Frank Wess

Infobox musical artist


Name = Frank Wess
Img_capt = Frank and Jimmy Owens (1977)
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Background = non_vocal_instrumentalist
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Born = Birth date and age|1922|1|4
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Origin = Kansas City
Instrument = Tenor saxophone, Alto Saxophone, Flute
Genre = Jazz
Occupation = Musician
Years_active = 1950s -
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Associated_acts = Count Basie, Frank Foster, Hank Jones
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Frank Wess (born January 4 1922 in Kansas City) is an American jazz musician, who has played saxophone (both alto and tenor) and flute. For his place in jazz flute history see main|Western concert flute #In jazz

Life and career

He began with classical music and played in Oklahoma. He later switched to jazz on moving to Washington, D. C. and by nineteen was working in the Big Bands. His career was interrupted during World War II although he did play with a military band in the period. On returning from service he joined Billy Eckstine's orchestra. [ [http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=17076 Interview at All About Jazz] ]

With Count Basie

He returned to DC a few years after this and received a degree in flute at the city's Modern School Of Music. From 1953 he joined Count Basie's band, playing flute and tenor sax. He reverted to alto sax in the late '50s, and left Basie's band in 1964. From 1959 to 1964 he won Down Beat's critic poll for flute. [ [http://www.downbeat.com/artists/artist_main.asp?sect=archives&aid=712&aname=Down+Beat+Critics+Poll Down Beat] ]

..and after

He was a member of Clark Terry's big band from 1967 into the '70s and played in the New York Quartet (with Roland Hanna). [ [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:8aq6g40btvnz~T1 All Music Guide] ] Since then he has done a variety of TV shows and telethons. [ [http://www.hpnewyork.com/music/musicians/FrankWess/Frank.html HPNewyork] ] In the '80s and '90s, he worked with Kenny Barron, Rufus Reid, Buck Clayton, Benny Carter, Billy Taylor, Harry Edison, Mel Tormé, Ernestine Anderson, Louie Bellson, John Pizzarelli, Howard Alden, Dick Hyman, Byron Stripling, Jane Jarvis, Frank Vignola [ [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0921785/bio IMDB] ] and was a featured member of the Toshiko Akiyoshi Jazz Orchestra.

In 2007 Wess was named an NEA Jazz Master by the U.S. National Endowment for the Arts.

elected recordings

*"Jazz For Playboys" (1956) with guitarist Kenny Burrell
*"Wheelin' and Dealin' " (1957) with John Coltrane and pianist Mal Waldron, who composed much of the music.
*"Southern Comfort" (1962)
*"Yo Ho! Poor You, Little Me" (1963)these two are now released on one CD, "The Long Road"
*"Going Wess" (1993) trio, Wess playing mainly tenor saxophone.
*"Hank and Frank" - (2002) with pianist Hank Jones, both men in their 80s.Two for the Blues(with Frank Foster)

External links

* [http://www.frankwess.org/ frankwess.org]
*Down Beat magazine critic's poll winner (flute): [http://www.downbeat.com/default.asp?sect=stories&subsect=story_detail&sid=685 1959] , [http://www.downbeat.com/default.asp?sect=stories&subsect=story_detail&sid=686 1960] , [http://www.downbeat.com/default.asp?sect=stories&subsect=story_detail&sid=687 1961] , [http://www.downbeat.com/default.asp?sect=stories&subsect=story_detail&sid=688 1962] , [http://www.downbeat.com/default.asp?sect=stories&subsect=story_detail&sid=689 1963] , [http://www.downbeat.com/default.asp?sect=stories&subsect=story_detail&sid=690 1964]
* [http://www.nea.gov/national/jazz/jazz07/index.html 2007 NEA Jazz Masters]

Web sources