Date: Fri 16-Aug-1996

Publication: Bee

Author: SHANNO

Illustration: C

Location: A-7

Quick Words:

Artt-Frank-Stone-jazz-bebop

Full Text:

(feature on jazz drummer Artt Frank w/ new album, "Waltz For Sharon" 8/16/96)

Jazz That Melts Even A Heart Of Stone

(with photo)

By Shannon Hicks

TRUMBULL - "Chet Baker was the world's greatest jazz trumpeter, the world's

best lyrical trumpet player, absolutely, by far," says Artt Frank. It is how

he opens this interview. It is probably how he opens or continues many

conversations. "And he was a great vocalist."

Jazz drummer Artt Frank, through his work at reviving lyrical jazz and paying

tribute to the memory of his friend - trumpet-playing jazz legend Chet Baker -

is doing himself what he has just finished paying tribute to actress Sharon

Stone for: Using his fame to help others.

Artt has already released an album of Chet Baker recordings; he is about to

begin working with a Hollywood studio to coach its leading actor (rumor has it

Brad Pitt will be said actor) in an upcoming film on the life of Baker. In

October, a three-CD set will be released of live stock performances by Artt

and Chet.

Widely-known in any jazz circle and immensely liked by anyone who meets him,

the rail-thin, deep-voiced, story-telling and music-making drummer is one of

the last living bebop drummers alive - the only white one left in the world.

He has been playing and recording all his life, with everyone from the

aforementioned Baker and Al Cohn to Carmell Jones and Richard "Groove" Holmes.

His resume reads like a Who's Who of Jazz, and Artt knows he can call on just

about anyone in the world to record with him any time of the day, but the

haughtiness he could possess is not there. Artt Frank loves music (and God,

and his wife, Lisa), and he loves sharing.

Today, the 63-year old Trumbull resident has three major record company labels

vying for the rights to produce his new album, a collection entitled A Waltz

For Sharon . The title track was written for his friend Sharon Stone. The

works are already classic: Artt's goal is to bring back lyrical, poignant,

romantic jazz. These are indeed sounds captured on the album.

Although a long habit of chain smoking cigarettes has forced the

emphysema-stricken patient to slow down on playing sessions, Artt has not

slowed much when it comes to sharing his genius for music, his talent and

guidance, and his heart (Nor has the emphysema slowed down his liking for

Kents. The first one is lit less than a minute into his interview, and he

doesn't stop smoking for more than a few minutes at a time during the

90-minute interlude).

Waltz For Sharon , according to bass player Peter Concilio, is "a beautifully

conceived, romantic piece." The CD, he feels, "reaches more than the general

jazz audience. It's really a very wonderful album." Concilio, who has been

keeping jazz in the public eye himself on the local scene, has worked with

Artt in the past.

To understand what is happening in the present with Artt Frank, you need to

take a look at some of what has happened in the past.

Artt Frank played with Chet Baker on and off for about 20 years. He counted

himself one of Baker's closest friends, before the legendary trumpet player

died in 1988 (It was Baker who convinced Artt to add the second "t" to his

first name, a challenge Frank happily accepted from his dear friend).

The two met in the mid-1960s, when both were living in California. Artt pulled

into a gas station and asked the attendant for $5 worth of gas. The pump boy

was a nearly unrecognizable Chet Baker - on a downward slide in his career.

Baker had been terribly beaten by five men while trying to buy drugs.

Resulting injuries left him without four of his front teeth and such a loss of

the nerve endings in his mouth he was unable to play his trumpet.

A friendship was sparked that afternoon. Two years after this meeting, Artt

was playing behind Baker when he performed his first public "comeback" at the

Melody Lounge in Hollywood.

"Chet had an enormous amount of fans," Artt says. "It's just a terrible shame

that because Chet had a terrible habit of taking drugs, a lot of people

negated the great talent that he was."

During the course of his career, Chet Baker played with Charlie Parker, a/k/a

The Bird. Bird never allowed Chet to take any drugs. After Chet left Bird, he

formed his own quartet [and] at about age 27, Chet took his first hit of

heroin.

"He wanted to see what it would be like," Artt says. "He was curious."

The story from here, as many people already know, is that Baker became

terribly addicted to the drug. It was in the midst of this addiction Art

befriended the trumpet player. But, his friend asserts, "[drugs/the addiction]

never - I repeat never - interfered with his ability to play!" Artt himself

never touched the drug.

The reputation of being a junkie always preceded Baker's performances,

however, including one night when Artt says he could hear people talking about

his friend, even betting on how long it would take before Baker would fall off

his stool.

This is the negative side of Chet Baker too many people recall. Artt wants

people to remember his friend's good side, and after sharing two-plus decades

of friendship with the trumpeter, he has more than a novel's worth of stories

to share.

Hollywood had no one else to turn to when it came time to look for a

consultant on the real life and times of Chet Baker. It is Artt Frank, or no

one.

"One thing you should know about Artt," says his wife Lisa, "is he can imitate

[Chet's] singing voice, he knows his gestures, how he walks, he knows Chet

like this." She snaps her fingers. "He's got Chet down."

"I'm the only one who knows Chet inside-outside," Artt asserts. "Not a day

goes by I don't listen to Chet Baker."

In 1991, Artt had just wrapped up recordings for Looking For The Light: A

Tribute To Chet Baker , a beautiful CD collection of works written by his

friend and re-recorded with Artt on drums, Phil Markowitz on keyboards, Dennis

Irwin on piano and Dave Liebman on soprano sax.

A friend of Artt's called the drummer around the same time and read him a

quote from Rolling Stone magazine in which actress Sharon Stone had said one

of her favorite things to do following a hard day's shoot was to "come home,

kick off my shoes and listen to Chet Baker." Artt immediately spoke with

Stone's agent, then sent off a copy of his CD to the actress.

A thank you note from Stone, which opens "Dear Artt," began a correspondence

between the actress and the drummer that continues today. The note arrived

just weeks after the album was sent to her.

The more the two continued to write - Artt has a stack of personal letters

from Stone, along with drawers full of letters, notes and telegrams from many

names in screen and music, from Clint Eastwood's hastily scribbled note from

the set of Unforgiven to a very encouraging letter from Dave Brubeck that

arrived only two months ago singing the praises of the current collection -

the stronger Artt's friendship with the actress became. Brubeck is helping

Artt find the right label that "will do [Artt's] work justice."

Artt Frank cannot read a note of music. An ordained minister and devout

believer in The Living God, Artt's thrust in life is serving God. An untrained

musician, he sincerely believes - knows - his talent is a gift from God.

He improvises when playing - much like guitar great B.B. King, who has also

confessed the same amazing fact - and has worked out a system for his

compositions. While working on the album Waltz For Sharon , Artt made up tunes

in his mind, then hummed into a tape recorder and sent the tapes off to pal

Nik Bariluk, a pianist who plays on the album.

Artt's in-laws put up the money for him to record the album, and the cast of

characters he called on to do the recordings are as colorful as the drummer

himself.

Rich Perry ("...who is right now considered the most lyrical tenor saxophone

player in the world ," Art asserts) played tenor. Artt called on Rudi Berger,

one of the world's most expressive jazz violinists today, for violin - that

alone adds an exciting touch to the album.

Matt Criscuelo came aboard for alto sax. For flute, Artt contacted Ali Ryerson

("the heir apparent, as far as I am concerned, of the lyricism to Chet's

playing. ... She is a very lyrical, poignant player," says Artt).

For the rhythm section, Artt had his buddy Nik Bariluk tickle the ivory keys,

and Phil Bowler (who has played with the likes of Wynton Marsalis and has the

show on radio station WPKN/89.5 FM) handled the bass parts. Artt, of course,

played drums.

Thanks to the orchestration between these instruments on the front line, Artt

says everyone who has heard the album and the collaboration between the

musicians "are going crazy. The harmonic values of this thing are

unbelievable."

Imagine an alto and tenor sax, a flute and violin, all performing together,

and that is what reaches the listener's ears first. It is a beautiful

combination.

Artt wrote "Waltz For Sharon" to pay honor to actress Sharon Stone, who works

with Planet Hope, a project which tries to help homeless children and other

disadvantaged people.

Always a fan of the actress, Artt was watching a December 1993 interview of

the actress on A&E when something she said tugged one of the drummer's heart

strings. Stone talked about watching children blossom with the smallest bit of

encouragement. After re-watching the interview two years later, the song came

right out.

"That's why I did it. I wrote that song for Sharon Stone ... because of her

big heart," Artt says. "She's a very giving person.

"You can't sit in judgment of her [because of the roles she plays]," he

continued. "What she does there, that's a living. What Chet did was a living.

But separate the musician from the man and the actress from the woman, and

it's two different worlds. You have a private side of you, just as I do.

"Well I try to judge the private side of her."

The composer cues up a cassette with a recording of "Waltz For Sharon" on it.

He sways with the music, pointing out each musicians's introduction. There are

lyrics to go with the instrumental song, but it doesn't need them, as

insightful as they are. (Although when Artt does sing the lyrics during our

interview, a capella , his heartfelt feelings and huge respect for the lady

come shining through).

The title song is beautiful, haunting, sad, lilting... There is a little bit

of pain, a little bit of happiness, and a whole lot of toe-tapping catchiness.

Harmonic indeed, and brilliant.

Waltz For Sharon,

At The Vineyard

The compositions on Waltz For Sharon are original. With the exception of

"Aftershock" (Nik Bariluk) and "Otherside" (Rudi Berger), all were written by

Mr Frank. The album also includes a song, "Don't Cry When You Lose," Artt and

his former wife, Earla Porch, wrote years ago for Frank Sinatra.

The concept of Waltz For Sharo n , Mr Frank has said, is an attempt to bring

back the beauty, lyricism, romance and poignancy in jazz, yet still swing with

subtle aplomb.

Artt Frank's works will be featured at the upcoming Jazz Under The Stars

concert at McLaughlin Vineyards in Sandy Hook this weekend. Mr Frank will be

in attendance that evening, a night devoted to his musical brilliance. It is

the final concert for this summer's outdoors jazz series at the estate.

The line-up Saturday evening will feature Bariluk, Hassan, Ryerson and Bowler,

with Pete Concilio sitting in on bass as well.

"We wanted the evening to be as authentic as the album's recording, to give

the audience a real representation of what this album is going to sound like,"

Mr Concilio explained this week. The album is not in production yet because

Artt is waiting for the best deal to come his way.

"It doesn't come down to money," he asserts. "I've never any, I don't care

about it, but... I have children, and I want to help young musicians."

Commenting more on the album, Mr Concilio says it isn't "a hard-driving jazz

CD by any means; it's very poignant."

Although Artt has decided to retire from public playing - deciding instead to

devote his time and creative energies to composing - Concilio hopes to

persuade the drummer onto the stage for a tune or two Saturday night. In

recent interviews, the drummer admitted he may make an exception "of perhaps

sitting in from time to time," so Mr Concilio's hopes are not completely

far-fetched.

Music continues to flow from Artt Frank's heart, and his head. The weather

this week has not been kind for someone struggling with emphysema, so he

wasn't in the best of spirits earlier in the week. By Wednesday morning,

however, after watching a tape of himself playing on the New Haven Green with

some of his past cohorts and listening to some of Chet Baker's works, he was

rejuvenated. Another samba and two more ballads had been recorded on the tape

recorder.

Artt has always gone out of his way to give of himself and to support fellow

jazz musicians. If irreparable emphysema - not to mention asthma - has not

slowed him down yet, nothing will anytime soon, either. Not the diseases, nor

the fact that he knows there are too many musicians out there who should not

be getting the attention they receive. But he won't let himself become bitter.

"I truly believe the time has come for a return to the kind of jazz of which I

speak.

"As long as I am alive ... I would be glad to give an hour or 24 hours of my

time. This is what is all comes back to: giving."

Works from the upcoming release Waltz For Sharon , including the title track,

will be featured at the August 17 Jazz Under The Stars concert at McLaughlin

Vineyards, Alberts Hill Road in Sandy Hook. Artt Frank will be in attendance

at the concert, which begins at 6 pm. Admission to the grounds is $12 per car.

For further information, call McLaughlin Vineyards at 425-1533.