Frank Wess

Frank Wellington Wess (January 4, 1922 – October 30, 2013) was an American jazz saxophonist and flutist. In addition to his extensive solo work, Wess is remembered for his time in Count Basie's band from the early 1950s into the 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.

Biography
Wess was born in Kansas City, Missouri, United States, the son of a principal father and a schoolteacher mother. He began with classical music training and played in Oklahoma in high school. He later switched to jazz on moving to Washington, D.C., and by nineteen was working with big bands. His career was interrupted by World War II although he did play with a military band in the period. After leaving the military, he joined Billy Eckstine's orchestra. He returned to Washington, D.C., a few years afterwards and received a degree in flute at the city's Modern School of Music. He played tenor sax with Count Basie from 1953 to 1964, doubling on flute.

Wess was considered one of the best jazz flutists of his time. From 1959 to 1964, he won the Down Beat magazine critics' poll for flute.

He was a member of Clark Terry's big band from 1967 into the 1970s and played in the New York Jazz Quartet (with Roland Hanna). He also did a variety of work for TV. In 1968 he contributed to the album The Jazz Composer's Orchestra. He played tenor and alto sax, doubling on flute throughout his career.

In the 1980s and 1990s, he worked with Kenny Barron, Rufus Reid, Buck Clayton, Benny Carter, Billy Taylor, Harry Edison, Mel Tormé, Ernestine Anderson, Louie Bellson, John Pizzarelli, Howard Alden, Dick Hyman, Jane Jarvis, Frank Vignola and was a featured member of the Toshiko Akiyoshi Jazz Orchestra. In the 2000s, Wess released two albums with pianist Hank Jones. In 2007, Wess was named an NEA Jazz Master by the U.S. National Endowment for the Arts.

Wess died from a heart attack related to kidney failure on October 30, 2013.

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)
 * 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 With Lorez Alexandria
 * The Soul of the City (Solid State, 1966)
 * 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 With Benny Carter With Ron Carter With Kenny Clarke With Hank Crawford With Dameronia With Charles Earland With Harry Edison With Frank Foster With Gene Harris With Johnny Hartman With Coleman Hawkins With Johnny Hodges With Bobby Hutcherson
 * 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=MC2
 * 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)
 * Over the Rainbow (MusicMasters, 1989)
 * Harlem Renaissance (MusicMasters, 1992)
 * Parade (Milestone, 1979)
 * Empire Jazz (RSO, 1980)
 * Telefunken Blues (Savoy, 1955)
 * Mr. Blues Plays Lady Soul (Atlantic, 1969)
 * To Tadd with Love (Uptown, 1982)
 * Look Stop Listen (Uptown, 1983)
 * Live at the Theatre Boulogne-Billancourt Paris (Soul Note, 1989 [1994])
 * Infant Eyes (Muse, 1979)
 * Swing Summit (Candid, 1990)
 * No 'Count (Savoy, 1956)
 * It's the Real Soul (Concord, 1995)
 * Once in Every Life (Bee Hive, 1980)
 * The Saxophone Section (World Wide, 1958)
 * Blue Notes (Verve, 1966)
 * Don't Sleep in the Subway (Verve, 1967)
 * 3 Shades of Blue (Flying Dutchman, 1970)
 * Conception: The Gift of Love (Columbia, 1979)

With Milt Jackson With J. J. Johnson With Elvin Jones With Etta Jones With Quincy Jones With Thad Jones With Dick Katz With Yusef Lateef With Junior Mance With Arif Mardin With Les McCann With Jimmy McGriff With Charles McPherson With Helen Merrill With Oliver Nelson With David Newman With Joe Newman With Chico O'Farrill With Houston Person With Buddy Rich With A. K. Salim With Woody Shaw With Zoot Sims With Melvin Sparks With Leon Spencer With Dakota Staton With Billy Taylor With Earl Washington With Charles Williams With Gerald Wilson With Lem Winchester
 * Meet Milt Jackson (Savoy, 1955)
 * Opus de Jazz (Savoy, 1955)
 * Bags & Flutes (Atlantic, 1957)
 * Broadway Express (RCA Victor, 1965)
 * Elvin! (Riverside, 1961–62)
 * And Then Again (Atlantic, 1965)
 * Time Capsule (Vanguard, 1977)
 * Etta Jones Sings (Roulette, 1965)
 * The Birth of a Band! (Mercury, 1959)
 * Quincy Plays for Pussycats (Mercury, 1959-65 [1965])
 * Olio (Prestige, 1957)
 * After Hours (Prestige, 1957)
 * In High Profile (Bee Hive, 1984)
 * Part of the Search (Atlantic, 1973)
 * I Believe to My Soul (Atlantic, 1968)
 * Journey (Atlantic, 1974)
 * Another Beginning (Atlantic, 1974)
 * The Big Band (Solid State, 1966)
 * Straight Up (Milestone, 1998)
 * Today's Man (Mainstream, 1973)
 * You've Got a Date with the Blues (MetroJazz, 1959)
 * The Spirit of '67 with Pee Wee Russell (Impulse!, 1967)
 * The Weapon (Atlantic, 1973)
 * 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)
 * Nine Flags (Impulse!, 1966)
 * Sweet Buns & Barbeque (Prestige, 1972)
 * The Wailing Buddy Rich (Norgran, 1955)
 * Flute Suite (Savoy, 1957) with Herbie Mann
 * Rosewood (Columbia, 1977)
 * Passion Flower: Zoot Sims Plays Duke Ellington (1979)
 * Akilah! (Prestige, 1972)
 * Where I'm Coming From (Prestige, 1973)
 * I Want a Country Man (Groove Merchant, 1973)
 * Billy Taylor with Four Flutes (Riverside, 1959)
 * Kwamina (Mercury, 1961)
 * Earl Washington All-Stars (Workshop, 1962)
 * Stickball (Mainstream, 1972)
 * New York, New Sound (Mack Avenue, 2003)
 * Another Opus (New Jazz, 1960)