Frank Wess (1922-2013)

Frank Wess, a tenor sax and flute player known for his long tenure with the Count Basie Orchestra, died at the age of 91 in Manhattan last Wednesday, October 30. The cause was a heart attack related to kidney failure.

Frank Wess was born in Kansas City on January 4, 1922, and grew up in Oklahoma. His parents were schoolteachers who encouraged his interest in music, and he began playing the saxophone at age 10. In 1935, the family moved to Washington, D.C., where, while in high school, he met his lifelong friend, Billy Taylor. He played tenor saxophone and clarinet in the Army Band during World War II.

After the war, he played with the Billy Eckstine Orchestra and smaller groups led by pianist Eddie Heywood and R&B shouter Bullmoose Jackson. Meanwhile, he studied flute at the Modern School of Music in Washington. In 1953, he got a call from Count Basie.

For 11 years, Wess was a vital member of Basie's “New Testament” band, where he regularly engaged in “battles” with fellow tenor sax man Frank Foster. Foster was the “tough guy,” while Wess had a softer tone, reminiscent of Lester Young. This is their 1954 recording, “Two Franks,” by Neal Hefti. The person who posted this video has alternated pictures of Wess and Foster to let you know who is soloing. (Wess solos first.)

Wess was more responsible than anyone else for establishing the flute as a jazz instrument. He won the Down Beat critics' poll on flute every year from 1959 to 1964. Here he is with Basie doing “Cute” in 1960. Sonny Payne is the drummer.

Wess also composed and arranged for the Basie band. This is not his arrangment, but I found a 1962 video in which Wess solos on the Basie classic, “Corner Pocket.” The two trumpeters are Thad Jones and Al Aarons.

After leaving Basie, Frank Wess performed and recorded regularly, both as a sideman and as a leader, and was featured in orchestras on Broadway and television. In the '80s, he and Frank Foster formed a quintet, Two Franks, that remained together on and off for two decades. This song, “Shufflin'” is from the 1962 LP Southern Comfort and features Al Aarons on trumpet, Tommy Flanagan on piano and Ray Barretto on congas.

Frank Wess continued to play and record beautifully into his nineties. In 2006, he and pianist Hank Jones recorded the critically-acclaimed CD Hank and Frank, which was followed by Hank and Frank II three years later. In February, he released Magic 101 with pianist Kenny Barron. A Magic 201 is said to be in the can.

We end with the piece de resistance, Frank Wess, introduced by Billy Taylor, playing “Lush Life” at the Manchester Craftsman's Guild in Pittsburgh in 2004.

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