MP3 Frank Macchia - Saxolollapalooza
What do you get when you cross six of LA''s top saxophonists, Weather Report drummer Peter Erskine and Grammy Nominee composer Frank Macchia? Saxolollapalooza, of course.
12 MP3 Songs in this album (54:00) !
Related styles: JAZZ: Modern Big Band, JAZZ: New Orleans Jazz
People who are interested in Michael Brecker Weather Report Gordon Goodwin’s Big Band should consider this download.
Details:
“SAXOLOLLAPALOOZA = MASSIVE SAXOPHONES!”
What do you get when you cross six of Los Angeles best jazz saxophonists, the drummer from the legendary band Weather Report and Grammy nominated composer/arranger Frank Macchia? Saxolollapalooza, of course!
The CD features Eric Marienthal, Bob Sheppard, Gene Cipriano, Sal Lozano, Frank Macchia and Jay Mason on saxes and woodwinds, with drummer extraordinaire Peter Erskine supplying the fluid grooves. Macchia arranged and produced the material, which is an eclectic mix of New Orleans second line feel, samba, funk, swing and ballad genres. Says Jazziz Magazine of Macchia, “an inventive composer and arranger who deserves comparisons to Gil Evans and Pat Metheny.”
Macchia has worked with Van Dyke Parks, Ella Fitzgerald, Brian Wilson, Clare Fisher, Yes, the Tonight Show Band and composed and orchestrated on numerous films and television shows. He received a Grammy nomination in 2007 for his arrangement of Black Is the Color of My True Love’s Hair from his CD Emotions.
Frank Macchia Biography:
Born and raised in San Francisco, CA., Frank started on the clarinet at the age of ten years old. Soon afterward he began studies on bassoon, saxophone and flute. By the age of fourteen he began studying composition, writing jazz and classical pieces for his high school band and orchestra and for jazz ensembles that rehearsed at the local union hall, including trumpeter Mike Vax''s Big Band. In 1975-76 Frank wrote jazz/classical hybrid works that were performed by the San Francisco Symphony and local professional jazz musicians, and he composed and conducted an orchestral overture for his high school graduation ceremony. During this time period he also performed and arranged music for contemporary dance bands in the Bay Area.
In 1976 Frank attended Berklee College of Music, studying woodwinds with Joseph Viola, Joe Allard, Steve Grossman and composition/arranging with Herb Pomeroy, Phil Wilson, Greg Hopkins, and Ken Pullig. From 1976-80 he performed and composed for the top student ensembles as well as performing his own concerts. He received a National Endowment Grant for the Arts to compose a 90 minute jazz/classical suite for large ensemble. He also won Down Beat magazine''s DB award for original big band composition in 1979. After graduating with a degree in traditional composition, Frank taught at Berklee at the age of 20, as well as performed throughout the New England area with his 8-piece fusion group, ''Booga-Booga''.
In 1981 Frank moved back to San Francisco where he continued working as a musician and composer/arranger over the next ten years, performing with such artists as Ella Fitzgerald, Rita Moreno, Tony Bennett, Clare Fischer, Chuck Mangione, and the Temptations, to name a few. He performed with local groups such as The Bay Area Jazz Composers Orchestra, Mike Vax''s Great American Jazz Band and Royal Street. He also led his own groups, including The Frankie Maximum Band. In 1989 he recorded Introducing Frankie Maximum, an eclectic CD of originals from new wave to polka. He followed that with the CD Way-er Out West, a wild romp through traditional cowboy folksongs, done with new treatments. This 1991 album received much critical praise including being named one of the top ten albums of the year by the Oakland Tribune.
In 1991 Frank toured Germany performing in West Side Story and 42nd Street, and when that tour ended, he found himself in Los Angeles, where he has remained ever since. Since 1992 he has worked as a composer/orchestrator on many films and television projects, including Superman Returns, Pirates of the Caribbean 3, The Fantastic Four 2: Rise of the Silver Surfer, The Guardian, Miracle, X2-Xmen United, Men of Honor, Austin Powers:Goldmember, and television shows Night Visions, Nickelodeon''s Oh Yeah Cartoons, Disney''s Oliver Twist, and the Tonight Show. From 1997-2001 he created Little Evil Things, a series of critically acclaimed audio horror stories with music. In 2004 he attended the Sundance Composers Lab. In 2003 he completed his CD The Galapagos Suite, based on the animals of the Galapagos Islands, where he and his wife Tracy visited. His CD, Animals was released in Fall 2004, featuring Frank on multi-woodwinds and a roster of some of Los Angeles best musicians. The follow-up CD, Mo'' Animals featured Billy Childs, Vinnie Colauita and Howard Levy. In 2006 he completed Emotions featuring the Prague Orchestra and showcasing Frank’s tenor sax skills. He received a Grammy nomination for Best Instrumental Arrangement for Emotions and followed up with Landscapes in 2007, also with the Prague Orchestra. His latest CD for 2008 is Saxolollapalooza, featuring six of Los Angeles’ top saxophonists and drummer Peter Erskine. He currently lives in Burbank, CA with his wife and son Charlie.