Frank Froeba

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Frank Froeba was an American jazz pianist and bandleader. He was born in New Orleans in August 1907 and died in Miami on 16 February 1981. His name is also spelled Froba. As a teenager he was already playing in the bands of Johnny Wiggs and John Tobin. In 1924 and 1925 he worked in New York with Johnny de Droit; after that he led a group of his own in Atlantic City and also played in other dance orchestras.

Music and breakthrough

In 1930 he recorded with Jack Purvis and in 1932 with Jack Bland. From 1933 to 1935 he worked with Benny Goodman. From 1935 until about 1944 he had a band of his own, with which he made recordings for Columbia and Decca. Bunny Berigan, Cozy Cole, Bobby Hackett and Joe Marsala, among others, played in that group. With The Music Goes Round and Round from 1935, and Organ Grinder's Swing and It All Begins and Ends With You, both from 1936, he reached the American charts. In the 1930s and 1940s he was also house pianist for Decca and accompanied Lil Armstrong and Bob Howard, among others.

Influence

Froeba is best known as one of the co-writers of Jumpin' Jive, together with Cab Calloway and Jack Palmer. The song became a hit for Calloway and returned in 1981 on Joe Jackson's album Jumpin' Jive. In 1955 Froeba moved to Miami and, under the name Frank Froba, played more popular music. He shows how many pianists in the swing era did their work mainly as accompanists and studio musicians.

Listening

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