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Key Information

Adrian Francis Rollini (June 28, 1903 – May 15, 1956) was an American jazz multi-instrumentalist who primarily played the bass saxophone, piano, and vibraphone.[1] He is also known for playing novelty instruments such as the couesnophone (or goofus*), a free-reed instrument resembling a saxophone, and the hot fountain pen, a sort of keyless miniature clarinet.[2]

As a leader, his major recordings included "You've Got Everything" (1933), "Savage Serenade" (1933) and "Got The Jitters" (1934) "A Thousand Good Nights" (1934) on Vocalion, "Davenport Blues", "Nothing But Notes", "Tap Room Swing", "Jitters", "Riverboat Shuffle" (1934) on Decca, and "Small Fry" (1938) on Columbia.

Early life

[edit]

Adrian Rollini was born in New York City on June 28 1903. Some sources will date 1904, but his brother Arthur Rollini, as well as Social Security Administration records, cite the earlier year. Of French and Swiss extraction, Ferdinand and Adele (née Augenti) Rollini, the original family name had been changed to "Rollini" by his grandfather, after a move to Italy during one of Europe's many wars. Arthur Rollini played tenor saxophone with Benny Goodman from 1934 to 1939 (and later with Will Bradley). Growing up in Larchmont, New York, Adrian showed musical ability early on and began to take piano lessons at the age of two. Considered a child prodigy, he played a fifteen-minute recital at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel at the age of four.[3] Rollini continued with music and, by age 14, he was leading his group composed of neighborhood boys, in which he doubled on piano and xylophone.[4]

Rollini left high school in his third year. He cut piano rolls for the Aeolian company on their Mel-O-Dee label and the Republic brand in Philadelphia. When he was 16, he joined Arthur Hand's California Ramblers. Rollini was equally skilled at piano, drums, xylophone, and bass saxophone, which gained him the respect of Hand, who transferred the band to Rollini when he later retired from the music field. According to his brother Arthur, Adrian mastered the bass saxophone in a matter of weeks.[5]

Career

[edit]

In 1921 banjoist Ray Kitchenman formed the California Ramblers. Rollini, together with Red Nichols, Jimmy Dorsey, Tommy Dorsey, was one of the most important members of the band. The Ramblers were one of the most prolific recording groups in the 1920s and recorded under different aliases. So we find Rollini with many other groups – The Little Ramblers (starting in 1924), The Goofus Five (most prominently 1926–27), The Golden Gate Orchestra. During his work with these groups he developed his distinctive style of saxophone playing. Rollini's swing and impetus are quite evident; "Clementine (From New Orleans)", "Vo-Do-Do-De-O Blues", and "And Then I Forget" are among some of the best recordings that not only typify the era but showcase the prominence and power that Rollini brought to the table. During this time, he managed to lay down hundreds of sessions with names like Annette Hanshaw, Cliff Edwards (Ukulele Ike), Joe Venuti, Miff Mole, and Red Nichols to name a few. Some of his best work appears on the sides he cut with Bix Beiderbecke (scattered throughout the 1920s, Rollini's great bass sax solos were on scores of records, and were usually outstanding). He also recorded and worked with Roger Wolfe Kahn, Frank Trumbauer, and Red Nichols.

In 1927 he participate in numerous recording sessions and also gained the job of heading up the talent roster for the opening of the Club New Yorker. It was a short-lived organization, a Who's-Who of 1920s jazz, including Bix Beiderbecke, Eddie Lang, Joe Venuti, Frank Signorelli and Frankie Trumbauer. Salary demands began to rise, and the club had its shortcomings, which proved a bad combination in the end, and the arrangement only lasted for some 3 weeks. It was not long until other talents would be seeking his name. From across the Atlantic, Fred Elizalde, a young London-based band leader was leading a band at the Savoy Hotel, and he was looking for the best American jazzmen to spice up his already hot sound. He found Rollini, as well as Chelsea Quealey, Bobby Davis, Tommy Felline and Jack Russin. Rollini submitted his resignation to the Ramblers (where he was replaced by bass saxist Spencer Clark and later by bassist-tubist Ward Lay), and agreed to join Elizalde, along with fellow Ramblers Quealey, Felline, Russin, and (later) Davis, in 1927, and stayed until September 1928. Once he returned to America he also began to write, working with Robbins Music Corporation—some of his compositions would include "Preparation", "On Edge", "Nonchalance", "Lightly and Politely", "Gliding Ghost", and "Au Revoir".

He continued to work, recording with such artists as Bert Lown, Lee Morse, The Dorsey Brothers, Ben Selvin and Jack Teagarden into the depression of the 30s. However, the early 30s saw a shift in musical ideas—away from the "hot", two-beat feel and towards a more staid, conservative sound, and Rollini adapted. In 1932–33 he was part of a short-lived experiment with the Bert Lown band using two bass saxophones, Spencer Clark in the rhythm section and Rollini himself as the fourth sax in the reed team.

In 1933, he formed the Adrian Rollini Orchestra (a studio group assembled for recording), which appeared on Perfect, Vocalion, Melotone, Banner, and Romeo labels. While Rollini did manage to assemble some great talent (for example Bunny Berigan, Benny Goodman and Jack Teagarden), these records were more commercial in comparison to his earlier work. Several examples have solo work and proto-swing elements, but on the whole the records were meant to sell current pop tunes. (Several sides have Rollini on bass sax only to switch to vibraphone during the song.) At this time Rollini also appeared as a vibraphonist with Richard Himber's radio orchestra, playing a strictly secondary role in the large, string-oriented ensemble.

Rollini (left) with Allen Hanlon c. 1946–48

Adrian Rollini was part of several musical groups, including the Adrian Rollini Quintette, the Adrian Rollini Trio (primarily in the late 1930s), and Adrian and his Tap Room Gang, which was based in the Hotel President at 234 West 48th Street in New York City. During the early swing era, starting in 1935, he managed Adrian's Tap Room, which was located inside the hotel, as well as leading the small band of 6-8 players. He also owned Whitby Grill, which was situated on West 45th Street. Both establishments were indicative of his inseparability from his professional and social life. His clientele in each club was mostly composed of musicians who were on holiday. Rollini was also featured on the radio, working with artists such as Kate Smith. As if he did not have enough going for him, he ventured into yet another phase of his musical career and opened a store for the sale and repair of musical instruments. The store, known as White Way Musical Products, was located at 1587 Broadway. Rollini strongly believed that the artist playing the instrument knows more about it than the maker who is only concerned with the mechanics. The shop was a hot spot for autograph hounds who trolled the shop in search of famous band leaders. Rollini also frequented the Georgian Room and the Piccadilly Circus Bar, both located in the Piccadilly Hotel. He also began recording for Master and Muzak.

During this time, a gradual shift occurred in Rollini's focus from the bass sax to the vibraphone. This was not so much that Rollini was giving up on the bass saxophone or his abilities, but popular tastes had rendered the instrument unmarketable after the hot jazz era of the 1920s. Rollini recorded on bass sax for the last time in 1938.[6]

He went on to play hotels, as well as arranging and writing songs behind the scenes, collaborating with such names as Vaughan Monroe. However, once the big band era got underway he did not make any major recordings and this period in his life represents the last of his work with the exception of some minor appearance and jam sessions. He can be seen in the 1938 short entitled "Auld Lang Syne", starring James Cagney, and "Melody Masters: Swing Style" (1939). He also did a brief tour in the late 1940s in which he came to the Majestic Theater in downtown Dallas, among other cities.

In his spare time, Rollini considered himself a "waterbug", and was proud of it. He owned a 21-foot Chris Craft speedboat and a Chris Craft cruiser, sleeping four. After an exhaustive career, he made his last recording with his trio in the early 1950s and then turned his attention fully to the hotel business. He later relocated to Florida and opened the Eden Roc Hotel in September 1955. He also ran the Driftwood Inn at Tavernier Key. Rollini loved sport-fishing, and his Driftwood offered deep-sea fishing charters. After Rollini's death, it appears his wife Dixie left Florida. The remains of the old Driftwood Inn were completely destroyed in a hurricane that rocked the Florida Keys in 1960.

Death and legacy

[edit]

Rollini died on May 15, 1956 at the age of 52. The true cause of his death is debated. A brief article in the British magazine Melody Maker says that his brother, Arthur Rollini, was "trying to solve the mystery" regarding his death.[7] Adrian was found lying in a blood-splattered car with one of his feet almost severed. Rollini claimed he had fallen, but the police looked into the possibility of foul play.[8] After being sent to the James Archer Smith Hospital of Homestead, Florida, he died 18 days later. His death was reported as being caused by pneumonia and complications to the liver.[9]

Coroner Frederick J. Spencer, author of Jazz and Death: Medical Profiles of Jazz Greats, later analyzed Rollini's death and argued Rollini died of mercury poisoning.[10] During his stay in the hospital, he had developed a resistance to feeding. A glass tube weighted with mercury had been inserted into his stomach and broke, exposing Rollini to the toxic element. In an alternate account, clarinetist Kenny Davern, a friend of Rollini, stated in a video interview that Rollini was murdered in a mob-related hit as a result of his gambling debts.[11] Jazz historian Al Rose, a friend and neighbor of Rollini, said that it was speculated that he may have been killed for robbing other people's lobster pots.[12]

After his death, jazz discographer Brian Rust presented a memorial program on the World of Jazz series hosted by BBC Light Programme on June 8 of that year. In 1998, Adrian Rollini was inducted into the Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame. He was survived by his wife, Dorothy "Dixie" Rollini who later died in 1977.

Discography as leader/coleader

[edit]
  • 1923–26 - Varsity Eight (Timeless Historical, 2000) Actually a California Ramblers alias
  • 1924–27 - Adrian Rollini and the Golden Gate Orchestra 1924–1927: Their Hottest Titles Recorded for the Pathé and Plaza Labels (Timeless Historical, 2006). Another California Ramblers alias
  • 1924-25 - The Goofus Five, (Timeless Historical, 1998) Another California Ramblers alias
  • 1926-27 - The Goofus Five, (Timeless Historical, 1998) Another California Ramblers alias
  • 1925-28 - The California Ramblers (Timeless Historical, 1998)
  • 1924-27 - The Little Ramblers (Timeless Historical, 1997)
  • 1925-00 - California Ramblers on Edison (Retrieval, 2011)
  • 1929–34 - Adrian Rollini 1929–34 (2xCD) (Jazz Oracle, 2005) The first CD Reissued as Adrian Rollini as a Sideman, Volume 1: 1929–1933 (Jazz Oracle, 2006)
  • 1934-38 - Adrian Rollini 1934–1938 (Retrieval, 2004)
  • 1937-38 - Adrian Rollini 1937–1938 (Retrieval, 2005)
  • 1936–47 - Adrian Rollini Trio, Quartet and Quintet, (Vintage Music Productions, 2005)
  • 1938-40 - His Quintet, His Trio (CoolNote, )
  • 1949 - Adrian Rollini Trio (Mercury, 1950)

Anthologies

[edit]

Duplicates the above titles

  • 1926-35 - Bouncin' in Rhythm, (Pavilion Recs., 1995) reissued as Tap Room Swing, (ASV Living Era, 2002) (compilation under Trumbauer, Beiderbecke, Venuti-Lang, Elhizalde, & Rollini band names)
  • 1934-38 - Swing Low (Affinity, 1992)

References

[edit]

Bibliography

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Adrian Rollini

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Adrian Francis Rollini (June 28, 1903 – May 15, 1956) was an American jazz multi-instrumentalist known for his mastery of the bass saxophone and for being one of the earliest jazz vibraphonists. Widely regarded as the greatest bass saxophonist in jazz history, he demonstrated remarkable versatility, performing on piano, xylophone, vibraphone, and novelty instruments including the hot fountain pen and goofus. His swinging, innovative style and polyrhythmic approach elevated ensembles during the 1920s and 1930s, though his later relative obscurity stemmed partly from the decline of the bass saxophone in jazz and the overshadowing of his vibraphone work by later players. Born in New York on June 28, 1903, Rollini was a child prodigy who performed Chopin on piano at the Waldorf Astoria at age four and later excelled on xylophone. He joined the California Ramblers in 1922, mastering the bass saxophone in just one week and becoming a central figure in the prolific recording group as well as its subgroup, the Goofus Five. He contributed to landmark 1927 sessions with Bix Beiderbecke and Frankie Trumbauer, among others, and spent 1927–1929 performing in London with Fred Elizalde. Returning to New York, Rollini led numerous recording dates from 1933 to 1940, opened his own nightclub Adrian's Tap Room in 1934, and increasingly featured the vibraphone in his performances. He continued working with small groups in hotels through the 1940s and early 1950s, including a vibraphone-focused Mercury LP, before settling in Florida, where he died on May 15, 1956. His recordings remain valued for their swing, coherence, and joyful energy, preserving his legacy in early jazz.

Early Life

Childhood Prodigy Years

Adrian Rollini was born on June 28, 1903, in New York City to parents of Italian heritage. His Italian-American family background, including his father's positive influence, provided early exposure to music and supported the development of his exceptional talent. As a child prodigy, Rollini began taking piano lessons at age 2 and gave a public recital playing Chopin at the Waldorf Astoria at age 4. He took up the xylophone at age 5, rapidly progressing on both instruments and others in quick succession. His precocious abilities led to public performances, including vaudeville appearances where he was billed as a prodigy, showcasing his skills to audiences at a very young age. By his early teens, his prodigious talent was evident in local performances, such as leading a group on piano and xylophone at age 14, marking the culmination of his childhood years as a recognized musical phenomenon before transitioning to full-time professional engagements.

Early Professional Work

Adrian Rollini began his professional career in 1922 when he joined the California Ramblers, a prominent New York-based dance orchestra, initially performing on piano and xylophone. At age eighteen, he was among the younger members of the group, which recorded under various names and was known for its prolific output in the early jazz and dance band era. During his initial years with the Ramblers, Rollini demonstrated versatility by playing clarinet and alto saxophone in addition to his primary instruments. He also began experimenting with the bass saxophone, incorporating it into the band's arrangements and laying the groundwork for his later specialization on the instrument. These early experiences with the Ramblers provided Rollini with regular professional exposure and recording opportunities before his more prominent role in the mid-1920s.

1920s Career

California Ramblers Period

Adrian Rollini joined the California Ramblers in 1922, becoming a full-time member of one of the most popular dance orchestras of the early jazz era. As a multi-instrumentalist, he played several instruments with the band before being encouraged to learn the bass saxophone, which he mastered in just one week. This marked the beginning of his pioneering use of the instrument in dance band and jazz contexts. Rollini quickly established the bass saxophone as a prominent feature in the Ramblers' sound, playing it on numerous recordings that helped popularize the deep, resonant tone in popular music arrangements of the time. His tenure with the band lasted through the 1920s until 1927, during which he contributed to the group's prolific output on labels such as Columbia and Edison. Many of these recordings were issued under the California Ramblers name or aliases like the Varsity Eight, with Rollini featured on bass saxophone in sessions from 1923 onward. The California Ramblers' recordings during this period showcased Rollini's versatility and innovative approach, blending dance band rhythms with emerging jazz elements through his bass saxophone lines. His work helped define the band's hot dance style and laid the foundation for his later reputation as the foremost bass saxophonist in jazz.

Collaboration with Frankie Trumbauer and Bix Beiderbecke

In late 1927, Adrian Rollini began collaborating with Frankie Trumbauer and Bix Beiderbecke on a series of recording sessions that marked his transition from large dance bands to smaller, more improvisational hot jazz groups. This association started on August 25, 1927, in New York City, when Rollini joined Frankie Trumbauer and His Orchestra as bass saxophone and baritone saxophone player on "Three Blind Mice," "Blue River," and "There's a Cradle in Caroline," contributing rich low-register textures and occasional solos to complement Beiderbecke's cornet and Trumbauer's C-melody saxophone. Rollini continued to record with Trumbauer and Beiderbecke through September and October 1927, appearing on additional Trumbauer-led OKeh sessions including "Humpty Dumpty," "Krazy Kat," and "Baltimore" (September 28, 1927), "Just an Hour of Love" and "I'm Wonderin' Who" (September 30, 1927), "Crying All Day" and "A Good Man Is Hard to Find" (October 25, 1927), and "Sugar" (October 26, 1927), where his bass saxophone provided harmonic foundation and distinctive melodic lines in the ensembles. On October 5, 1927, he also participated in Bix Beiderbecke and His Gang's OKeh session, performing on "At the Jazz Band Ball" (master 81518-B), "Royal Garden Blues" (master 81519-B), and "Jazz Me Blues" (master 81520-A), issued primarily on OKeh 40923, with his bass saxophone featuring prominently in both ensemble passages and solo spots. These recordings showcased Rollini's innovative use of the bass saxophone as a frontline instrument in small-group jazz, adding depth and rhythmic drive to the sessions while supporting the improvisational interplay between Beiderbecke and Trumbauer. Beyond recordings, Rollini briefly led a band at the Club New Yorker that included Trumbauer and Beiderbecke among its members following the dissolution of the Jean Goldkette Orchestra, though no commercial recordings resulted from this engagement. This period represented the peak of Rollini's direct musical partnership with the two figures central to early hot jazz development.

Time in England with Fred Elizalde

In 1927, Adrian Rollini left the California Ramblers and traveled to England to join Fred Elizalde's orchestra at the Savoy Hotel in London, arriving alongside fellow American musicians Chelsea Quealey, Tommy Felline, and Jack Russin, with Bobby Davis joining later. The engagement allowed Rollini to bring his signature bass saxophone playing to the British jazz scene, enhancing Elizalde's band with a hot jazz flavor that contrasted with the more conventional dance music prevalent in London at the time. The band gained significant attention and was voted the best popular dance orchestra by Melody Maker magazine in 1928, reflecting its impact on local audiences interested in authentic American jazz styles. However, the group's vigorous performances occasionally met with resistance from traditional patrons at the Savoy, and some BBC broadcasts proved controversial due to their energetic approach. Rollini participated in the band's recording sessions, contributing to sides cut for labels such as Brunswick and Decca during 1927 and into the following years, showcasing his versatility on bass saxophone and other instruments. He remained with Elizalde's outfit until September 1928, when he returned to the United States.

1930s Career

Return to the United States and Own Bands

After spending several years in England with Fred Elizalde's band, Adrian Rollini returned to the United States in 1929, bringing with him an enhanced international reputation. He resumed his career primarily as a sought-after session musician in New York, contributing to recordings with artists including Bert Lown, the Dorsey Brothers, Ben Selvin, Lee Morse, and Jack Teagarden during the early years of the Great Depression. In 1932–1933, he participated in an experimental configuration with the Bert Lown orchestra that employed two bass saxophonists simultaneously, himself and Spencer Clark, while Rollini also served in the reed section. In 1933, Rollini formed a studio group billed as Adrian Rollini and His Orchestra to record commercially oriented material for the American Record Corporation labels, including Perfect, Vocalion, Melotone, Banner, and Romeo. These sessions featured prominent jazz musicians such as trumpeter Bunny Berigan, clarinetist Benny Goodman, and trombonist Jack Teagarden, and while the recordings prioritized current popular tunes over hot jazz improvisation, they occasionally included proto-swing elements and strong solo work. During this period, Rollini increasingly emphasized the vibraphone as his primary instrument, sometimes switching from bass saxophone to vibraphone within individual tracks to showcase his versatility. He also performed as a vibraphonist in a secondary role with Richard Himber's large, string-dominated radio orchestra.

Adrian's Tap Room and Mid-1930s Activity

In 1935, Adrian Rollini opened Adrian's Tap Room in the Hotel President at 234 West 48th Street in New York City, where he assumed the dual role of manager and leader of the house band during the early swing era. He fronted a small group of 6–8 players billed as Adrian and his Tap Room Gang, which performed regularly at the venue. The Tap Room quickly became a favored gathering spot for working musicians on holiday, who comprised the majority of its clientele and reflected Rollini's deep integration of his professional and social worlds. In performances, Rollini highlighted his mastery of novelty instruments such as the hot fountain pen—a small reed-based device capable of kazoo-like effects—and the goofus, contributing humorous and distinctive colors to the band's sound. The group engaged in associated recordings and radio broadcasts throughout the mid-1930s, capturing their intimate swing style and helping to document Rollini's activities at the club during this period.

Later Career

1940s and 1950s Performances

In the 1940s, Adrian Rollini led his own small combo, typically a vibes-guitar-bass trio, emphasizing easy-listening lounge performances rather than hot jazz. He continued working residencies with these groups in various hotels, marking a shift from his earlier small-band swing and novelty work to a more relaxed, commercial style that prioritized vibraphone. Recording activity became limited, with occasional sessions through the late 1940s and into the early 1950s, including Mercury sides by his trio such as "Jazz Me Blues" and "Oye Negra." In the early 1950s, Rollini relocated to Florida, where he operated his own establishment, the Driftwood Lodge in Tavernier, while maintaining his musical engagements. He performed various residencies in Miami venues, continuing his trio-based lounge work. His final documented performances occurred at the Eden Roc Hotel in Miami Beach, where he last worked in September 1955. This period reflected a general reduction in his recording output and a focus on hotel-based entertainment in Florida.

Move to Florida and Final Years

In his later career, Adrian Rollini relocated to Florida, where he largely shifted away from full-time performing to operating hotels and resorts. He ran the Driftwood Lodge (also known as the Driftwood Inn) in Tavernier in the Florida Keys, a venture that aligned with his enthusiasm for sport-fishing and included offerings such as deep-sea fishing charters. During his final years in Florida, Rollini maintained limited musical activity through occasional residencies and performances at hotels and clubs in the Miami area. His last documented work was at the Eden Roc Hotel in Miami Beach in September 1955.

Musical Style and Innovations

Instruments and Techniques

Adrian Rollini is widely regarded as the pioneer who elevated the bass saxophone to a legitimate solo instrument in jazz, transforming its role from an occasional tuba substitute in rhythm sections to a vehicle for expressive, virtuosic improvisation. He mastered the unwieldy instrument rapidly, reportedly learning it in about a week or two after acquiring one, and developed groundbreaking technical facility that coaxed spirited rhythmic patterns and mobile breaks from it, teaching the giant horn to "dance" with lively, creative solos. His bass saxophone tone was distinctive and powerful, often described as resembling the sound of a great bear or carrying a huge sound that commanded attention in ensembles. No other player has matched his level of mastery on the instrument, making him the premier and most influential bass saxophonist in the history of jazz. As a multi-instrumentalist, Rollini demonstrated proficiency on piano from early childhood and later became one of the first significant jazz vibraphonists, adopting a soft-toned four-mallet approach that enabled chorded phrasing and anticipated later developments in the instrument's jazz application. He also played clarinet and alto saxophone, along with the novelty instrument known as the hot fountain pen—a miniature keyless clarinet fitted with a saxophone mouthpiece—which allowed for whimsical, high-register effects and added playful color to his performances. His phrasing across these instruments emphasized swing, rhythmic impetus, and a sense of fun, often incorporating witty novelty touches that enhanced the lighthearted spirit of early jazz ensembles.

Key Recordings and Influence

Adrian Rollini is credited with establishing the bass saxophone as a legitimate solo and expressive voice in jazz, moving it beyond mere rhythmic support and giving it a prominent place in the music. His virtuosic command of the instrument, combined with his multi-instrumentalism that introduced rarely used novelty instruments such as the Goofus into jazz contexts, marked him as one of the era's most versatile and innovative performers. Rollini's most celebrated contributions appear on landmark 1920s recordings alongside Frankie Trumbauer, Bix Beiderbecke, Joe Venuti, Eddie Lang, Red Nichols, and other leading figures. His bass saxophone work on the 1927 classic "Singin' the Blues," recorded with Trumbauer and Beiderbecke, stands as a signature achievement, showcasing the instrument's melodic and technical potential in a performance now regarded as a cornerstone of early jazz. Into the 1930s, his own band sessions for labels such as Vocalion, Decca, and Columbia featured prominent bass saxophone displays, reinforcing his ongoing role in expanding the instrument's expressive range. Rollini's influence endures in jazz histories as a defining early voice on the bass saxophone and a Jazz Age icon whose innovations encouraged greater instrumental experimentation and versatility among musicians. Though sometimes overlooked in broader narratives, his contributions have gained renewed recognition through detailed scholarship, including the authoritative 2020 biography that earned the ARSC Award for Best Historical Research in Recorded Jazz.

Personal Life and Death

Family and Personal Background

Adrian Rollini was born into a musical and relatively prosperous Italian-American family in New York City on June 28, 1903. His parents were Ferdinand Rollini, who worked for the American Cigarette Company, and Adele Augenti Rollini; the family resided in New York and was described as somewhat wealthy during his childhood. He was the eldest of several children, including a sister named Vera and a younger brother, Arthur Rollini (born February 13, 1912), who later pursued a career as a tenor saxophonist with bands led by Benny Goodman and Will Bradley. In 1928, while performing in London with Fred Elizalde's orchestra, Rollini returned to the United States upon learning of his father's declining health. He used the opportunity to seek his father's blessing for his impending marriage to his fiancée, Dixie (also known as Dorothy Rollini). The couple married, and their voyage back to England served as their honeymoon, during which they brought Arthur along (causing him to forgo attendance at Columbia University). Rollini remained married to Dorothy until his death, and the couple maintained a residence at 17 West 64th Street in New York City. No information is available regarding any children from the marriage.

Illness and Death

In his final years, Adrian Rollini resided in Florida after relocating there in the early 1950s, where he opened the Driftwood Lodge hotel in Tavernier Key and continued performing at local residencies in Miami, including a final engagement at the Eden Roc Hotel in September 1955. His health declined following a severe injury from an accident in Florida in early 1956, which resulted in an 18-day hospital stay. Accounts of the accident conflict: some reports describe trauma to his ankle in a parking lot incident, while his brother Arthur stated he fell down stairs into a pit of coral rock, consistent with Adrian being accident-prone. Rollini died on May 15, 1956, at the age of 52 at James Archer Smith Hospital in Homestead, Florida. The circumstances of his death were somewhat mysterious with conflicting reports. One account gives the cause as pneumonia and complications following a liver ailment, while others link it to complications from the injury or cite different details.

References

  1. https://www.allmusic.com/artist/adrian-rollini-mn0000597025
  2. https://www.jerryjazzmusician.com/adrian-rollini-lives-an-appreciation-by-malcolm-mccollum/
  3. https://www.last.fm/music/Adrian+Rollini/+wiki
  4. https://syncopatedtimes.com/trumbauer-and-rollini/
  5. https://www.everand.com/book/434041613/Adrian-Rollini-The-Life-and-Music-of-a-Jazz-Rambler
  6. https://www.sandybrownjazz.co.uk/JazzRemembered/AdrianRollini.html
  7. https://academic.oup.com/mississippi-scholarship-online/book/34023
  8. https://www.universitypressscholarship.com/view/10.14325/mississippi/9781496825155.001.0001/upso-9781496825155-chapter-005
  9. https://jazzjournal.co.uk/2024/09/08/adrian-rollini-swing-low-his-26-finest-1927-1938/
  10. https://syncopatedtimes.com/adrian-rollini/
  11. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qW6pw6jQg1M
  12. https://www.challengerecords.com/artist/1182783705348/Adrian%20Rollini
  13. https://music.apple.com/us/artist/adrian-rollini/20369080
  14. https://www.allmusic.com/artist/california-ramblers-mn0000940485
  15. https://rateyourmusic.com/artist/california-ramblers
  16. https://musicbrainz.org/release/5a9f0849-973f-4f47-8ac3-8190a4ba645a
  17. https://www.jazzdisco.org/bix-beiderbecke/discography/
  18. https://www.upress.state.ms.us/Books/A/Adrian-Rollini
  19. http://www.basssax.com/adrianrollini.php
  20. https://the78rpmrecordspins.wordpress.com/2013/03/19/adrian-rollini-2/
  21. https://jazzlives.wordpress.com/2020/05/28/celebrating-adrian-rollini-then-and-now/
  22. https://www.dansr.com/resources/bass-saxophone-and-the-modern-age
  23. https://fromthevaults-boppinbob.blogspot.com/2013/06/adrian-rollini-born-28-june-1903.html
  24. https://www.encyclopedia.com/arts/dictionaries-thesauruses-pictures-and-press-releases/rollini-adrian
  25. https://jazzlives.wordpress.com/2017/06/10/arthur-and-adrian/
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