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Frank Wess
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Genres
Jazz
Role
Saxophonist
Name
Frank Wess
Years active
1950s – 2013
Occupation(s)
Musician
Born
January 4, 1922
Kansas City, Missouri, U.S. (
1922-01-04
)
Instruments
Tenor saxophone
Alto Saxophone
Flute
Died
October 30, 2013, Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States
Movies
Count Basie: Then as Now, Count's the King
Albums
The Frank Wess Quartet, Magic 101, In a Minor Groove, Magic 201, Jazz for Playboys
Frank wess stella by starlight
Frank Wellington Wess (January 4, 1922 – October 30, 2013) was an American jazz saxophonist and flautist. In addition to his extensive solo work, Wess is remembered for his time in Count Basie's band from the early 1950s into the '60s. Critic Scott Yannow described him as one of the premier proteges of Lester Young, and a leading jazz flautist of his era -- using the later instrument to bring new colors to Basie's music.
Wess was born in Kansas City, Missouri, the son of a principal father and a schoolteacher mother. He began with classical music training and played in Oklahoma in high school. He later switched to jazz on moving to Washington, D. C. and by nineteen was working with big bands. His career was interrupted by World War II although he did play with a military band in the period. After leaving the military, he joined Billy Eckstine's orchestra. He returned to Washington D.C. a few years afterwards and received a degree in flute at the city's Modern School of Music. He played tenor sax with Count Basie from 1953 to 1964, doubling on flute.
Wess was considered one of the best jazz flautists of his time. From 1959 to 1964, he won the Down Beat magazine critics' poll for flute.
He was a member of Clark Terry's big band from 1967 into the 1970s and played in the New York Jazz Quartet (with Roland Hanna). He also did a variety of work for TV. In 1968 he contributed to the album The Jazz Composer's Orchestra. He played tenor and alto sax, doubling on flute throughout his career.
In the 1980s and 1990s, 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, Jane Jarvis, Frank Vignola and was a featured member of the Toshiko Akiyoshi Jazz Orchestra. In the 2000s, Wess released two albums with Hank Jones. In 2007, Wess was named an NEA Jazz Master by the U.S. National Endowment for the Arts.
Wess died from a heart attack related to kidney failure on October 30, 2013.
As leader
Flutes & Reeds (Savoy, 1955)
Opus in Swing (Savoy, 1956)
North, South, East...Wess (Savoy, 1956)
Jazz for Playboys (Savoy, 1957)
Wheelin' & Dealin' (Prestige, 1957)
Opus De Blues (Savoy, 1959)
The Frank Wess Quartet (Moodsville, 1960)
Southern Comfort (Prestige, 1962)
Yo Ho! Poor You, Little Me (Prestige, 1963)
Wess to Memphis (1970)
Flute of the Loom (1973)
Flute Juice (1981)
Two for the Blues (1983)
Two at the Top (Uptown, 1983)
Entre Nous (Concord, 1990)
Going Wess (1993)
Tryin' to Make My Blues Turn Green (Concord, 1994)
Surprise, Surprise (Chiaroscuro, 1995)
Hank and Frank (2002)
Hank and Frank II (2009)
Magic 101 (IPO, 2013)
With the New York Jazz Quartet
In Concert in Japan (Salvation, 1975)
Surge (Enja, 1977)
Song of the Black Knight (Sonet, 1977)
Blues for Sarka (Enja, 1978)
New York Jazz Quartet in Chicago (Bee Hive, 1981)
Oasis (Enja, 1981)
As sideman
With Toshiko Akiyoshi
Ten Gallon Shuffle (Victor / BMG, 1984)
Wishing Peace (Ken (Japan), 1986)
Carnegie Hall Concert (Columbia, 1992)
With Manny Albam
The Soul of the City (Solid State, 1966)
With Gene Ammons
Velvet Soul (Prestige, 1960 [1964])
Angel Eyes (Prestige, 1960 [1965])
With Dorothy Ashby
The Jazz Harpist (Regent, 1957)
Hip Harp (Prestige, 1958)
In a Minor Groove (New Jazz, 1958)
With Count Basie
Count Basie and the Kansas City 7 (Impulse!, 1962)
With Count Basie Orchestra
Dance Session (Clef, 1953)
Dance Session Album #2 (Clef, 1954)
Basie (Clef, 1954)
Count Basie Swings, Joe Williams Sings (Clef, 1955) with Joe Williams
April in Paris (Verve, 1956)
The Greatest!! Count Basie Plays, Joe Williams Sings Standards with Joe Williams
Metronome All-Stars 1956 (Clef, 1956) with Ella Fitzgerald and Joe Williams
Hall of Fame (Verve, 1956 [1959])
Basie in London (Verve, 1956)
One O'Clock Jump (1957)
The Atomic Mr. Basie (Roulette, 1957) aka Basie and E=MC2
Basie Plays Hefti (Roulette, 1958)
Chairman of the Board (Roulette 1958)
Sing Along with Basie (Roulette, 1958) with Joe Williams and Lambert, Hendricks & Ross
Basie One More Time (Roulette, 1959)
Breakfast Dance and Barbecue (Roulette, 1959)
Everyday I Have the Blues (Roulette, 1959)
Dance Along with Basie (Roulette, 1959)
String Along with Basie (Roulette, 1960)
Not Now, I'll Tell You When (Roulette, 1960)
The Count Basie Story (Roulette, 1960)
Kansas City Suite (Roulette, 1960)
First Time! The Count Meets the Duke (Columbia, 1961)
The Legend (Roulette, 1961)
Back with Basie (Roulette, 1962)
Basie in Sweden (Roulette, 1962)
On My Way & Shoutin' Again! (Verve, 1962)
This Time by Basie! (Reprise, 1963)
More Hits of the 50's and 60's (Verve, 1963)
Ella and Basie! (Verve, 1963)
With Kenny Clarke
Telefunken Blues (Savoy, 1955)
With Hank Crawford
Mr. Blues Plays Lady Soul (Atlantic, 1969)
With Harry Edison
Swing Summit (Candid, 1990)
With Frank Foster
No Count (Savoy, 1956)
With Gene Harris
Nothin' But the Soul (Concord, 1995)
With Johnny Hartman
Once in Every Life (Bee Hive, 1980)
With Johnny Hodges
Blue Notes (Verve, 1966)
Don't Sleep in the Subway (Verve, 1967)
3 Shades of Blue (Flying Dutchman, 1970)
With Bobby Hutcherson
Conception: The Gift of Love (Columbia, 1979)
With Milt Jackson
Meet Milt Jackson (Savoy, 1955)
Opus de Jazz (Savoy, 1955)
Bags & Flutes (Atlantic, 1957)
With J. J. Johnson
Broadway Express (RCA Victor, 1965)
With Elvin Jones
Elvin! (Riverside, 1961–62)
And Then Again (Atlantic, 1965)
Time Capsule (Vanguard, 1977)
With Quincy Jones
The Birth of a Band! (Mercury, 1959)
With Thad Jones
Olio (Prestige, 1957)
After Hours (Prestige, 1957)
With Dick Katz
In High Profile (Bee Hive, 1984)
With Yusef Lateef
Part of the Search (Atlantic, 1973)
With Junior Mance
I Believe to My Soul (Atlantic, 1968)
With Arif Mardin
Journey (Atlantic, 1974)
With Les McCann
Another Beginning (Atlantic, 1974)
With Jimmy McGriff
The Big Band (Solid State, 1966)
With Charles McPherson
Today's Man (Mainstream, 1973)
With Oliver Nelson
The Spirit of '67 with Pee Wee Russell (Impulse!, 1967)
With David Newman
The Weapon (Atlantic, 1973)
With Joe Newman
The Count's Men (Jazztone, 1955)
I Feel Like a Newman (Storyville, 1956)
The Midgets (Vik, 1956)
The Happy Cats (Coral, 1957)
Counting Five in Sweden (Metronome, 1958)
Jive at Five (Swingville, 1960)
With Chico O'Farrill
Nine Flags (Impulse!, 1966)
With Houston Person
Sweet Buns & Barbeque (Prestige, 1972)
With Buddy Rich
The Wailing Buddy Rich (Norgran, 1955)
With A. K. Salim
Flute Suite (Savoy, 1957) with Herbie Mann
With Woody Shaw
Rosewood (Columbia, 1977)
With Zoot Sims
Passion Flower: Zoot Sims Plays Duke Ellington (1979)