Wess, Frank (4th February 1922-30th October 2013)

Flautist and saxophonist born Frank Wellington Wess in Kansas City, Missouri who performed with big bands until he signed up in WWII and performed with a military band.

After the was he joined Billy Eckstine’s orchestra and studied for a degree in flute at Washington D.C.’s Modern School of Music.

He appeared on The Commodore Years with Don Byes, Bill Coleman, Eddie Condon, Bud Freeman, Coleman Hawkins, Jelly Roll Morton, Red Norvo, Slam Stewart, and Teddy Wilson. In 1958, he played flutes on The Spirit of Charlie Parker. He also appeared on Duke Ellington’s 1964 recording of “Perdido”.

In the mid-‘70s, he played alto saxophone on Paul Butterfield’s LP, Put it in Your Ear. He switched to tenor sax on Van McCoy’s 1976 album, Rhythms of the World. Other CDs on which he appears include Love Call by Joan Stiles and Your Story – The Music of Bill Evans by The Howard Alden Trio.

On 6^th December 2005, he performed live with the Mike Longo Trio at the Baha’i Center in New York, New York. He was one of several artists on the 2008 tribute video, Count Basie: Then as Now, Count’s the King.

In May 2010, he paid tribute to the late Jane Jarvis in a concert at St. Peter’s Church and participated in Celebrate Diversity Celebrate You Day in New York City.

He died of kidney failure and a resultant heart attack in New York in 2013 when he was 91 years old.

Van McCoy recordings
The Shuffle (Van McCoy)
That’s the Joint (Richard Harris/Van McCoy)

Sources:

Wess, Frank (4th February 1922-30th October 2013)

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