Artt Frank obit

Artt Frank died in November 2024

 He was not on the list.

The information about the date of death and the cause are still unknown, but unfortunately it is true that the bebop drummer and author Artt Frank has passed away.

In his early teens he was already wandering through the 'street that never sleeps', the famous 52nd Street in New York City, and became infected with jazz. Alongside Charlie Parker , Jimmy Heath, Al Cohn, Ted Curson , Sonny Stitt , Tadd Dameron, Dexter Gordon, Phil Moore , Miles Davis , Bud Powell and Billie Holiday , he worked for a long time with Chet Baker . Ten years ago he wrote the biography "Chet Baker: The Missing Years, A Memoir".

Artt Frank also toured with his own   Artt Frank Jazz Ensemble , writing lyrics, composing and even playing behind the microphone. His exceptional skills as a bop drummer opened the door to the corresponding Hall of Fame.

Artt was 91 years old, so the cause of death may also be found in this blessed age. According to reports on social media, the musician must have died between November 25 and 27, 2024.

Chet Baker once said , "Artt Frank is my all-time favorite drummer. He always seems to know where I'm going." Now the two can play music together again...

Frank was born in Westbrook, Maine, and was one of seven children. He took up the drums in 1939 after hearing jazz musicians such as drummer Gene Krupa and saxophone player Charlie Parker on the radio, learning to play solely by ear. According to drummer Stan Levey, Frank first arrived on the New York bebop scene in 1948. Musicians Frank played with during this time include Parker, Dexter Gordon, Sonny Stitt, and Bud Powell.

Frank served on the USS Des Moines during the Korean War, but he continued to listen to jazz recordings on the radio. He first heard a recording of trumpeter Chet Baker in 1953, and first met Baker later that year at Storyville, a jazz club in Boston.

Frank later moved to California and continued to pursue his career as a drummer. According to some accounts, he rediscovered Baker at a gas station in 1967, where the trumpet player was working after having lost his teeth and consequently his ability to play the instrument] Another account indicates Frank passed Donte's, a jazz club where Baker was playing, on the way to a gig. Frank worked extensively with Baker until the latter died in 1988, and two albums came out of live performances: Burnin' at Backstreet (1980) and Live at the Renaissance II (1984). Frank was known for playing "brushes at stick level and sticks at brush level," which suited Baker's playing style. Frank played with Sal Nistico, Lorne Lofsky, Chris Connors, Drew Salperto, and Michael Formanek on these live albums with Baker.

After Baker's death in 1988, Frank wrote and published a biography of Baker titled Chet Baker: The Missing Years, which was notable for its "conversational narrative" and extensive knowledge of previously unknown details about Baker. The book focuses on Baker's comeback from 1967–1971 and the later years the two toured and recorded two live albums during the 1980s.

Frank recorded several albums as joint leader with trumpet player Pat Morrissey, saxophone player Ken Barry, pianist Chris Clarke, and bassist Phil Bowler starting in the 1990s. In the year 2000, he played a concert series at The Aldrich with this quintet.

Frank was inducted into the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame in 2010.