Paul G. Fredricks (July 14, 1918 – July 4, 2010) was an American brass musician of the

Big Band A big band or jazz orchestra is a type of musical ensemble of jazz music that usually consists of ten or more musicians with four sections: saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and a rhythm section. Big bands originated during the early 1910s an ...

s Era of the 1930s and 1940s. He is known for his unique skills as a trumpeter and left his mark on a range of larger bands such as the orchestras of

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, Les Brown's Band of Renown, and

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, in the jazz music scene of the period surrounding World War II . He later ventured off with his own New Orleans-style Dixieland jazz band The Paul Fredricks Orchestra, later The Crescent City Stompers. He was featured in some Hollywood films including A. Edward Sutherland and

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' ''Sing Your Worries Away'' (1942), starring

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and

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Early life and career

Fredricks' grandparents were members of the German migration to the States in the 19th century. Raised near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he received his first trumpet as a gift from his parents at the age of nine. He developed his skills playing on his own and in several local bands as a young boy until he left home at 16 to pursue his dreams in New York City's music scene of the time. Throughout his eight decades as a professional musician, he cultivated a versatile career and recognized musical style. Fredricks began his professional music career in New York City at the age of 16 playing gigs at the Lincoln Hotel in New York City and the Rustic Cabin in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, a launch pad of

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular ...

. He continued playing with big bands before and after the war, during which he voluntarily entered to serve in the United States Army in the Asia-Pacific Arena. In the years surrounding the war, he toured across the country and was featured in shows in Hollywood, California; The

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, The Paramount Theater and The

Palladium Palladium is a chemical element with the symbol Pd and atomic number 46. It is a rare and lustrous silvery-white metal discovered in 1803 by the English chemist William Hyde Wollaston. He named it after the asteroid Pallas, which was itself na ...

/Academy of Music in New York. In 1941, after Alvino Rey's group played at New York's Paramount Theater, which led to greater exposure, they became one of the most popular acts in the country, recording top ten hits and making appearances in Hollywood films including A. Edward Sutherland and

' ''Sing Your Worries Away'' (1942), and others. Rey re-organized the orchestra, expanding the brass section including Paul Fredricks.

WWII and Beyond

Fredricks served in the U.S. Army and toured the Asia-Pacific Arena serving his country in a number of roles. After the war, Fredricks was scouted by

and played with his orchestra between 1946 and 1948. Paul retired from work with Charlie Spivak's Orchestra to start his own New Orlean's style jazz band The Paul Fredricks Orchestra, later The Crescent City Stompers, for which he led tours for many years to come.

Personal life

Fredricks met and married his wife of 57 years, Austrian beauty Theresa Elnicky. Although Spivak approached him to contribute to the brass section of his orchestra while he was still in the service, Fredricks completed his duty before Theresa joined him on tour in 1947. The couple toured together for years to come including with Spivak and his own band The Crescent City Stompers (formerly The Paul Fredricks Orchestra) Theresa herself turned down opportunities to pursue a Hollywood career in order to focus on her marriage and three children with a home base near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His granddaughter is a fashion model and humanitarian Kate Gibbs.

Notes

External links

Italian Style FeatureThe Big Band Almanac
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Fredricks, Paul American trumpeters American male trumpeters 1918 births 2010 deaths United States Army personnel of World War II American people of German descent