Frank Wellington Wess was born on January 4, 1922, and passed away on October 30, 2013. He was an American musician who played the saxophone and flute. He is well-known for his many solo performances, but he is also remembered for playing with Count Basie's band from the early 1950s until the early 1960s. Music critic Scott Yanow called him one of the top students of Lester Young and noted that he was a leading jazz flutist of his time, using the flute to add new sounds to Basie's music.

Early life

Wess was born in Kansas City, Missouri. From a young age, he enjoyed listening to music. His mother had a big influence on him. She took him to watch performers like Roland Hayes and Ida Cox. Later, he talked to his father, who was a school principal in Oklahoma. His father shared that Wess’s mother had always wanted him to become a musician. Before this important moment, Wess saw his time with his mother as a way to learn about culture. Before he decided to become a musician, he had other dreams, such as becoming a cabinetmaker or a dentist.

Wess loved the saxophone, especially the tenor and alto saxophones. He asked his mother for one when he was young, but she told him to wait until he turned ten. He believed his life truly began when he reached that age, as it marked the start of his long music career. He was drawn to the saxophone because it sounded similar to the human voice. He thought the instrument was easy to learn but hard to master. In an interview, he said, "If you can play it, it sounds good. Many instruments require a lot of effort but still don’t sound great." When he started playing, he was inspired by the sound of the horn.

Wess began with classical music training and played in Oklahoma during high school. He traveled with the All-State High School Orchestra to perform. In 1935, Wess and his family moved to Washington D.C. At that time, he had stopped playing music for a while because he felt burned out and tired of it. Moving to a new place helped him rediscover his love for music. During lunchtime at his high school, students held jam sessions in the orchestra. Billy Taylor was a student there at the same time. These sessions helped Wess regain his interest in playing. He changed his focus and began playing jazz, specifically the big band style.

Living in Washington D.C. brought him closer to Baltimore, Maryland, a city that changed his career. In the summer of 1938, Wess performed at a club in Baltimore with a group called the Hardy Brothers. He had two opening numbers in the same week, which gave him confidence. The next week, he performed another opening number at the Royal Theater, which made him feel even more determined to continue.

World War II and The 1940s

In 1941, Wess joined the U.S. Army. His ROTC bandleader was looking for young people who could play music professionally. Wess helped lead a band that played many types of music, including Viennese waltzes, vaudeville, classical music, and marching band music. The band had 17 members and performed as a swing band. In 1942, they traveled to Africa and performed in Dakar, Casablanca, Monrovia, Tlemcen, and Algiers. During their first performance, they played for a group of Americans, Germans, and British people. One of the most memorable parts of Wess's time in the Army was when he accompanied Josephine Baker during tours for Allied Power troops.

After returning from the Army in 1944, Wess joined Billy Eckstine's orchestra. They had known each other before Wess went to war. At one point, Wess visited Eckstine at a theater, and Eckstine said, "My tenor player is going into the army. Come on with me." This opportunity was important for Wess because Eckstine's orchestra was known for being the first big band to play a new style of jazz called bebop. The orchestra included musicians who helped develop bebop, such as Fats Navarro, Miles Davis, Howard McGhee, Dexter Gordon, Gene Ammons, Leo Parker, Tommy Potter, and Art Blakely. However, this time with the orchestra ended in 1947 when the group disbanded.

After the orchestra ended, Wess played with the orchestras of Eddie Heywood, Lucky Millinder, and Bullmoose Jackson. These jobs were also short because Wess felt very tired from traveling so much and was upset by the treatment he received from society because of his race. In 1949, he moved back to Washington D.C. to study music at the Modern School of Music and earn a Bachelor's of Music degree. During this time, he rediscovered the flute. In high school, his teacher gave him a flute, but he had no one to teach him how to play it properly. However, the Modern School of Music had teachers from the National Symphony, which gave him the chance to learn how to play the flute correctly.

Count Basie and The "New Testament" Band

Because of his time with Billy Eckstine, Wess had the chance to meet Count Basie. Eckstine introduced Wess to Basie, who tried to invite Wess to join his band for several years. However, Wess refused because he did not want to go on long tours, which would require him to leave college. At the time, he was in college to prepare for his future career and avoid touring.

After Wess finished his education, Basie called him and offered to help Wess gain more attention in the music world. Wess’s only request was that he needed to be paid a salary, which Basie agreed to.

Wess played an important role in forming Count Basie’s orchestra. He helped recruit musicians such as Thad Jones, Bill Hughes, Eddie Jones, Al Aarons, and Eric Dixon. Together, these musicians created Count Basie’s "New Testament" band. Over time, other musicians joined and left the group. Wess was skilled at playing multiple instruments, including the flute, alto saxophone, and tenor saxophone. Basie’s leadership style was unusual because he did not rehearse with the band. Instead, he would sit and listen. Wess and the other musicians made the decisions about the music arrangements. This approach allowed Basie to stay informed about everything happening in the band. He kept track of the musicians’ personal lives and their work. While some found this style confusing, it helped the musicians build strong relationships, which made their music more cohesive over time.

During his time with Basie’s band, Wess became close to Frank Foster. The two musicians often played together in performances, and their song "Two Franks" was a highlight of their collaboration. Their teamwork and friendship showed how Basie’s leadership encouraged musicians to connect deeply with one another.

For the band’s music, Wess chose to play the tenor saxophone and flute. These choices helped create the "swing" in the orchestra’s sound, which was important to Count Basie. Wess believed that swing, or a steady rhythm, was essential for jazz music. Musicians needed to listen to each other and play together so they could make music that felt natural and connected. This teamwork again showed how Basie’s leadership helped the band grow. In 1957, Wess switched to playing the alto saxophone after Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis joined the band.

In 1964, Wess left Count Basie’s band.

Post Count Basie

After leaving the "New Testament" band, Wess began a new phase in his career. He moved to Broadway and television, where he worked as a musician. On Broadway, he played in the pit bands for the musicals Golden Boy, Chicago, Annie, and Sugar Babies. On television, he performed with shows such as The Dick Cavett Show, The David Frost Show, and The Sammy Davis Show.

Wess continued to work in music outside of musicals and television. He became a supporting musician who was in high demand by many artists. It is believed that between 1964 and 2011, he played with about 150 different musicians and groups, including Benny Carter, Jaco Pastorius, Annie Ross, and Diana Ross. He also led or co-led recording sessions for the Savoy record labels. He often worked with former band members from his time with Count Basie, especially Frank Foster. Together, they recorded two albums: Two for the Blues and Frankly Speaking. Both albums featured the tenor saxophone, but Foster played with a more forceful style, while Wess focused on a more melodic sound.

Wess was also part of other musical groups. He was a key member of The New York Jazz Quartet, which included pianist Sir Roland Hanna, bassist George Mraz or Ron Carter, and drummer Ben Riley, Richard Pratt, or Grady Tate. Wess always looked for new projects to stay active in his career.

At age 89, Wess recorded an album called Magic 101. The album included seven songs performed by his quartet, which featured pianist Kenny Barron, bassist Kenny Davis, and drummer Winard Harper. Wess played the tenor saxophone throughout the album, showing a slower, more relaxed style of jazz.

The album began with a song titled "Say It Isn't So," which highlighted the swing style Wess was known for during his time with Count Basie. The second song, "The Very Thought of You," was very different, focusing more on a soft, romantic melody. The third and fourth songs, "Pretty Lady" and "Come Rain or Come Shine," followed a blues style, emphasizing strong emotions. The fifth song, "Easy Living," created the feeling of a late night in a city. The album then included "Blue Monk," which increased the energy and brought lively music to the performance. Wess kept the swing rhythm throughout this song. The album ended with Wess’s solo saxophone performance of Duke Ellington’s "All Too Soon," creating a personal and close connection with listeners.

Death

On October 30, 2013, Wess died at the age of 91 in a taxi while traveling to receive dialysis treatment. He had a sudden heart attack in the taxi. He had still been playing music with his friends a month before his death, although his health had been getting worse 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 was the most important part of Wess's life. He enjoyed playing music with other musicians and often invited young and moved musicians to his house for a jam session. Wess made sure that his legacy lived far beyond the confines of his own family.

Discography

• 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)

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

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

With Lorez Alexandria
• Early in the Morning (Argo, 1960)

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

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

• 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
• 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 Count Basie (Verve, 1962)
• This Time by Count Basie (Verve, 1962)
• This Time by Count Basie (Verve, 1962)
• This Time by Count Basie (Verve, 1962)
• This Time by Count Basie (Verve, 1962)
• This Time by Count Basie (Verve, 1962)
• This Time by Count Basie (Verve, 1962)
• This Time by Count Basie (Verve, 1962)
• This Time by Count Basie (Verve, 1962)
• This Time by Count Basie (Verve, 1962)
• This Time by Count Basie (Verve, 1962)
• This Time by Count Basie (Verve, 1962)
•