Frank Wellington Wess (January 4, 1922 – October 30, 2013) was an American jazz saxophonist and flutist. He was renowned for his extensive solo work; however, he was also remembered for his time playing with Count Basie's band during the early 1950s into the early 1960s. Critic Scott Yanow described him as one of the premier proteges of Lester Young, and a leading jazz flutist of his era—using the latter instrument to bring new colors to Basie's music.

Early life

Wess was born in Kansas City, Missouri. Since he was young, Wess grew up listening to music. His mother was one of his major influences as she would take him to watch performers like Roland Hayes and Ida Cox. While speaking to his father, who was a school principal in Oklahoma, on a separate occasion, he discovered that his mother had wanted him to become a musician for a long time. Up until that pivotal moment, Wess had viewed his interactions with his mother as bonding where she emphasized the importance of being aware of culture. Before realizing that jazz was his calling, he had other interests. To name a few, Wess aspired to be a cabinetmaker and then a dentist.

Wess grew up loving the saxophone, specifically the tenor saxophone and alto saxophone. He had asked his mother for one since he was young, and she would always tell him, "Wait till you're ten years old." In 1935, Wess and his family moved to Washington D.C. At this time, he had not been playing any longer as burnout had gotten the best of him, causing him to grow "tired of the music." His ROTC bandleader had been recruiting eligible young people who could play music professionally. He would serve as an assistant bandleader that played a variety of music - Viennese waltzes, vaudeville, classical and marching band to name a few. It was a 17-piece swing band, and they were sent to Africa in 1942. During that tour, they performed in Dakar, Casablanca, Monrovia, Tlemcen, and Algiers. During their first gig, they played for a group of Americans, Germans, and British. The highlight of Wess's time with the Army Band was accompanying Josephine Baker on tours for the Allied Power's troops.

Shortly upon returning from his time in the Army in 1944, Wess joined the Billy Eckstine and his orchestra. They had known each other before Wess went off to the War. At one point, Wess went to go see Eckstine at the theater; during this interaction, Eckstine said, "look, my tenor player is going into the army. Come on with me." For Broadway, Wess was a part of the pit bands for the shows Golden Boy, Chicago, Annie, and Sugar Babies. On television, he would play for The Dick Cavett Show, The David Frost Show, and The Sammy Davis Show, among others.

Wess continued to play outside of musicals and television shows. He became a sideman who was often in high demand by all sorts of musicians. It is estimated "that between 1964 and 2011, he participated in sessions with around 150 different artists or ensembles, from Benny Carter to Jaco Pastorius and from Annie Ross to Diana Ross." The album then moves to "Blue Monk," to pick up the tempo and bring vibrancy to the atmosphere. Wess brought back a steady swing throughout the duration of this song. The album end's with Wess's solo saxophone rendition of Duke Ellington's "All Too Soon," where he created an intimate feeling for the listeners.

Death

On October 30, 2013, at the age of 91, Wess died in a taxi on "his way to get a dialysis treatment," after suffering a sudden heart attack in the cab. He had still been playing music with his friends a month before his death, although his health had been in decline for months. His last public concert was in April of that year in New York at the 54 Below Club. He was survived by his partner, Sara Tsutsumi, two daughters (Michele Kane and Francine Wess), two grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.

Marc Loehrwald, a saxophone player, said that music had been Wess's life. He loved having the opportunity to play with other musicians, and he would try to invite young and moved musicians to his house for a jam session. Wess ensured that his legacy lived far beyond than the confines of his own family.

Discography

As leader

  • Flutes & Reeds (Savoy, 1955) with Ernie Wilkins
  • North, South, East....Wess (Savoy, 1956)
  • Opus in Swing (Savoy, 1956) with Kenny Burrell and Freddie Greene
  • Jazz for Playboys (Savoy, 1957) with Joe Newman, Kenny Burrell and Freddie Greene
  • Wheelin' & Dealin (Prestige, 1957) with John Coltrane
  • Opus de Blues (Savoy, 1959 [1984]) – also released as I Hear Ya Talkin
  • The Frank Wess Quartet (Moodsville, 1960)
  • Southern Comfort (Prestige, 1962)
  • Yo Ho! Poor You, Little Me (Prestige, 1963)
  • The Award Winner (Mainstream, 1964)
  • Wess to Memphis (1970)
  • Flute of the Loom (1973)
  • Flute Juice (Progressive, 1981)
  • Two at the Top (Uptown, 1983) with Johnny Coles
  • Two for the Blues (Pablo, 1984) with Frank Foster
  • Frankly Speaking (Concord Jazz, 1985) with Frank Foster
  • Entre Nous (Concord, 1990)
  • Going Wess (1993)
  • Tryin' to Make My Blues Turn Green (Concord, 1994)
  • Surprise, Surprise (Chiaroscuro, 1995)
  • Hank and Frank (Lineage, 2002) with Hank Jones
  • Hank and Frank II (Lineage, 2009) with Hank Jones
  • Magic 101 (IPO, 2013)

With the New York Jazz Quartet

  • In Concert in Japan (Salvation, 1975)
  • Surge (Enja, 1977)
  • Song of the Black Knight (Sonet, 1977)
  • Blues for Sarka (Enja, 1978)
  • New York Jazz Quartet in Chicago (Bee Hive, 1981)
  • Oasis (Enja, 1981)

As sideman

With Toshiko Akiyoshi

  • Ten Gallon Shuffle (Victor / BMG, 1984)
  • Wishing Peace (Ken (Japan), 1986)
  • Carnegie Hall Concert (Columbia, 1992)

With Manny Albam

  • The Soul of the City (Solid State, 1966)

With Lorez Alexandria

  • Early in the Morning (Argo, 1960)

With Gene Ammons

  • Velvet Soul (Prestige, 1960 [1964])
  • Angel Eyes (Prestige, 1960 [1965])

With Dorothy Ashby

  • The Jazz Harpist (Regent, 1957)
  • Hip Harp (Prestige, 1958)
  • In a Minor Groove (New Jazz, 1958)

With Count Basie

  • Count Basie and the Kansas City 7 (Impulse!, 1962)

With Count Basie Orchestra

  • Dance Session (Clef, 1953)
  • Dance Session Album #2 (Clef, 1954)
  • Basie (Clef, 1954)
  • Count Basie Swings, Joe Williams Sings (Clef, 1955) with Joe Williams
  • April in Paris (Verve, 1956)
  • The Greatest!! Count Basie Plays, Joe Williams Sings Standards with Joe Williams
  • Metronome All-Stars 1956 (Clef, 1956) with Ella Fitzgerald and Joe Williams
  • Hall of Fame (Verve, 1956 [1959])
  • Basie in London (Verve, 1956)
  • One O'Clock Jump (1957)
  • The Atomic Mr. Basie (Roulette, 1957) aka Basie and E=MC<sup>2</sup>
  • Basie Plays Hefti (Roulette, 1958)
  • Chairman of the Board (Roulette 1958)
  • Sing Along with Basie (Roulette, 1958) with Joe Williams and Lambert, Hendricks & Ross
  • Basie One More Time (Roulette, 1959)
  • Breakfast Dance and Barbecue (Roulette, 1959)
  • Everyday I Have the Blues (Roulette, 1959)
  • Dance Along with Basie (Roulette, 1959)
  • String Along with Basie (Roulette, 1960)
  • Not Now, I'll Tell You When (Roulette, 1960)
  • The Count Basie Story (Roulette, 1960)
  • Kansas City Suite (Roulette, 1960)
  • First Time! The Count Meets the Duke (Columbia, 1961)
  • The Legend (Roulette, 1961)
  • Back with Basie (Roulette, 1962)
  • Basie in Sweden (Roulette, 1962)
  • On My Way & Shoutin' Again! (Verve, 1962)
  • This Time by Basie! (Reprise, 1963)
  • More Hits of the 50's and 60's (Verve, 1963)
  • Ella and Basie! (Verve, 1963)

With Benny Carter

  • Over the Rainbow (MusicMasters, 1989)
  • Harlem Renaissance (MusicMasters, 1992)

With Ron Carter

  • Parade (Milestone, 1979)
  • Empire Jazz (RSO, 1980)

With Kenny Clarke

  • Telefunken Blues (Savoy, 1955)

With Hank Crawford

  • Mr. Blues Plays Lady Soul (Atlantic, 1969)

With Dameronia

  • To Tadd with Love (Uptown, 1982)
  • Look Stop Listen (Uptown, 1983)
  • Live at the Theatre Boulogne-Billancourt Paris (Soul Note, 1989 [1994])

With Charles Earland

  • Infant Eyes (Muse, 1979)

With Harry Edison

  • Swing Summit (Candid, 1990)

With Frank Foster

  • No 'Count (Savoy, 1956)

With Gene Harris

  • It's the Real Soul (Concord, 1995)

With Johnny Hartman

  • Once in Every Life (Bee Hive, 1980)

With Coleman Hawkins

  • The Saxophone Section (World Wide, 1958)

With Johnny Hodges

  • Blue Notes (Verve, 1966)
  • Don't Sleep in the Subway (Verve, 1967)
  • 3 Shades of Blue (Flying Dutchman, 1970)

With Bobby Hutcherson

  • Conception: The Gift of Love (Columbia, 1979)

With Milt Jackson

  • Meet Milt Jackson (Savoy, 1955)
  • Opus de Jazz (Savoy, 1955)
  • Bags & Flutes (Atlantic, 1957)

With J. J. Johnson

  • Broadway Express (RCA Victor, 1965)

With Elvin Jones

  • Elvin! (Riverside, 1961–62)
  • And Then Again (Atlantic, 1965)
  • Time Capsule (Vanguard, 1977)

With Etta Jones

  • Etta Jones Sings (Roulette, 1965)

With Quincy Jones

  • The Birth of a Band! (Mercury, 1959)
  • Quincy Plays for Pussycats (Mercury, 1959-65 [1965])

With Thad Jones

  • Olio (Prestige, 1957)
  • After Hours (Prestige, 1957)

With Dick Katz

  • In High Profile (Bee Hive, 1984)

With Yusef Lateef

  • Part of the Search (Atlantic, 1973)

With Junior Mance

  • I Believe to My Soul (Atlantic, 1968)

With Arif Mardin

  • Journey (Atlantic, 1974)

With Les McCann

  • Another Beginning (Atlantic, 1974)

With Jimmy McGriff

  • The Big Band (Solid State, 1966)
  • Straight Up (Milestone, 1998)

With Charles McPherson

  • Today's Man (Mainstream, 1973)

With Helen Merrill

  • You've Got a Date with the Blues (MetroJazz, 1959)

With Oliver Nelson

  • The Spirit of '67 with Pee Wee Russell (Impulse!, 1967)

With David Newman

  • The Weapon (Atlantic, 1973)

With Joe Newman

  • The Count's Men (Jazztone, 1955)
  • I Feel Like a Newman (Storyville, 1956)
  • The Midgets (Vik, 1956)
  • The Happy Cats (Coral, 1957)
  • Counting Five in Sweden (Metronome, 1958)
  • Jive at Five (Swingville, 1960)

With Chico O'Farrill

  • Nine Flags (Impulse!, 1966)

With Houston Person

  • Sweet Buns & Barbeque (Prestige, 1972)

With Buddy Rich

  • The Wailing Buddy Rich (Norgran, 1955)

With A. K. Salim

  • Flute Suite (Savoy, 1957) with Herbie Mann

With Woody Shaw

  • Rosewood (Columbia, 1977)

With Zoot Sims

  • Passion Flower: Zoot Sims Plays Duke Ellington (1979)

With Melvin Sparks

  • Akilah! (Prestige, 1972)

With Leon Spencer

  • Where I'm Coming From (Prestige, 1973)

With Dakota Staton

  • I Want a Country Man (Groove Merchant, 1973)

With Billy Taylor

  • Billy Taylor with Four Flutes (Riverside, 1959)
  • Kwamina (Mercury, 1961)

With Earl Washington

  • Earl Washington All-Stars (Workshop, 1962)

With Charles Williams

  • Stickball (Mainstream, 1972)

With Gerald Wilson

  • New York, New Sound (Mack Avenue, 2003)

With Lem Winchester

  • Another Opus (New Jazz, 1960)

References

  • frankwess.org