Frank Vicari was a New York-based jazz saxophonist.

After serving in the Air Force from 1951-55, where he played in various service bands, Vicari returned to New York City and played in various bands until he joined 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...

's big band in 1960. When the Ferguson band was dismantled in 1965, Vicari briefly joined Buddy Rich

Buddy Rich

Bernard "Buddy" Rich was an American jazz drummer and bandleader. Rich was billed as "the world's greatest drummer" and was known for his virtuosic technique, power, groove, and speed.-Early life:...

 but that same year joined 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...

 and his Thundering Herd and remained until 1970.

Closely associated with New York's vibrant music scene of the 70s and 80s, Vicari frequently played alongside fellow NY-based session

Session musician

Session musicians are instrumental and vocal performers, musicians, who are available to work with others at live performances or recording sessions. Usually such musicians are not permanent members of a musical ensemble and often do not achieve fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders...

 and studio musicians such as Steve Gadd

Steve Gadd

Steve Gadd is an American session and studio drummer, notable for his work with popular musicians from a wide range of genres.-Biography:...

, Mike Mainieri

Mike Mainieri

Michael T. Mainieri, Jr. is a vibraphonist best known for his work with the jazz fusion group Steps Ahead....

, Randy

Randy Brecker

Randal "Randy" Brecker is an American trumpeter and flugelhornist. He is a highly sought after performer in the genres of jazz, rock, and R&B, and has performed or recorded with Stanley Turrentine, Billy Cobham, Bruce Springsteen, Lou Reed, Sandip Burman, Charles Mingus, Blood, Sweat & Tears,...

 and Michael Brecker

Michael Brecker

Michael Leonard Brecker was an American jazz saxophonist and composer. Acknowledged as "a quiet, gentle musician widely regarded as the most influential tenor saxophonist since John Coltrane," he has been awarded 15 Grammy Awards as both performer and composer and was inducted into Down Beat Jazz...

, etc.

Among the many artists and groups Vicari played and/or recorded with are Dave Matthews

David Matthews (keyboardist)

David Matthews is a keyboardist, pianist, and arranger, born in Sonora, Kentucky, United States.A graduate of the University of Cincinnati with a Bachelor's degree in composition, Matthews has composed television soundtracks as well as albums with the Manhattan Jazz Orchestra. He is the leader of...

, the White Elephant Orchestra

White Elephant Orchestra

The White Elephant Orchestra was a jazz-rock big band made up of session and studio musicians based in New York City.Under the direction of Mike Mainieri, bandmembers included George Young, Frank Vicari, Michael Brecker, and Ronnie Cuber on saxes; Jon Faddis, Lew Soloff and Randy Brecker on...

, George Benson

George Benson

George Benson is a ten Grammy Award winning American musician, whose production career began at the age of twenty-one as a jazz guitarist....

, Tony Bennett

Tony Bennett

Tony Bennett is an American singer of popular music, standards, show tunes, and jazz....

, Dionne Warwick

Dionne Warwick

Dionne Warwick is an American singer, actress and TV show host, who became a United Nations Global Ambassador for the Food and Agriculture Organization, and a United States Ambassador of Health....

, Billy Eckstein, Tom Waits

Tom Waits

Thomas Alan "Tom" Waits is an American singer-songwriter, composer, and actor. Waits has a distinctive voice, described by critic Daniel Durchholz as sounding "like it was soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months, and then taken outside and run over with a car."...

, John Lennon

John Lennon

John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...

, 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...

, and the Saturday Night Live Band

Saturday Night Live Band

The Saturday Night Live Band is the house band of the NBC television program Saturday Night Live .-Noteworthy members:...

.