Frank Isola Passes

Frank Isola passed away on December 13 in Detroit at 79 years of age. Isola was born in the city and took up drumming in 1936 after hearing Gene Krupa. He played in an Army Air Force band during the war and moved to New York in 1947. His most well known jobs and recordings were with Stan Getz off and on during 1952-55 and Gerry Mulligan in 1953. He also played with Elliot Lawrence, Claude Thornhill, Louis Prima, Peggy Lee, and Mose Allison. In the late fifties he returned to Detroit, but tried New York again in the 1970s. Ten years ago he was back in Detroit and performed at the Windsor Jazz Festival with Frank Jackson and Marcus Belgrave.