Frank Strozier

A talented alto saxophonist who never became very famous, Frank Strozier has long been a top-notch hard bop stylist whose intense sound recalls (but is not derivative of) <a href="spotify:artist:1lB7KbOr9xdPK1CuasxmeA">Jackie McLean</a>. One of many excellent jazzmen who grew up in Memphis, Strozier played with other Memphis musicians even after he moved to Chicago in 1954 (including <a href="spotify:artist:0CHdvqcELhkUJEsftEZ965">Harold Mabern</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:0EVTtmYUUanPKBFdPcSYiv">Booker Little</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:2bznm4QNyfgutcxCbRAfwH">George Coleman</a>). He recorded with <a href="spotify:artist:1lyCDYAYsVYALIu9y4uIOw">the MJT + 3</a> from 1959-1960, and led sessions for Vee Jay during the same period. After moving to New York, Strozier was briefly with <a href="spotify:artist:71Ur25Abq58vksqJINpGdx">the Miles Davis Quintet</a> in 1963 (between <a href="spotify:artist:5cbutZUQE7SUCA6MsEMbBv">Hank Mobley</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:2bznm4QNyfgutcxCbRAfwH">George Coleman</a>), gigged with <a href="spotify:artist:1tGINpEJVUsQXssRC28ugo">Roy Haynes</a>, and then relocated to Los Angeles. During his L.A. years, he worked with <a href="spotify:artist:3rxeQlsv0Sc2nyYaZ5W71T">Chet Baker</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:6M7ScGp8p2GspFJaIMh1Yo">Shelly Manne</a>, and most notably the <a href="spotify:artist:6sPeUcMcOc2n0M7m1qHAer">Don Ellis</a> big band (with whom he took a memorable solo on "K.C. Blues" from Ellis' Autumn album). He returned to New York in 1971, working with the Jazz Contemporaries, the New York Jazz Repertory Company, and <a href="spotify:artist:413WfGS7CgAHEJD4DtAo3e">Horace Parlan</a>, among others, but not gaining the recognition he deserved. Frustrated with his lack of work, Strozier for a time reappeared as a pianist, but little resulted from that. As a leader, Frank Strozier's Vee Jay recordings (with a great deal of added material) have been reissued on CD; his Jazzland dates from 1961-1962 remain out of print, and he also led sessions for Trident (1972) and SteepleChase (1976-1977). ~ Scott Yanow, Rovi