Frank Wess

One of the first major jazz flutists, Frank Wess was also a top <a href="spotify:artist:05E3NBxNMdnrPtxF9oraJm">Lester Young</a>-influenced tenor man, an expert first altoist, and an occasional composer/arranger -- certainly a valuable man to have around. Early on he toured with <a href="spotify:artist:4Pb1I6ZTK7XnAfk7bJtvjh">Blanche Calloway</a>, served in the military, and had stints with the Billy Eckstine Orchestra (1946), <a href="spotify:artist:4Up5NIBDcGXsFk2lcsHaNG">Eddie Heywood</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:4tdVYQWfsBth04tc1mmQ23">Lucky Millinder</a>, and R&B star <a href="spotify:artist:7LvQ7F9il2LSzH7iwR4N2p">Bull Moose Jackson</a>. That was all just a prelude to Wess' important period with <a href="spotify:artist:2jFZlvIea42ZvcCw4OeEdA">Count Basie</a>'s big band, from 1953-1964. His flute playing, so expertly utilized in <a href="spotify:artist:3IjVHk8Mo8GBMKyHnwmth8">Neal Hefti</a>'s arrangements, gave <a href="spotify:artist:2jFZlvIea42ZvcCw4OeEdA">the Basie Orchestra</a> a fresh new sound, and his cool-toned tenor contrasted well with the more passionate sound of fellow tenor <a href="spotify:artist:1UBOhgHqPdFDiDW3qF1y1d">Frank Foster</a>; Wess also had opportunities to play alto with the classic big band. Wess subsequently freelanced in countless settings, playing with <a href="spotify:artist:62xdwGEOLoGQxKUqoJusyU">Clark Terry</a>'s big band, <a href="spotify:artist:0VJleR1nspHzLRjvhNKbnH">the New York Jazz Quartet</a> (with <a href="spotify:artist:3fz908a7zGtFo2rwggyYl9">Roland Hanna</a>) during the second half of the 1970s, <a href="spotify:artist:7DGzbNWhjJM0SQiQ2wrhnz">Dameronia</a> (1981-1985), and <a href="spotify:artist:3HnrKwN3HT9BXwyrDWQCFx">Toshiko Akiyoshi</a>'s big band, and also had occasional reunions with <a href="spotify:artist:1UBOhgHqPdFDiDW3qF1y1d">Frank Foster</a>. Frank Wess led sessions for <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Commodore%22">Commodore</a> (1954), <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Savoy%22">Savoy</a>, <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Prestige%22">Prestige</a>, <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Moodsville%22">Moodsville</a>, <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Pablo%22">Pablo</a> (with <a href="spotify:artist:1UBOhgHqPdFDiDW3qF1y1d">Foster</a>), <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Progressive%22">Progressive</a>, <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Uptown%22">Uptown</a>, <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Concord%22">Concord</a>, and <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Town+Crier%22">Town Crier</a>. He died of a heart attack at the age of 91 in Manhattan on October 30, 2013. ~ Scott Yanow, Rovi