Meet Frank Housh

I currently live in:

Buffalo, New York

I joined All About Jazz in:

February 2025

Why did you decide to contribute to All About Jazz?

Because it's the best damn jazz publication on the internet.

How do you contribute to All About Jazz?

I do interviews, review concerts and albums, and write the occasional essay.

What is your musical background?

I began college studying classical guitar but eventually ended up in law school. I practiced law for 30 years while occasionally writing reviews of local jazz and classical concerts.

What was the first record you bought that you would still listen to today?

Pat Metheny Bright Size Life.

Aside from jazz, what styles of music do you enjoy?

Classical, rock, bluegrass. I like all kinds of music and I distrust genre labels. I subscribe to the principle of "artistic universalism" which states that all music—indeed all art—is worthy and should be judged on its merits.

What are you listening to right now?

Franck Amsallem's The Summer Knows.

Which five recent releases would you recommend to readers who share your musical taste?

Kokoroko's Tuff Times Never Last
Taj Mahal & Keb' Mo's Room On The Porch
Kinan Azmeh's Live In Berlin
Ambrose Akinmusires Honey From A Winter Stone
Dee Dee Bridgewater & Bill Charlap's Elemental

What inspired you to write about jazz?

A love of both jazz and the written word.

What do you like to do in your free time? Any hobbies?

Hiking, baseball (Go KC Royals!)

What role does jazz music play in your life?

It brings me great joy.

How does writing about jazz contribute to the music itself?

The same way that writing about the news contributes to world affairs. The written word is not just an archive but a living force that gives meaning. Just as we need journalists to help us make sense of the world at large, we need critics to interpret art.

What do you like most about All About Jazz?

It is arts journalism not "entertainment content" seeking clicks and virality.

What positives have come from your association with All About Jazz?

I've learned a lot about jazz from its wonderful writers and a lot about writing from its skilled editors.

Vinyl, CD or Streaming ?

CD

Which article from your archive is the most memorable and why?

Fred Hersch: A Lifetime Of Meditation At The Piano. I had the opportunity to interview one of jazz music's great artists and understand where his music comes from.

If I could have dinner with anyone from history, who would it be and why?

J.S. Bach. Or, Charlize Theron. Each for different reasons,

If I could go back in time and relive an experience, what would it be?

The first time I performed a classical guitar concert.

What's the song or piece of music you wish you could hear again for the first time?

Pat Metheny, Travels.

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