Home » Jazz Articles » Frank Wess
Jazz Articles about Frank Wess
Frank Wess: Magic 101
by Dan Bilawsky
Most musicians can't escape the ravages of time, but a select few seem to have taken a sip from the musical fountain of youth. The late Hank Jones, for example, played with brilliance and class until the day he died at the age of 91, and octogenarian drummer Roy Haynes continues to snap and crackle in all the right places, demonstrating unmatched originality and agility as he approaches the big nine-o. Saxophonist/flautist Frank Wess is another such figure. Wess, who ...
Continue ReadingFrank Wess: Magic 101
by Jack Bowers
The “magic" here lies not only in the radiant music created by this stellar quartet of world-class musicians but also in the fact that its leader, Frank Wess, was a youthful eighty-nine years old when this splendid album was recorded in June 2011. Wess was once a star soloist (on tenor sax and flute) with the legendary Count Basie Orchestra, but that was back in the '50s and early '60s, when the big bands were riding high. While he has ...
Continue ReadingFrank Wess: Once is Not Enough
by Chris M. Slawecki
Dominated by the sound of swinging, good-time blues, Once Is Not Enough indisputably plants NEA Jazz Master Wess in the tradition of Count Basie, in whose Count Basie Orchestra Wess played flute, alto, and tenor saxophones for more than a decade.
This set jumps from the very start: Wess' tenor on his opening, title track sounds neither heavy or deep, but still bounces and strolls like a sharp Saturday night player. His minor blues “Sara's Song" exemplifies the ...
Continue ReadingFrank Wess Nonet: Once Is Not Enough
by Edward Blanco
Known affectionately as “Magic" to his professional colleagues, saxophonist/flautist Frank Wess is a living legend in the jazz world. His résumé includes stints with Billy Eckstine, the Clark Terry Big Band and a decade performing with the Count Basie Orchestra, and he is recognized as one of the first major flautists to have an impact on the music. Once Is Not Enough is an audacious recording that follows his most recent collaboration with Hank Jones on Hank and Frank II ...
Continue ReadingFrank Wess Nonet: Once Is Not Enough
by AAJ Italy Staff
L'anno scorso, alla bell'età di 86 anni, il flautista e sassofonista Frank Wess ha formato un nonetto con alcuni partner di prima grandezza (Steve Turre, Ted Nash, Gerald Clayton, Peter Washington, Rufus Reid, Winard Harper, tanto per citare i più noti) per una scrittura settimanale al Dizzy's Club Coca Cola a New York City. Il successo è stato enorme e il 10 giugno dello stesso anno la formazione ha inciso quest'album, prodotto dallo stesso Wess. Il risultato è un aristocratico ...
Continue ReadingFrank Wess: Basel 1956 Part 1; Once is Not Enough; Hank and Frank II; Plays the Music of Irving Berlin (except one)
by George Kanzler
Count BasieBasel 1956 part 1TCB2009 Frank WessOnce Is Not EnoughLabeth Music2009 Hank Jones and Frank WessHank and FrankLineage2009 John BunchPlays the Music of Irving Berlin (except one)Arbors2008 At 87, Frank Wess is a member of the exclusive jazz ...
Continue ReadingFrank Wess Nonet: Once Is Not Enough
by Woodrow Wilkins
In the musical numbers game, trios and quartets are a dime a dozen, with occasional duos and quintets. Anything larger than the latter is usually presented as a group, big band or orchestra, if anything at all, with Frank Wess Nonet defying that model.Wess is an NEA American Jazz Master, and a veteran of the Count Basie Orchestra. For Once Is Not Enough, Wess leads an ensemble of nine musicians.The title song is a lively, swinging ...
Continue Reading
