AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Pete Fountain

Artist:Pete Fountain f/Al Hirt

Song:Jazz Me Blues

Album:The Very Best of Pete Fountain

Dixieland jazz clarinetist Pete Fountain became very popular in the early 60s making regular appearances on The Lawrence Welk Show. He also recorded frequently with trumpeter Al Hirt. Obviously this was aimed at an older audience who didn't like bebop. So there was a market for Dixieland. Fountain was born Pierre LaFontaine Jr. July 3, 1930 in New Orleans. His father was a truck driver and part time musician who changed the family name to Fountain. As a child, Fountain suffered from respiratory infections. A doctor suggested to Fountain's father the unorthodox treatment of buying a musical instrument he could blow into. So they bought a clarinet and believe it or not, it helped. Fountain took private lessons. But he learned jazz by playing along to Benny Goodman records. As a teen, he played Bourbon Street clubs. In 1950 Fountain founded the Basin Street Six. They recorded for Mercury until they split up in 1954. He moved to Chicago to play with Dukes of Dixieland. Then he returned to New Orleans to start a band with trumpeter Al Hirt and they played a the Pier 600 club. Fountain was spotted by a Lawrence Welk talent scout who brought him to Welk's son Larry Welk. Welk convinced his dad to hire Fountain who moved to Los Angeles to become a regular on The Lawrence Welk Show. He also recorded for Welk's record company. Fountain was a featured soloist on the show for two years. He left in 1959 because Fountain wanted to play more jazz and Welk didn't like it. Fountain signed with Decca's Coral label and returned to New Orleans. Fountain recorded for Coral for almost two decades. His prime was the early 60s. Jazz Me Blues is from the 1961 album Bourbon Street. It is one of four songs on the album that feature Al Hirt. The rest of the band is Abe Lincoln on trombone, Eddie Miller on tenor sax, Stan Wrightsman on piano, Bobby Gibbons on guitar, Morty Corb on bass and Jack Sperling and Ray Bauduc on drums. Jazz Me Blues is a Dixieland jazz standard that was recorded by guys like Bix Beiderbecke in the 20s. It is on this budget comp which is a good intro to Fountain's Coral recordings. Fountain opened his own club The French Quarter Inn in 1960. After he left Coral, Fountain continued to tour and record. He retired in 2010 and died on Aug. 6, 2016 at age 86. Here's Pete Fountain performing Jazz Me Blues.