Frank Chace passes away

[Chuck Nessa]

Frank was a very fine fellow and wonderful musician. I wish more than a few of us knew that.

[Harold_Z]

I'm familiar with him through some of his recordings. Sorry to hear of his passing. As you said - a fine musician.

[JSngry]

Did he record, if so, what's a good place to hear him?

[Chuck Nessa]

The most likely places to find his playing are the Marty Grosz Riverside date called Hooray for Bix and the Wild Bill Davison stuff on Savoy.

[Larry Kart]

I paid a visit to Frank on Wednesday, having stopped by the week before with Terry Martin, who was playing the major role in helping Frank out as much as that could be done at this point. (I live about 30 minutes from the nursing home where Frank was; for Terry it was about an hour-and-a-half up there and as much as two-and-a-half hours getting back. When my time comes, I hope there's someone who cares that much.) Though Frank was not in good shape physically, worse off this Wednesday than he had been the week before, I was surprised that he had gone downhill so rapidly from there. On the other hand, Frank definitely knew that there was no way back for him from where he was. Wednesday and the week before, Frank was still all there mentally -- remembering incidents from the fairly distant past with photographic detail and abundant, wry (sometimes caustic) wit. Lord, could he play. He loved "sheets of sound" Coltrane almost as much as he did Pee Wee; I have a tape I made (in the mid-1970s I think) of Frank rehearsing wtih pianist Bob Wright where, among other things, they play superbly Trane's "Lazy Bird" and Dameron's "If You Could See Me Now." On Wednesday one of the recordings Frank mentioned as a particular favorite was Trane's version of "You Leave Me Breathless." He also told a very Frank story about his encounter with Lester Young in 1957 in Pres's hotel room in (I think) Indianapolis, where Frank was playing at a club and Pres was in town with a non-JATP package tour. The drummer in the band Frank was part of, Buddy Smith, suggested that they pay Pres a visit after teh gig, and when they got there, Frank ("I'm shy," he said), hung back while the other guys gathered around Pres. Having noticed this bit of behavior, Pres beckoned Frank to come closer, addressing him softly as "long-distance man." Probably a meeting of kindred souls.

[Stereojack]

I would like to add Frank Chace to my jazz birthday database, but cannot find a date of birth. Does anybody have one?

[JSngry]

Lord, could he play. He loved "sheets of sound" Coltrane almost as much as he did Pee Wee; I have a tape I made (in the mid-1970s I think) of Frank rehearsing wtih pianist Bob Wright where, among other things, they play superbly Trane's "Lazy Bird" and Dameron's "If You Could See Me Now." On Wednesday one of the recordings Frank mentioned as a particular favorite was Trane's version of "You Leave Me Breathless." He also told a very Frank story about his encounter with Lester Young in 1957 in Pres's hotel room in (I think) Indianapolis, where Frank was playing at a club and Pres was in town with a non-JATP package tour. The drummer in the band Frank was part of, Buddy Smith, suggested that they pay Pres a visit after teh gig, and when they got there, Frank ("I'm shy," he said), hung back while the other guys gathered around Pres. Having noticed this bit of behavior, Pres beckoned Frank to come closer, addressing him softly as "long-distance man." Probably a meeting of kindred souls.

This is beautiful, all of it.

[montg]

I paid a visit to Frank on Wednesday, having stopped by the week before with Terry Martin, who was playing the major role in helping Frank out as much as that could be done at this point. (I live about 30 minutes from the nursing home where Frank was; for Terry it was about an hour-and-a-half up there and as much as two-and-a-half hours getting back. When my time comes, I hope there's someone who cares that much.) Though Frank was not in good shape physically, worse off this Wednesday than he had been the week before, I was surprised that he had gone downhill so rapidly from there. On the other hand, Frank definitely knew that there was no way back for him from where he was. Wednesday and the week before, Frank was still all there mentally -- remembering incidents from the fairly distant past with photographic detail and abundant, wry (sometimes caustic) wit. Lord, could he play. He loved "sheets of sound" Coltrane almost as much as he did Pee Wee; I have a tape I made (in the mid-1970s I think) of Frank rehearsing wtih pianist Bob Wright where, among other things, they play superbly Trane's "Lazy Bird" and Dameron's "If You Could See Me Now." On Wednesday one of the recordings Frank mentioned as a particular favorite was Trane's version of "You Leave Me Breathless." He also told a very Frank story about his encounter with Lester Young in 1957 in Pres's hotel room in (I think) Indianapolis, where Frank was playing at a club and Pres was in town with a non-JATP package tour. The drummer in the band Frank was part of, Buddy Smith, suggested that they pay Pres a visit after teh gig, and when they got there, Frank ("I'm shy," he said), hung back while the other guys gathered around Pres. Having noticed this bit of behavior, Pres beckoned Frank to come closer, addressing him softly as "long-distance man." Probably a meeting of kindred souls.

Cool story, thanks for sharing it

[Chuck Nessa]

The first time I met Frank was 1966, in the Jazz Record Mart where I was working. I knew him by reputation only and was thrown when he asked to hear Coltrane's Out of This World. In a way it seemed an alternate universe had opened up.

When I coaxed Bud Freeman back to Chicago for the festival we put a band together that included Norm Murphy and Frank. As the band walked on stage I heard Frank whisper into Bud's ear - "Don't step on my notes Freeman". Bud looked at Frank in semi shock and Frank winked at me. Later I asked Frank about the situation and he told me Bud was famous for never getting in any one's way. It was his little joke.

The earth is a lesser place without Frank and I'm really sorry multitudes don't know it.

For the last few years Terry Martin has been trying to rectify that but cancelled sessions, mouth sores and ultimately Frank were in his way.

[Chuck Nessa]

Just want to point out most of the reference books list his last name as Chase and confuse him with a saxophone player from the '30s.

[six string]

I've never heard of this man, but he sounds like a wonderful person. Thanks for sharing the stories. Now I have a little research to do.

[Larry Kart]

I'm no expert on Frank's recorded work, what there was of it, because the way he sounded "live" (when in compatible settings) could be so overwhelming that I just assumed that none of his recorded work would measure up to it. There is this one, though, which is very nice:

http://www.amazon.com/Hooray-Marty-Grosz-H...boutThisProduct

Samples of what Frank was like can be heard on the excerpts here from "Sorry" and "Clementine," maybe on other later tracks from the album as well. Speaking of "live" Frank, the best playing I ever heard from him -- in the 1970s at a North Side Chicago club, the Edge Lounge, with trumpeter (or was it cornetist?) Nappy Trottier, pianist Bob Wright, and drummer Wayne Jones (plus at least one sitter-in, trombonist Bill Bentley) -- was recorded at a professional level of quality IIRC over several nights, and I believe those tapes still exist. Unfortunately, for a variety of reasons that I have some anecdotal knowledge of but definitely not enough hard factual knowledge to speak with authority, that music has not yet been made available commercially. But it did and probably still does exist on tape, so there may be some hope.

[Harold_Z]

Another very nice recording I have by Frank that has not been mentioned so far is Chicago Jazz Reborn by Dave Remington (Jubilee 1017). I don't think this has ever made cd but it's a good date where the band is intentionally playing very Condonesque and with Frank playing PeeWee and Jim Cunningham sounding remarkbly like Wild Bill Davison, it's a pretty interesting and good record.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

The number of great jazzmen you just don't hear about amazes me. I'm most grateful for all that's been said here.

MG

[EKE BBB]

The most likely places to find his playing are the Marty Grosz Riverside date called Hooray for Bix and the Wild Bill Davison stuff on Savoy.

I have that Marty Grosz date. A fine disc, and I really enjoy Frank Chace's playing there. Sorry to hear about his passing.

R.I.P.

[tema]

Frank Chace was born July 22, 1924. I still imagine that I will talk to him later this week as we arranged.

tm

[Stereojack]

Frank Chace was born July 22, 1924. I still imagine that I will talk to him later this week as we arranged.

tm

Thank you. Frank is now in my jazz birthday data base.

[Brownian Motion]

I have a vague recollection of hearing Frank on an Atlantic album, which he maybe shared with Dave Remington? I remember Norman Murphy and Marty Marsala shared trumpet chores. Anyone know this album?

[jazztrain]

The Dave Remington album on which Frank Chace plays is on Jubilee. Neither Norman Murphy nor Marty Marsala is on that album.

Chace is on an Atlantic album entitled "Chicago Jazz Summit" on which Wild Bill Davidson plays cornet.

I have a vague recollection of hearing Frank on an Atlantic album, which he maybe shared with Dave Remington? I remember Norman Murphy and Marty Marsala shared trumpet chores. Anyone know this album?