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Jazz Articles about Frank Macchia
About Frank Macchia
Instrument: Composer / conductor
Frank Macchia: Frank Macchia's Swamp Thang
by Dan McClenaghan
You never can tell what some jazz guys have up their sleeves. Los Angeles-based reedman Frank Macchia has worked extensively in television and movies, while maintaining a busy jazz career. His two orchestral jazz outings--Emotions (2006) and Landscapes (2008)--each garnered Grammy nominations, and he has also offered up two very distinctive jazz re-imaginings of traditional fare with Folk Songs for Jazzers (2010) and Son of Folk Songs for Jazzers (2011), all released on his own Cacophony Records.With Frank ...
Continue ReadingFrank Macchia: Son Of Folk Songs For Jazzers
by Edward Blanco
Composer/arranger Frank Macchia explores twelve more American folk songs and their reinterpretation through jazz on Son of Folk Songs for Jazzers, a follow-up to his critically acclaimed Folk Songs for Jazzers (Cacophony, 2010), for which he received his third Grammy nod in the Best Instrumental Arrangement category. As with the first album, Macchia uses a fourteen-piece ensemble, with many of the same A-list musicians from the Los Angeles area, among them, Wayne Bergeron, Bob Sheppard, Bill Reichenbach and vocalist Tierney ...
Continue ReadingFrank Macchia: Son Of Folk Songs For Jazzers
by Dan McClenaghan
Saxophonist Frank Macchia keeps racking up the Grammy nominations. He got his third nod for the award with his big band interpretation of “Skip to My Lou," from his Folk Songs for Jazzers (Cacophony, 2010), following up his recognition for Emotions (Cacophony, 2007) and Landscapes (Cacophony 2008). In addition to his work in producing these excellent CD offerings, Macchia also works extensively in film and TV, as one of those musicians many have heard without knowing who it ...
Continue ReadingFrank Macchia's Freaky Fricassee of Music
by Frank Macchia
These are just a random group of some of my favorite tunes compiled for your listening pleasure. Not just jazz tunes, but some rock, pop and classical as well. I hope you can check out some of these artists. I really dig them!! TrackNameTimeArtistAlbum1After Youre Gone3:53Terry GibbsDream Band Vol 12Alabama (Takes 4 & 5)5:10John Coltrane QuartetThe Classic Quartet--Complete Impulse! Studio Recordings3All Of Me2:18EsquivelMusic From A Sparkling Planet4Bernie's Tune (LP Version)4:21Clare FischerCrazy Bird5Clear Spot3:40Captain Beefheart & The Magic ...
Continue ReadingTake Five With Frank Macchia
by AAJ Staff
Meet Frank Macchia: Born and raised in San Francisco, CA., Frank started on the clarinet at the age of ten years old. Soon afterward he began studies on bassoon, saxophone and flute. By the age of fourteen he began studying composition, writing jazz and classical pieces for his high school band and orchestra and for jazz ensembles that rehearsed at the local union hall, including trumpeter Mike Vax's Big Band. In 1975-76 Frank wrote jazz/classical hybrid ...
Continue ReadingFrank Macchia: Folk Songs for Jazzers
by Edward Blanco
Never the conventionalist when it comes to music, Grammy-nominated composer/arranger and saxophonist Frank Macchia develops another theme album, this time reinterpreting time-honored traditional American folk songs in another innovative frame of jazz on Folk Songs for Jazzers. With a history of releasing concept albums like the saxophone-heavy Saxolollapalooza (Cacophony, 2008), the Third Stream-tinged classical jazz Landscapes(Cacophony, 2007), the orchestral Emotions (Cacophony, 2006), and the previous Animal series recordings, Macchia once again summons his creative juices in recording some classic American ...
Continue ReadingFrank Macchia: Folk Songs for Jazzers
by Dan McClenaghan
Frank Macchia seems to have a thing about American folk songs--a very good thing. On his Grammy-nominated Landscapes, the Los Angeles-based multi-reedist/composer/arranger teamed up with The Prague Orchestra and bookended his superb “Landscape Suite" with traditional tunes like “Shenandoah," “Down in the Valley," and “Deep River," with marvelous results.On Folk Songs for Jazzers, Macchia and his thirteen-piece band jazzes up some seemingly unlikely traditional tunes like “Blue Tail Fly," “I've Been Working on the Railroad," Skip to My ...
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