he formed his own big band, who recorded behind Mel Torme in addition to their own work.

In the 1970s Porcino moved to Germany, leading big bands there through today. His ensemble played on one of Al Cohn's final recordings in 1987.

He died in Munich in 2013.

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4
Album Review

Stan Kenton and His Orchestra: In a Lighter Vein

Read "In a Lighter Vein" reviewed by Jack Bowers


Stan Kenton was a man of many moods, as was his intrepid and popular orchestra, which endured until his passing in August 1979 and whose renown is kept alive even today by the Stan Kenton Legacy Orchestra. Kenton dons his carefree hat on In a Lighter Vein, an assortment of straight-ahead themes from the orchestra's jazz library, preserved in five concert performances from 1953-55 beneath the umbrella of NBC radio's All Star Parade of Bands. Original compositions ...

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1

Obituary

Farewell, Al Porcino

Farewell, Al Porcino

Source: Rifftides by Doug Ramsey

Al Porcino, a powerful lead trumpeter for several big bands, died on New Years Eve in Munich, Germany. He was 88. Porcino had lived in Germany since the late 1970s, frequently augmenting American bands touring in Europe, as well as leading his own large ensemble. A family member who reported his passing offered no information about the cause of death. After debuting in 1943 with Louis Prima when he was 18, Porcino played with swing bands led by Tommy Dorsey, ...

71

Interview

Interview: Al Porcino (Part 3)

Interview: Al Porcino (Part 3)

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers

Tell most big band trumpeters from the '50s that you dig jazz, and they'll likely correct you by saying that they didn't play jazz. A majority of musicians who played in the trumpet sections of prominent bands viewed themselves as highly skilled readers who added a particular flavor to the whole ensemble, not improvisers. Except, that is, the second trumpet, who usually played the jazz solos. Al Porcino was a first chair trumpeter, and his job was to lead the ...

50

Interview

Interview: Al Porcino (Part 2)

Interview: Al Porcino (Part 2)

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers

If you own a big band album from the post-war years, chances  are Al Porcino is playing first trumpet on the recording. Al often was featured in that chair for his swinging leadership skills, the clarity of his playing, his sight-reading abilities and his knack for hitting screaming high notes. A trumpet section's job is to punctuate a big band arrangement, and the first trumpet always needs to be rock solid and distinct. Al spent much of the early and ...

100

Interview

Interview: Al Porcino (Part 1)

Interview: Al Porcino (Part 1)

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers

Al Porcino is easily one of jazz's greatest living trumpet   players. In addition to playing on 342 recording sessions since 1942, he is the last known surviving member of Charlie Parker's first strings date—Neal Hefti's recording of Repetition in December 1947. Al also has the distinction of having played first trumpet in nearly every major big band of the '40s, 50s, '60s and '70s—from Tommy Dorsey, Woody Herman and Charlie Barnet to Count Basie, Stan Kenton, Gene Krupa, Chubby Jackson ...

Dave Banks
trumpet

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Stretchin' Out

Nagel Heyer Records
2023

buy

In a Lighter Vein

Sounds of Yesteryear
2020

buy

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