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Album Review

Frank Macchia: Bluezapalooza

Read "Bluezapalooza" reviewed by Dan McClenaghan


Frank Macchia has recorded some serious sounds in his day. Landscapes (Cacophony, 2008), for instance, with The Prague Orchestra, was a sweeping masterpiece of an album which should have won him some sort of Aaron Copland Award (It was nominated for a Grammy). But the reedist-composer-arranger also has a fun side, with albums like 2012's Swamp Thang (Cacophony), which offered up a set of grungy bayou boogies, blues, funk and New Orleans second line, all in an instrumental setting.

5
Album Review

Frank Macchia: Songs For Tracy

Read "Songs For Tracy" reviewed by Dan McClenaghan


Grammy-nominated, multi-woodwind instrumentalist-composer Frank Macchia was in an isolationist, COVID-19 state of mind when he came up with the blueprint for Songs For Tracy. Dog-walking during the quarantine time did the trick. He would, in these sojourns, write down ideas about his emotions and thoughts. The next step was writing the music for these lyrics. Recording involved (almost) an orchestra of one—Frank Macchia overdubbing a swirling sea of woodwinds and keyboard textures, with Brock Avery on drums and ...

9
Album Review

Frank Macchia / Brock Avery: Rhythm Abstraction: Ruby

Read "Rhythm Abstraction: Ruby" reviewed by Dan McClenaghan


Multi-instrumentalist Frank Macchia released his full length CD Rhythm Kaleidoscope (Cacophany Records) in 2018. The compositions were created over a foundation of Brock Avery's multi-layered improvised drum and percussion solos, with Macchia orchestrating a sea of woodwinds and synthesizer sounds, some brass and some prepared piano samples, resulting in a lush and feisty twenty-first century jazz-classical-fusion hybrid of the highest order. This mode of operation apparently caught his fancy. He follows up in 2020 with a three EP set--released between ...

4
Album Review

Frank Macchia / Brock Avery: Rhythm Abstraction: Gold

Read "Rhythm Abstraction: Gold" reviewed by Dan McClenaghan


Muli-reedist Frank Macchia and percussionist Brock Avery started 2020 with their release of Rhythm Abstraction: Azure (Cacophony), a follow-up to 2018's Rhythm Kaleidoscope (Cacophony), employing its predecessor's approach. Here's how it works. Avery lays down an improvised percussion foundation. Then Macchia steps in with just about every imaginable reed instrument to construct an elaborate orchestration—one step, one saxophone (or flute, or clarinet, or ocarina) at a time. Liken it to Avery serving as a baker, sculpting a cake, then calling ...

5
Album Review

Frank Macchia & Brock Avery: Rhythm Abstraction: Azure

Read "Rhythm Abstraction: Azure" reviewed by Dan McClenaghan


Reedman-arranger-composer Frank Macchia didn't take the conventional route in putting his EP Rhythm Abstractions: Azure together. He didn't get a huge orchestra in one studio, pass out the charts and explain to the players what he was trying to do. What he did was pare the personnel down to a minimum and turn drummer Brock Avery loose for some serious improvisation time. Then Machia layered in a whole bunch of reeds—piccolo, flutes (alto,bass, contrabass), clarinets (alto, bass contrabass), saxophones (sopranino, ...

4
Album Review

Frank Macchia: Rhythm Kaleidoscope

Read "Rhythm Kaleidoscope" reviewed by Troy Dostert


With a host of wide-ranging work not only as a musician but also as a producer and arranger for television and film projects, Frank Macchia has never been one to rest on his laurels. Even if you're not familiar with his recordings, chances are you've heard at least one of his many film orchestrations: from The Cable Guy to Mission Impossible III to Muppets Most Wanted, Macchia's resume covers virtually every movie genre imaginable. And his own recording projects have ...

3
Album Review

Frank Macchia: Grease Mechanix

Read "Grease Mechanix" reviewed by Jack Bowers


One thing that must be said about Frank Macchia (well, two things, actually)--he's a wild and crazy composer / bandleader whose satchel is always overflowing with splendid musical surprises. On his new album, Grease Mechanix, Macchia goes funky in a New Orleans brass band manner, employing a seventeen-piece ensemble comprised of some of the best sidemen the Los Angeles area has to offer to design such instant jazz classics as “Zombies Ate My Grandma," “Chicken Neck," “I'm So Damn Mad!," ...

118
Album Review

Frank Macchia: Frank Macchia's Swamp Thang

Read "Frank Macchia's Swamp Thang" reviewed 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 ...

206
Album Review

Frank Macchia: Son Of Folk Songs For Jazzers

Read "Son Of Folk Songs For Jazzers" reviewed 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 ...

273
Album Review

Frank Macchia: Son Of Folk Songs For Jazzers

Read "Son Of Folk Songs For Jazzers" reviewed 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 ...


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