Happy Birthday Frank Wright

[clifford_thornton]

Share your love for the Reverend Frank Wright, saxophonist and leader of some fantastic (and frantic) post-Ayler ensembles in the 1970s.

Born July 9, 1935 in Grenada, Mississippi, he moved to Cleveland and met Albert Ayler, who encouraged him to go to New York in the mid-60s. He was apparently asked to record with Coltrane on Ascension, but was still getting his chops together at the time. Recordings for ESP followed, as did a lengthy sojourn in Europe before he returned to New York in the 1980s. He died on the bandstand of a heart attack in Germany, in 1990.

[randyhersom]

Has anybody seen the session with Eddie Jefferson on CD. Eddie got further out than Joe Lee Wilson or Leon Thomas ever did! It came out on Chiaroscuro of all labels. The title is Kevin, My Dear Son.

[clifford_thornton]

I have the LP, but as it was originally issued as Sun Records SEB-004 (FR). Quite good!

[BruceH]

For a fraction of a second I thought you meant Frank Lloyd Wright.

Edited July 9, 2008 by BruceH

[AndrewHill]

HB RFW! Love his ESP's. Unfortunately, besides an appearance on Brotz's 'Alarm,' that's all I got. But I'm always looking for more. Can anyone recommend his America date? At least that still seems available.

Here's a clip of Frank with Brotz's ensemble at Vision Fest in 1985:

[clifford_thornton]

Yes, the America is very good. There was also another America under Noah Howard's name that was mostly recorded at the same session. All the compositions on Uhuru Na Umoja are, in fact, Howard's.

I think the defining statement from that band was the Calumet LP, Church Number Nine, which has been reissued on CD. One of those recs that I was glad I got at a decent price before eBay madness really took over...

[sidewinder]

Calumet LP, Church Number Nine

On vinyl? That's a pretty rare LP.

There's a cameo of Rev. Frank Wright in the Chet Baker bio 'Deep In A Dream'. Holed up and strung out with Chet in Holland towards the end along with Woody Shaw. Sad reading.

Edited July 9, 2008 by sidewinder

[clifford_thornton]

Yeah, it is scarce. Well worth the hunt, though - excellent record.

Wright certainly had his demons, as did many people.

[Rob C]

Church #9 is available at Dusty Groove on CD....

[clifford_thornton]

Yes, and cheaply as I recall. HG, buy it!

[AndrewHill]

Yes, and cheaply as I recall. HG, buy it!

I'm on it!

[Rob C]

I didn't have time to add earlier, I like Uhuru Na Umoja a whole lot. One of my favorites of the Free America reissues. Though as clifford thornton mentions, the compositions are all Howard's, and I would say it seems more like a Howard record under Wright's name. Very nice tunes on that one. Church #9, I haven't listened to in a while, but it's more of a free blowout. I remember liking it quite a bit. I need to spin it soon. I also have one of the Center of the World releases--Last Polk in Nancy? I believe is the one I have--another nice little freakout of a disc.

[tkeith]

Has anybody seen the session with Eddie Jefferson on CD. Eddie got further out than Joe Lee Wilson or Leon Thomas ever did! It came out on Chiaroscuro of all labels. The title is Kevin, My Dear Son.

LOVE IT!!!! One of the many travesties of human life is that this guy never got any press.

[Frank_Son]

Glad to hear, people still remember my dad.

[randyhersom]

Welcome Frank_Son. We not only remember, we would love to hear any tidbits about Frank as a person. I remember we had quite a long thread going when the son of mainstream tenorist Billy Root joined us for a while.

Edited August 6, 2008 by randyhersom

[Frank_Son]

My dad was really cool. He always kept in touch with me while growing up. While in the Navy, I

accidently ran into him in France. That was very cool, because he was doing a gig at the time, so my friends got to hear my Dad play. So that was great!!!!

The only thing that bothers me is, I haven't been able to get my Dad's horns. Maybe one day.

[AllenLowe]

one night, maybe around 1980-81 (unsure) I was at a club in NYC, 23rd and 7th, called the Angry Squire - I think, as a matter of fact, that Jaki Byard was playing. I found myself standing near the bar next to a guy who looked really familiar, though I couldn't place him - I said, "do I know you?" and he answered "I'm Frank Wright." I almost fell over because I knew him only from the ESPs, had seen pics but never heard him play in person -

Edited August 6, 2008 by AllenLowe

[clifford_thornton]

Glad to hear, people still remember my dad.

Yeah, welcome to the board and much love and respect to your father. Though I never saw him play (a bit too young), his music has brought me much joy over the years. Thank you Frank.

[Late]

The first ESP is probably still my favorite Wright recording. I dig his duo work with Muhammad Ali as well. (Is Muhammad the older or younger brother of Rashied?)

Speaking of sons of famous jazz musicians joining boards, does anyone remember when Stan Getz's son dropped in on the Blue Note board?

[clifford_thornton]

That duo is pretty bonkers.

Can't say I have a favorite, but for me the group with Howard, Few and Ali is pretty unstoppable. The ESPs are good, but I don't think they're as fully-realized as other/later records.

Edit to add that I believe Muhammad is younger.

Edited August 11, 2008 by clifford_thornton

[AndrewHill]

Speaking of sons of famous jazz musicians joining boards, does anyone remember when Stan Getz's son dropped in on the Blue Note board?

Cal Tjader's son, I think, has been here too.

Edited August 12, 2008 by Holy Ghost

[Late]

If I recall correctly, Getz was getting (fairly/unfairly) bashed on the Blue Note board when, all of a sudden, his son popped in to say that he knew his dad had a reputation for sometimes being detached and aloof, but that on every birthday (the son's birthday), no matter where dad was, he'd call his son and play Happy Birthday over the telephone.

Does anyone remember that from the BN board? Always struck me as poignant.

(And I say all this in a Frank Wright thread. Not atypical. )