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Frank Wess Wisdom
by AAJ Staff
One of the first major jazz flutists, Frank Wess has also been a top Lester Young-influenced tenor man, an expert first altoist, and an occasional composer/arranger--certainly a valuable man to have around. Early on he toured with Blanche Calloway, served in the military, and had stints with Billy Eckstine Orchestra (1946), Eddie Heywood, Lucky Millinder, and R&B star Bull Moose Jackson. That was all just a prelude to Wess' important period with Count Basie's big band, from 1953-1964. His flute ...
Continue ReadingFrank Wess: The Message of Swing
by Riel Lazarus
The genetic makeup of sax and flute legend Frank Wess is pure jazz. What else could explain over 60 years on the bandstand, dozens of cities seen and conquered, the message of swing spread to all within earshot? Though perhaps best known for his years with Count Basie, bookending those are decades of vigorous development and art. And like a long, abounding breath from his polished horn, the 83 year-old Wess remembers it all with lucid mind, sharp wit and ...
Continue ReadingFrank Wess: The Frank Wess Quartet
by Derek Taylor
Frank Wess, sterling saxophone star of the classic Fifties Count Basie Band, leads a relaxed date eponymous to his chosen band size on this recent Original Jazz Classics reissue. The Moodsville tag should give fairly solid indication of what’s in store. Six standards and an original fill out the set list with an emphasis on balmy ballad tempos and laidback blowing. The rhythm section, headed by the eloquent and elegant Tommy Flanagan, an ideal foil for this sort of session, ...
Continue ReadingFrank Wess & Flutology: First Date
by Russ Musto
If you like flutes this record may already be familiar; but if you're one of those listeners who's a little shy when it comes to the instrument some feel is too “pretty" for real jazz, this disc could well be the perfect first date. Flutology features veteran flautist Frank Wess - the musician who first popularized the instrument in jazz as a member of the Count Basie band - in the capable company of his two fabulous admirers, Holly Hoffman ...
Continue ReadingFrank Wess: The Long Road
by Derek Taylor
Frank Wess was a busy man in the 1960s. Along with juggling roles as Count Basie’s chief tenor and sessions as a sideman he was also fortunate enough to secure plentiful dates as a leader. In each setting his tenor was allowed room to move, but it was on his own gigs where his powers were put to most expansive use. The two albums combined on this disc highlight two Wess-fronted ensembles: a large eight-piece unit colored with a Latin ...
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