 Frank Wess © Steve Mynett
With this tribute to tenor sax greats, NEA Jazz Master Frank Wess provides a direct link to the history of jazz. A living example, he is as much a stylist as Coleman Hawkins, Ben Webster, Johnny Hodges, and the others he's saluting because he was there to hear and absorb their influence. They're gone, but Wess remains to remind us of these American treasures. The ensemle will feature Frank Wess on tenor saxophone and flute, Greg Gisbert on trumpet, Michael Weiss on piano, Noriko Ueda on bass, and Winard Harper on drums. Frank Wess Quintet Celebrating Coleman Hawkins, Ben Webster & Other Giants of the Tenor Saxophone at Dizzy's on Tuesday, November 1st through Sunday, Novemeber 6th. Bith sets on Tuesday, Novemebr 1st are already sold out, so make reservations soon.
 Frank Wess A multi -instrumentalist whose inspired solos have kept bigband jazz fresh and vital into the present, Frank Wess is revered as a smoothly swinging tenor saxophone player in the Lester Young tradition, as an expert alto saxophonist, and as one of the most influential, instantly recognizable flutists in jazz history. Born in Kansas City, Missouri, Wess first studied classical music and played with the Kansas All-State High School Orchestra. After moving to Washington, DC as a teenager in 1935, he began to play jazz in lunchtime jam sessions with fellow students, including Billy Taylor. An early touring career was interrupted by military service -- he played in a 17-piece band during World War II -- and then was resumed when Wess came out of the Army and joined an outstanding lineup in the Billy Eckstine Orchestra. It was at this time that he took up the flute, studying at the Modern School of Music in Washington. All this time, Count Basie had been calling. Wess finally joined his big band in 1953, helping it to evolve during its so-called "New Testament" phase and remaining with it until 1964. Wess's flute playing, set off by Neal Hefti's arrangements, contributed strongly to theBasie Orchestra's new sound, while his tenor saxophone playing served as a counterpoint to the more fiery sound of Frank Foster. Wess has played since the 1960s in countless settings: with Clark Terry's big band, the New York Quartet with Roland Hanna, Dameronia (1981-85), and Toshiko Akiyoshi's Jazz Orchestra. During this period, he also bridged the worlds of jazz and popular show business. Wess performed as a staff musician for ABC Television, both for the Dick Cavett Show and for the David Frost Show (with the Billy Taylor Orchestra). In Broadway pit bands, he played for shows such as Golden Boy (starring Sammy Davis), Irene (with Debbie Reynolds), and Sugar Babies (with Mickey Rooney). For ten years, he played first-chair tenor saxophonist in the Carnegie Hall Jazz Band. He has also led his own big bands on world tours, and has played recently in the Dizzy Gillespie Alumni Big Band. Widely recorded on many labels, both as a leader and a sideman, Wess is a perennial favorite in DownBeat polls and a now-legendary presence on the jazz scene. Bio adapted from the NEA Jazz Masters website: www.nea.gov/honors/jazz/
Dizzy's is located at Frederick P. Rose Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center Broadway at 60th Street, on the 5th Floor. For Reservations Call: 212 258-9595 or -9795. Seating is available on a first-come first-served basis either at tables or at the bar. For more information, visit: www.jalc.org/dccc
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Monday, 20 May 2013
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