Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Dave Frank: Ballads & Burners

180

Dave Frank: Ballads & Burners

By

Sign in to view read count
Dave Frank: Ballads & Burners
For pianist, composer, and educator Dave Frank, the magic is in the left hand. Ballads & Burners is a collection of original compositions that brims with muscularity and assertion, whether ballads or burners.

What makes Frank interesting is the complexity of melody and rhythm he composes into his up-tempo pieces. The opener, "Spirit of the Burn, illustrates this. Following the exposition of a complex low register figure, Frank then begins to improvise with his right hand, displaying considerable prowess and power. "Rousseau's World is a muscular ballad, not lacking in tenderness, but bristling with energy.

Frank is a very percussive pianist, not unlike the late Don Pullen but without the avant-garde bent. "The Mechanization of America is a throbbing John Lee Hooker drone with advanced harmonic interpolations. The result is a certain hypnosis, albeit not a soothing one. Frank sets up a musical mantra that provides the song a steady velocity. His titles are often very descriptive. "Information Highway follows the format of "Spirit of the Burn, with a complex left hand that is constantly turning left and right while proceeding at high speed.

Frank has chops to burn, but it would be nice to hear what the pianist can do with standards old and new. A Coltrane or Dolphy recording would be interesting as well as time devoted to Ellington. His approach to his own compositions guarantees that whatever he does, it will be interesting.

Track Listing

Spirit Of The Burn; Rousseau

Personnel

Dave Frank: piano.

Album information

Title: Ballads & Burners | Year Released: 2007 | Record Label: Jazzheads

Comments

Tags


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

What Was Happening
Bobby Wellins Quartet
Laugh Ash
Ches Smith
A New Beat
Ulysses Owens, Jr. and Generation Y

Popular

Eagle's Point
Chris Potter
Light Streams
John Donegan - The Irish Sextet

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.