Johnny Frigo
Background information
Born	John Virgil Frigo (1916-12-27)December 27, 1916 Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Died	July 4, 2007(2007-07-04) (aged 90) Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Genres	Jazz
Occupation	Musician
Instrument(s)	Violin,double bass
Labels	Arbors,Chesky

Johnny Frigo (December 27, 1916 – July 4, 2007) was an Americanjazz 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 withChico Marx's orchestra and performed a comedy routine on violin with Marx on piano.^[1] He entered theUnited States Coast Guard during World War II and played in a band onEllis Island withAl Haig andKai Winding.

After a brief turn at active service near the end of the war he moved to New Jersey. He toured withJimmy Dorsey's band from 1945 to 1947, later forming the Soft Winds trio with Dorsey's guitaristHerb Ellis and pianistLou Carter. During this time he wrote the music and lyrics to "Detour Ahead",^[1] which has been recorded byBillie Holiday,Sarah Vaughan,Ella Fitzgerald,Bill Evans, andCarola. During that time, he also wrote the sardonic swing tune "I Told Ya I Love Ya, Now Get Out" which was recorded byJune Christy and theStan Kenton Orchestra. Chicago jazz vocalistErin McDougald recorded the song 50 years later on her albumThe Auburn Collection (2004).^[2]

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 theWLS radio programNational Barn Dance. He played with the Sage Riders for another fourteen years afterWGN revived the show in 1961. In that time he worked with Chicago jazz vocalistAnita 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 theMason Proffit albumWanted released in 1969 on the Happy Tiger label.^{[citation needed]}

In the mid-1980s Frigo largely abandoned playing bass to concentrate on violin. After performing withMonty Alexander,Ray Brown, andHerb Ellis at Chicago's Jazz Showcase, he was invited by Alexander to join the trio for several live dates that producedTriple Treat II andTriple 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".^[1]

He performed as a jazz violinist at festivals worldwide, including theUmbria Jazz Festival andNorth Sea Jazz Festival. Frigo also was a published poet and artist and played flugelhorn. He wrote and performed the 1969 Chicago Cubs fight song "Hey Hey, Holy Mackerel".^{[citation needed]}

Frigo died of cancer in a Chicago hospital on July 4, 2007, at age 90.^[3]

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 bandEnuff Z'nuff. Derek Frigo died of a drug overdose on May 28, 2004.^[4]

When My Fiddle's in the Case: The Poetry and Paintings of Jazz Violinist Johnny Frigo. Lost Coast Press, 2004

• NPR Obituary
• Obituary at Jazzhouse

• 1916 births
• 2007 deaths
• 20th-century American violinists
• American jazz musicians
• American jazz violinists
• American people of Italian descent
• Chesky Records artists
• American male violinists
• Jazz musicians from Chicago
• Swing violinists
• 20th-century American male musicians
• American male jazz musicians
• Statesmen of Jazz members
• Deaths from cancer in Illinois
• Arbors Records artists

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