Frank Rosolino (August 20, 1926 - November 26, 1978) was an American jazz t… Read Full Bio ↴Frank Rosolino (August 20, 1926 - November 26, 1978) was an American jazz trombonist.

Born in Detroit, Michigan, in a family that included brothers Russell and Gasper, Rosolino studied the guitar with his father starting at age 9. Frank took up the trombone at age 14, and graduated from Miller High School, while playing in the Cass Tech Symphony Orchestra, a fine music program that also produced Donald Byrd. Following service in the U.S. Army's 86th Division during World War II, he played with the big bands of Bob Chester, Glen Gray, Tony Pastor, Herbie Fields, and Gene Krupa. He became famous during a stint in the most popular of Stan Kenton's progressive big bands, (1952-1954), and settled in Los Angeles, where he worked with everybody in the business: Howard Rumsey's Lighthouse All-Stars (1954-1960), Terry Gibbs, Shorty Rogers, Benny Carter, Buddy Rich, Dexter Gordon, Carl Fontana, Jean "Toots" Thielmans, Stan Levey, Shelly Manne, Pete Christlieb, Bobby Knight, Conte Candoli, Med Flory, Donn Tremmer, Mel Tormé, Louis Bellson, Marty Paich, Zoot Sims, Quincy Jones, and Tutti Camarata. He attempted to maintain his popularity in the 1970s through high-profile associations with non-jazz bands, including Tower of Power and Brass Machine, but most fans remember this period in his career through his association with Med Flory's Supersax.

Frank's third wife, and the mother of their two sons, committed suicide in February 1972 in Los Angeles, California, and he was overheard telling his girlfriend that her suicide forced him to contemplate his own death. He died in 1978 in Van Nuys, California, committing suicide after shooting both sons, Justin, 9, and Jason, 7, his only children. Jason survived, blinded, and was adopted by his mother's cousin, Claudia Eien, and her husband Gary.

The International Trombone Association established its first award for jazz trombone in Frank's memory, and he continues to be remembered as one of the greatest jazz trombone players of all time.

I Cover The Waterfront
Frank Rosolino Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I cover the waterfront,
I'm watching the sea,
Will the one I love,
Be coming back to me?

I cover the waterfront,
In search of my love,
And I'm covered by,

A starless sky above.

Here am I,
Patiently waiting,
Hoping and longing,
Oh! How I yearn!
Where are you?
Are you forgetting?
Do you remember?
Will you return?

I cover the waterfront,
I'm watching the sea,

For the one I love,
Must come back to me.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Frank Rosolino's song "I Cover The Waterfront" speak of a person who is watching and waiting for their beloved to return. The singer is on the waterfront, looking out to sea, and hoping that their loved one will come back to them. The lyrics express feelings of longing and yearning, as well as the pain of not knowing whether the loved one will ever return.

The image of the waterfront is used as a metaphor for the singer's emotional state. The sea represents the vast unknown, and the singer is watching the horizon, waiting for a sign that their loved one is coming back. The starless sky above adds to the sense of loneliness and isolation that the singer feels.

The chorus repeats the central theme of the song: the singer is covering the waterfront in search of their love, and they will continue to wait and hope for their return. The lyrics convey a sense of desperation and vulnerability, as the singer bares their heart for all the world to see.

Overall, "I Cover The Waterfront" is a poignant and beautifully written song that speaks to the universal emotions of love, loss, and hope.

Line by Line Meaning

I cover the waterfront,
I am searching every inch of the area near the sea.

I'm watching the sea,
I am keeping my eyes fixed on the waves, hoping to spot my loved one returning.

Will the one I love,
Am I going to be reunited with the person I adore?

Be coming back to me?
Will my sweetheart return to my open arms?

In search of my love,
I am exploring every possible place hoping to find my dearest one.

And I'm covered by,
My soul is engulfed by.

A starless sky above.
A dark and unwelcoming sky.

Here am I,
I am still waiting here.

Patiently waiting,
Enduring the agonizing wait with patience.

Hoping and longing,
Wishing and yearning with all my heart and soul.