Carl Charles Fontana, also known as Carl Fontana, born on July 18, 1928, in Monroe, Louisiana, was an American jazz trombonist. His career began in 1952 when he joined Woody Herman's band, becoming a permanent member after initially replacing Urbie Green. In 1954, Fontana moved to Lionel Hampton's band and later joined Stan Kenton's orchestra in 1955, recording three albums with them. After settling in Las Vegas, he worked with various bands, including those of Paul Anka, Sammy Davis Jr., Tony Bennett, Wayne Newton, and Benny Goodman during the 1960s. In the 1970s, he recorded with Louie Bellson, Bill Watrous, and Supersax, and released his album as a co-leader, The Hanna-Fontana Band: Live at Concord, in 1975. In 2001, he performed with The West Coast All Stars in Stuttgart, Germany, and was featured on the song "If I Only Had a Brain" from The Wizard of Oz. Fontana passed away on October 9, 2003.
