John Frosk

John Frosk is a Canadian-American flugelhorn player, trumpeter, and jazz musician. He has worked with many well-known big bands, including those of Benny Goodman, Dizzy Gillespie, Jimmy Dorsey, Sal Salvador, Warren Covington, Richard Maltby, and Dorsey Brothers (Jimmy Dorsey and Tommy Dorsey).

Frosk had his own band in Manitoba, Canada, in the early 1950s. In 1956, he performed live in Bangkok with Benny Goodman. The following year, he played with Jimmy Dorsey, His Orchestra & Chorus on the album The Fabulous Jimmy Dorsey, alongside fellow trumpeters Art Tancredi, Bill Spano, and Lee Castle.

In the early 1960s, Frosk performed with Dizzy Gillespie for his Carnegie Hall Concert and his 1960 album Gillespiana, alongside trumpeters Ernie Royal, Clark Terry, and Joe Wilder.

In 1962, he toured with Benny Goodman to Moscow for Benny Goodman in Moscow concert. In 1966, he recorded the album Profiles with Gary McFarland and in 1967, he was featured on the Pee Wee Russell album, The Spirit of '67. In 1968, he appeared on Tony Bennett's Snowfall: The Tony Bennett Christmas Album. The following year, he played on Quincy Jones' Walking in Space, alongside trumpeters Freddie Hubbard, Lloyd Michaels, Dick Williams, Marvin Stamm, and Snooky Young.

In 1971, Frosk recorded White Rabbit with George Benson and Time to Fly with David Pomeranz.

In 1975, Frosk played on Grover Washington, Jr.'s fifth studio album Feels So Good, alongside Jon Faddis, Randy Brecker, and Bob Millikan. The album topped both the soul and jazz albums charts and peaked at number ten on the pop album charts in the U.S.

Other influential musicians with whom Frosk has performed, recorded, or collaborated over the years include Bob James, Lalo Schifrin, Gloria Gaynor, Van McCoy, Jimmy McGriff, Eddie Drennon, Bette Midler, Barbara Cook, Manny Albam, Garrison Keillor, Frederica von Stade, Tom Lehrer, Quincy Jones, and Ray Charles.

Most recently, in 2017, Frosk was featured on two tracks (19 and 20) of Fresh Sound Records' Dan Terry And His Orchestra compilation album The Swinginest Dance Band 1952-1963.

Frosk also performs for Broadway musicals. From July 1975 through April 1990, he was a replacement trumpeter on Marvin Hamlisch and Edward Kleban's long-running Broadway musical, A Chorus Line. In 1991-1993, he played trumpet for The Will Rogers Follies (book by Peter Stone, lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, and music by Cy Coleman.) In December 1993, he played for the musical The Red Shoes (book by Marsha Norman, lyrics by Bob Merrill (credited as Paul Stryker) and music by Jule Styne.)

Since November 1996, he has been playing for Bob Fosse and Fred Ebb's hit musical Chicago.

Frosk has also composed music for a few Hollywood productions. In 1974, he and Mel Davis played trumpet for Sterling Van Wagenen's 1992 family drama Alan & Naomi, starring Lukas Haas, Michael Gross, and Amy Aquino. In 1995, he performed with Dick Hyman Orchestra for Woody Allen's Mighty Aphrodite, starring Pamela Blair, George De La Pena, Denise Faye, and Marian Filali. His last film credit was Woody Allen's 1996 romance comedy Everyone Says I Love You,starring Edward Norton and Drew Barrymore.