A Tribute to Jazz Legend Pete Fountain...
Courtesy of Wikipedia.org Pete Fountain was born in New Orleans and started playing clarinet, heavily influenced first by Benny Goodman and then by Irving Fazola. Early on he played with the bands of Monk Hazel and Al Hirt. With his long time friend, trumpeter George Girard, Fountain founded The Basin Street Six in 1950. After this band broke up four years later Fountain was hired to join the Lawrence Welk band, and became well known for the many solos he took on Welk's ABC television show, The Lawrence Welk Show. Fountain returned to New Orleans, played with The Dukes of Dixie and, then began leading bands under his own name, owning his own club in the French Quarter in the 1960s and 1970s. He later acquired "Pete Fountain's Jazz Club" at the Riverside Hilton in downtown New Orleans. The New Orleans Jazz Club presented the Pete Fountain Day on October 19, 1959, with celebrations honoring the pride of their city concluding with a packed concert that evening. His Quintett was made up of his studio recording musicians, Stan Kenton's bassist Don Bagley, vibeist Godfrey Hirch, pianist Merle Koch and the outstanding double bass drummer Jack Sperling. Fountain brought these same players together in 1963 when they played the Hollywood Bowl. Pete would make the trek to Hollywood many times appearing on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson 56 times. In 2003 Fountain closed his club at the Hilton with a performance before a packed house filled with musical friends and fans. He then began performing two nights a week at Casino Magic in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi where he had a home (later destroyed by Hurricane Katrina). After heart surgery in 2006 he performed at JazzFest, and helped reopen the Bay St. Louis Casino which has the new name of the Hollywood Casino. As of March, 2007 he has returned to performing Tuesday and Wednesday nights there. |
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Fountain was a founder and is the most prominent member of The Half Fast Walking Club, one of the best known marching Krewes that parades in New Orleans on Mardi Gras Day. The original name was "The Half-Assed Walking Club" and was an excuse to take a "lubricated" musical stroll down the parade route. Pete changed the name under pressure exerted by the parade organizers. On Mardi Gras Day 2007 Pete once again joined his Half Fast Walking Club, having missed the event in 2006 due to illness.
Fountain's clarinet work is noted for his sweet fluid tone. He has recorded over 100 LPs and CDs under his own name, some in the Dixieland style, many others with only peripheral relevance to any type of jazz. ------------------------------------------------------------- It was an exciting afternoon when Pete Fountain stopped by Teri Galleries to give his 'signature of approval' on original paintings by New Orleans' artists Matt Litchliter and Jim Tweedy. Both artists created works to honor the jazz legend just in time for Jazzfest, which are available for sale exclusively through Teri Galleries. A group of jazz fans and fine art investors gathered to meet Pete and the artists... |
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 Pete Fountain & Matt Litchliter "Pete Fountain" ..:: View Matt Litchliter's Works ::.. |
 Pete Fountain & Jim Tweedy "Red Hot Pete" ..:: View Jim Tweedy's Works ::.. |
| Both Matt Litchliter & Jim Tweedy are available for commissions, please contact Teri Galleries at 504-887-8588, 1-800-533-8374 or info@terigalleries.com to inquire. | |
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