Frank Wright (jazz musician)

Frank Wright
Born(1935-07-09)July 9, 1935
Grenada, Mississippi, U.S.
OriginCleveland, Ohio, U.S.
DiedMay 17, 1990(1990-05-17) (aged 54)
Germany
GenresJazz
Instrument(s)Tenor saxophone, vocals

Frank Wright (July 9, 1935 – May 17, 1990)[1] was an American free jazz musician, known for his frantic style of playing the tenor saxophone. Critics often compare his music to that of Albert Ayler, although Wright "offers his honks and squawks with a phraseology derived from the slower, earthier funk of R&B and gospel music."[2] According to AllMusic biographer Chris Kelsey, Wright "never recorded even a single record under his own name for a major label; he was 'underground' his entire career."[3] In addition to tenor saxophone, Wright also played the soprano saxophone and bass clarinet.

  1. ^ Porter, Lewis (2001). "Wright, Frank". In Kuhn, Laura (ed.). Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians. Vol. 6. New York: G. Schirmer, Inc. p. 3979. OCLC 313885131.
  2. ^ Allen, Clifford (July 13, 2005). "Frank Wright: Frank Wright: The Complete ESP-Disk Recordings". allaboutjazz.com. Retrieved August 4, 2020.
  3. ^ Kelsey, Chris. "Frank Wright: Artist Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved August 4, 2020.