The Frank Wess Quartet

[GA Russell]

The Frank Wess Quartet is a very nice 1960 Prestige Moodsville date with Wess on tenor and flute, Tommy Flanagan on piano, Eddie Jones on bass and Bobby Donaldson on drums.

I've always thought of Wess as a flautist, but to my ears his tenor playing is far superior here.

And was Tommy Flanagan ever on a bad album?

Six of the seven songs are standards. I read once that the Moodsville label was started to capitalize on the popularity of Henry Mancini's first Peter Gunn album.

As I recall, this was one of the last OJCs released before Concord purchased the Fantasy catalogue.

I think I've had this disc for three years, but I put it aside and forgot about it until I found it the other day by accident. Great record!

Edited January 30, 2010 by GA Russell

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

The Frank Wess Quartet is a very nice 1960 Prestige Moodsville date with Wess on tenor and flute, Tommy Flanagan on piano, Eddie Jones on bass and Bobby Donaldson on drums.

I've always thought of Wess as a flautist, but to my ears his tenor playing is far superior here.

And was Tommy Flanagan ever on a bad album?

Six of the seven songs are standards. I read once that the Moodsville label was started to capitalize on the popularity of Henry Mancini's first Peter Gunn album.

As I recall, this was one of the last OJCs released before Concord purchased the Fantasy catalogue.

I think I've had this disc for three years, but I put it aside and forgot about it until I found it the other day by accident. Great record!

Thanks for that. I like Frank Wess on tenor a lot, so that'll go on my list.

He made a nice two tenor date with Jug - "Twistin' the Jug" - for Prestige, and it's on the "Organ combos" twofer.

Also with Jug, is "The swingin'est" on Vee-jay, with Bennie Green, Nat Adderley, Frank Foster, Tommy Flanagan, Edie JOnes and Tootie Heath. WOTTTA band!

He was also on a nice Junior Mance album - "Opus de funk", live in Japan. Can't remember how much flute he played on it but I don't think it was much.

He's also on Jimmy McGriff's "Straight up" on Milestone. He and Fathead both play flute & ts.

His own "Goin' Wess" on Town Crier is very good, too. With Bobby Forrester.

MG

[Peter Friedman]

Though Frank Wess is a good flute player, I prefer him on tenor. In the latter part of his career, his tenor playing has (in my opinion) gained greater depth.

I saw him live in a quartet format a few years ago and his tenor sax playing was excellent.

This is a very nice Frank Wess date.

Frank Wess Quintet - Surprise! Surprise -Gemini

with Joe Cohn, Norman Simmons, Lynn Seaton, Jackie Williams

Some other Frank Wess CDs I like include:

Frank Wess (Octet) - Trying To make My Blues Turn Green - Concord Jazz

Frank Wess - Meets The Paris-Barcelona Swing Connection (11 piece group) - Fresh Sound New Talent

Frank Wess - Opus De Blues - Savoy

[mikeweil]

 

Also with Jug, is "The swingin'est" on Vee-jay, with Bennie Green, Nat Adderley, Frank Foster, Tommy Flanagan, Edie JOnes and Tootie Heath. WOTTTA band!

I think Wess cuts Foster and Jug on that album!