Frank Strazzeri
Encyclopedia
Frank Strazzeri is an American jazz
pianist.
Strazzeri began on tenor saxophone and clarinet at age 12, then switched to piano soon after. He attended the Eastman School of Music
, then took a job as a house pianist in a nightclub
in Rochester in 1952. While there he accompanied visiting musicians such as Roy Eldridge
and Billie Holiday
. He relocated to New Orleans in 1954, playing with Sharkey Bonano
and Al Hirt
in a Dixieland jazz
setting, but his main focus since has been bebop
. He played with Charlie Ventura
in 1957-58 and Woody Herman
in 1959 before moving to Los Angeles
in 1960. There he worked extensively as a studio musician on the West Coast jazz
scene, and toured with Joe Williams
, Maynard Ferguson
, and Les Brown
(1971-74). He has also played with Terry Gibbs
, Herb Ellis
, the Lighthouse All-Stars, Art Pepper
, Bud Shank
, Cal Tjader
, Louie Bellson
, and Chet Baker
, in addition to recording copiously as a leader.
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
pianist.
Strazzeri began on tenor saxophone and clarinet at age 12, then switched to piano soon after. He attended the Eastman School of Music
Eastman School of Music
The Eastman School of Music is a music conservatory located in Rochester, New York. The Eastman School is a professional school within the University of Rochester...
, then took a job as a house pianist in a nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
in Rochester in 1952. While there he accompanied visiting musicians such as Roy Eldridge
Roy Eldridge
Roy David Eldridge , nicknamed "Little Jazz" was an American jazz trumpet player. His sophisticated use of harmony, including the use of tritone substitutions, his virtuosic solos and his strong influence on Dizzy Gillespie mark him as one of the most exciting musicians of the swing era and a...
and Billie Holiday
Billie Holiday
Billie Holiday was an American jazz singer and songwriter. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and musical partner Lester Young, Holiday had a seminal influence on jazz and pop singing...
. He relocated to New Orleans in 1954, playing with Sharkey Bonano
Sharkey Bonano
Joseph "Sharkey" Bonano was a jazz trumpeter, band leader, and vocalist....
and Al Hirt
Al Hirt
Al Hirt was an American trumpeter and bandleader. He is best remembered for his million selling recordings of "Java", and the accompanying album, Honey in the Horn . His nicknames included 'Jumbo' and 'The Round Mound of Sound'...
in a Dixieland jazz
Dixieland Jazz
Dixieland Jazz was a Canadian music television series which aired on CBC Television in 1954.-Premise:The series host was Trump Davidson, a cornet player. He also hosted a radio music series on CBC's Trans-Canada Network.-Scheduling:...
setting, but his main focus since has been bebop
Bebop
Bebop differed drastically from the straightforward compositions of the swing era, and was instead characterized by fast tempos, asymmetrical phrasing, intricate melodies, and rhythm sections that expanded on their role as tempo-keepers...
. He played with Charlie Ventura
Charlie Ventura
Charlie Ventura was a tenor saxophonist and bandleader.Ventura was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He had his first successes working with Gene Krupa. In 1945 he won the Down Beat readers' poll in the tenor saxophone division...
in 1957-58 and Woody Herman
Woody Herman
Woodrow Charles Herman , known as Woody Herman, was an American jazz clarinetist, alto and soprano saxophonist, singer, and big band leader. Leading various groups called "The Herd," Herman was one of the most popular of the 1930s and '40s bandleaders...
in 1959 before moving to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
in 1960. There he worked extensively as a studio musician on the West Coast jazz
West coast jazz
West Coast jazz refers to various styles of jazz music that developed around Los Angeles and San Francisco during the 1950s. West Coast jazz is often seen as a sub-genre of cool jazz, which featured a less frenetic, calmer style than bebop or hard bop. The music tended to be more heavily arranged,...
scene, and toured with Joe Williams
Joe Williams (jazz singer)
Joe Williams was a well-known jazz vocalist, a baritone singing a mixture of blues, ballads, popular songs, and jazz standards.-Early life:...
, Maynard Ferguson
Maynard Ferguson
Maynard Ferguson was a Canadian jazz musician and bandleader. He came to prominence playing in Stan Kenton's orchestra, before forming his own band in 1957...
, and Les Brown
Les Brown (bandleader)
Les Brown, Sr. and the Band of Renown are a big band that began in the late 1930s, initially as the group Les Brown and His Blue Devils that Brown led while a student at Duke University. He was the first president of the Los Angeles chapter of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences...
(1971-74). He has also played with Terry Gibbs
Terry Gibbs
Terry Gibbs is an American jazz vibraphonist and band leader.He has performed and/or recorded with Tommy Dorsey, Chubby Jackson, Buddy Rich, Woody Herman, Benny Goodman, Louie Bellson, Charlie Shavers, Mel Tormé, Buddy DeFranco, and others...
, Herb Ellis
Herb Ellis
Mitchell Herbert "Herb" Ellis was an American jazz guitarist. Perhaps best known for his 1950s membership in the trio of pianist Oscar Peterson, Ellis was also a staple of west-coast studio recording sessions, and was described by critic Scott Yanow as "an excellent bop-based guitarist with a...
, the Lighthouse All-Stars, Art Pepper
Art Pepper
Art Pepper , born Arthur Edward Pepper, Jr., was an American alto saxophonist and clarinetist.About Pepper, Scott Yanow of All Music stated, "In the 1950s he was one of the few altoists that was able to develop his own sound despite the dominant influence of Charlie Parker" and: "When Art Pepper...
, Bud Shank
Bud Shank
Clifford Everett "Bud" Shank, Jr. was an American alto saxophonist and flautist. He rose to prominence in the early 1950s playing lead alto and flute in Stan Kenton's Innovations in Modern Music Orchestra and throughout the decade worked in various small jazz combos. He spent the 1960s as a first...
, Cal Tjader
Cal Tjader
Callen Radcliffe Tjader, Jr. a.k.a. Cal Tjader was a Latin jazz musician, though he also explored various other jazz idioms. Unlike other American jazz musicians who experimented with the music from Cuba, the Caribbean, and Latin America, he never abandoned it, performing it until his...
, Louie Bellson
Louie Bellson
Luigi Paulino Alfredo Francesco Antonio Balassoni , better known by the stage name Louie Bellson , was an Italian-American jazz drummer...
, and Chet Baker
Chet Baker
Chesney Henry "Chet" Baker, Jr. was an American jazz trumpeter, flugelhornist and singer.Though his music earned him a large following , Baker's popularity was due in part to his "matinee idol-beauty" and "well-publicized drug habit."He died in 1988 in Amsterdam, the...
, in addition to recording copiously as a leader.
Discography as leader
- That's Him and This Is New (Revelation RecordsRevelation RecordsRevelation Records is an independent record label focusing originally and primarily on hardcore punk. The label is known for its role in the evolution of hardcore and metallic post-hardcore with important releases by bands such as Youth of Today, Warzone, Sick of It All, Quicksand, Side By Side,...
, 1969) - Taurus (Revelation, 1973)
- View from Within with Don MenzaDon MenzaDon Menza is an American saxophonist, arranger, composer, session musician, and jazz educator noted for his many contributions to American jazz and big band music. -Early years:...
(Creative World, 1973) - Frames with Don Menza (Glendale Records, 1975)
- After The Rain (Catalyst RecordsCatalyst RecordsCatalyst Records is a DIY hardcore record label from Indianapolis, Indiana, founded by Kurt Schroeder in the early 1990s. The label is noted for being a straight edge record label, for promoting vegan ethics, as well as other political stances .-Catalogue:-External links:* *...
, 1976) - Straz (Catalyst RecordsCatalyst RecordsCatalyst Records is a DIY hardcore record label from Indianapolis, Indiana, founded by Kurt Schroeder in the early 1990s. The label is noted for being a straight edge record label, for promoting vegan ethics, as well as other political stances .-Catalogue:-External links:* *...
, 1977) - Relaxin (Sea Breeze Records, 1980)
- Kat Dancin (Discovery RecordsDiscovery RecordsDiscovery Records was a United States-based record label known for its recordings of jazz music.Discovery was founded in 1948 by jazz fan and promoter Albert Marx...
, 1985) - Make Me Rainbows (Fresh SoundFresh SoundFresh Sound, or Fresh Sound New Talent, is a Spanish jazz label based in Barcelona, specializing in American jazz music.Fresh Sound was founded in 1983 as a reissue label for 1950s jazz...
, 1987) - I Remember You (Fresh Sound, 1989)
- Little Giant (Fresh Sound, 1989)
- The Very Thought of You (Discovery, 1990)
- Wood Winds West (Jazz Mark, 1992)
- Frank's Blues (Night Life Records, 1992)
- Moon and Sand (Discovery, 1993)
- Somebody Loves Me (Fresh Sound, 1994)
- Nobody Else But Me (Fresh Sound, 1997)
- Live in Sorgues France (Jazz Mark, 2002)
- Funk and Esoteric (Fresh Sound, 2004)