Frank Wess and his amazing Quintet this weekend – recorded at Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola in New York City on November 2, 2011
Frank Wess was renowned for his extensive solo work; however, he was also remembered for his time playing with Count Basie’s band during the early 1950s into the early 1960s. Critic Scott Yanow described him as one of the premier proteges of Lester Young, and a leading jazz flutist of his era—using the latter instrument to bring new colors to Basie’s music.
Frank Wess grew up loving the saxophone, specifically the tenor saxophone and alto saxophone. He had asked his mother for one since he was young, and she would always tell him, “Wait till you’re ten years old.” He believed that this life truly started when he turned ten years old as that marked the start of his lengthy music career. Wess was drawn to the instrument as it was “closely related to the human voice.” In his eyes, the saxophone was an instrument that was relatively easy to learn, but difficult to master. In an interview with the National Endowment for the Arts, he said, “…if you can play it, it sounds good, you know. Lots of instruments, you put a whole lot into it and it still doesn’t sound too good.” When he began playing the saxophone, he took influence from the sound of the horn.
Wess began with classical music training and played in Oklahoma in high school. He would travel around with the All-State High School Orchestra to perform. In 1935, Wess and his family moved to Washington D.C. At this time, he had not been playing any longer as burnout had gotten the best of him, causing him to grow “tired of the music.” Having that significant change in scenery revitalized and rekindled Wess’s passion for playing music. During lunch time at his high school, students would host jam sessions in the orchestra. Billy Taylor was a student at his high school during that period of time. These sessions lit up that spark in Wess that made him start playing again. He experienced a shift in preferences as he opted to begin playing jazz. To be more specific, he played a big band style of jazz.
Frank Wess played a pivotal role in the formation of Count Basie’s orchestra as he recruited the following musicians: Thad Jones, Bill Hughes, Eddie Jones, Al Aarons, and Eric Dixon. Together, this group of legendary musicians formed Count Basie’s “New Testament” band. Throughout the years, other musicians came and went. Wess’s versatility as an artist allowed him to play the flute, alto saxophone, and tenor saxophone. Basie’s leadership style was unorthodox as he never rehearsed with the band, but rather, he would just sit and listen. Wess and his fellow musicians were the ones who decided on the arrangements. However, this approach to leadership allowed Basie to be aware of everything. He would have an eye on everything and knew what was occurring in the musicians’ personal lives. While many could not comprehend Basie’s approach, this allowed the members of the band to truly get to know each other so they could stay around long enough so that it translated into cohesive music pieces.
On October 30, 2013, at the age of 91, Frank Wess died in a taxi on “his way to get a dialysis treatment,” after suffering a sudden heart attack in the cab. He had still been playing music with his friends a month before his death, although his health had been in decline for months. His last public concert was in April of that year in New York at the 54 Below Club. He was survived by his partner, Sara Tsutsumi, two daughters (Michele Kane and Francine Wess), two grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.
Thanks Wikipedia – now on to the gig.
