Pete Fountain

A proud native of New Orleans, clarinetist Pete Fountain is among the most successful of the Dixieland revival musicians. But Fountain does more than just keep the music he loves alive; he possesses a beautiful tone and plays with real honesty, making him a much deeper player than his easy listening reputation implies. While his Dixieland sound recalls that of Benny Goodman and Sidney Bechet, Fountain beat the odds by having his biggest period of success in the 1960s, when his albums regularly landed high on the jazz and pop charts. And even though he began catering more to popular tastes during the 1970s, his playing retained most of its original zing, and he remains a big concert and festival draw today. Audiences know that in live settings, Fountain still breathes Dixieland fire into his licorice stick.