Frank Wess

Biography

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)

With Melvin Sparks

Akilah! (Prestige, 1972)

With Leon Spencer

Where I'm Coming From (Prestige, 1973)

With Billy Taylor

Billy Taylor with Four Flutes (Riverside, 1959)

Kwamina (Mercury, 1961)

With Charles Williams

Stickball (Mainstream, 1972)

With Gerald Wilson

New York, New Sound (Mack Avenue, 2003)