__Last night was one of those nights. One of those good ones. Sometimes when I am at a happening that is truly happening, I think “This is one of the best places anyone could be at this moment anywhere in the world.”

Frank Wess is turning 90 this month and to celebrate, Dizzy’s Club paid tribute with a gig featuring the “Dizzy Gillespie All-Stars,” led by Roy Hargrove. The band featured some of the best musicians, younger and older, and was swinging like crazy. Jimmy Heath was in the sax section, if that gives you any idea.

The thing was that “All Star” as this band was, the audience was just as much so. At the table where Ivette and I sat (as guests of Frank Wess and Sarah) were Lew Tabackin and Toshiko Akiyoshi, Jerry Dodgion, Dennis Mackrel, and Ed Xiques. Sitting across form us was a man named Jimmy Fleet, the son of a Biddy Fleet, who not only taught Frank Wess in the late 30s, but Charlie Parker as well. Bill Charlap and Renee Rosnes were a table over. Dave Sanborn was there the set before. This is an example of how musicians love to come out and support those who have helped create and shape this art form, be part of the connection to this rich history.

Frank Wess didn’t sit in the sax section, as he did for years as part of the Count Basie Orchestra, but was a featured guest, and came out and swung on three or four tunes. It’s amazing that at 90 he can still play both with the ferocity and tenderness he did fifty years ago.
 


Comments

James Fleet
01/08/2012 10:46pm

Ted, it was a pleasure meeting you and Ivette at Dizzy's last Monday night for Frank Wess' 90th birthday celebration. Frank sounded excellent, of course, and it was truly an awesome honor for me and my wife Linda to be invited as guests of his. As per our conversation, my dad was jazz guitarist William "Biddy" Fleet and he was Frank's teacher in Washington DC back in 1937! In 1938, Biddy played with Jelly Roll Morton on Morton's historical Smithsonian Institute recordings, and in Harlem, 1939, my father met Charlie Parker and was instrumental in Bird's great musical ephiphany by teaching Parker the alternate chord progressions on "Cherokee"! This musical revelation was so profound to Bird that Charlie said "I came alive!" and the rest, as they say, is jazz history! (For more info, please google Biddy Fleet.)Frank recently told me that it was my father who first brought Bird around to Minton's back in the day so that the musicians could hear him blow! And Frank should know, because he was there when all of this was going down in the 1940's! So, all in all, it was a magical night of jazz brotherhood. As I am beginning to surface musically (I play flute and sax) I'm looking forward to perhaps working with you in the future! But, for now, take care and God Bless!

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