Frank Strazzeri (b. April 24, 1930, Rochester, New York) is an American jazz pianist. Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York State, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Jazz is an American Musical art form which originated in the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States
Strazzeri began on tenor saxophone and clarinet at age 12, then switched to piano soon after. He attended the Eastman School of Music, then took a job as a house pianist in a nightclub in Rochester in 1952. The Eastman School of Music (also known more simply as The Eastman School, Eastman, or ESM) is a music conservatory located in the A nightclub (or "night club" or "club" is a drinking, dancing, and entertainment venue which does its primary business after dark While there he accompanied visiting musicians such as Roy Eldridge and Billie Holiday. Roy David Eldridge ( January 30, 1911 &ndash February 26, 1989) nicknamed "Little Jazz" was an American Billie Holiday (born Eleanora Fagan; April 7 1915 – July 17 1959 was an American Jazz singer and songwriter He relocated to New Orleans in 1954, playing with Sharkey Bonano and Al Hirt in a Dixieland jazz setting, but his main focus since has been bebop. New Orleans (nʲuːˈɔrliənz nʲuːˈɔrlənz French: La Nouvelle-Orléans) is a major United States port city and the largest city in Louisiana Joseph "Sharkey" Bonano (He sometimes billed himself as Sharkey Banana or Sharkey Bananas) ( April 9, 1904 &ndash March Alois Maxwell Hirt (November 7 1922 – April 27 1999 was an American Trumpeter and Bandleader. Dixieland or Dixie is a name for the southeastern portion of the USA; see Southern United States, Dixie. Bebop or bop is a form of Jazz characterized by fast Tempos and Improvisation based on Harmonic structure rather than Melody He played with Charlie Ventura in 1957-58 and Woody Herman in 1959 before moving to Los Angeles in 1960. Charlie Ventura (born Charles Venturo on December 2, 1916 in Philadelphia Pennsylvania; died January 17, 1992 in Pleasantville Woodrow Charles Herman ( May 16 1913 &ndash October 29 1987) better known as Woody Herman, was an American Jazz Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West There he worked extensively as a studio musician on the West Coast jazz scene, and toured with Joe Williams, Maynard Ferguson, and Les Brown (1971-74). West Coast jazz is a form of Jazz music that developed around Los Angeles and San Francisco at about the same time as Hard bop jazz was developing Joe Williams may refer to Cyclone Joe Williams, baseball pitcher and hall of famer Joe Williams (jazz singer, achieved prominence Walter Maynard Ferguson ( May 4, 1928 – August 23, 2006) was a Canadian Jazz Trumpet player and Bandleader Les Brown may refer to Les Brown (bandleader (1912–2001 US Big Band leader Les Brown Jr He has also played with Terry Gibbs, Herb Ellis, the Lighthouse All-Stars, Art Pepper, Bud Shank, Cal Tjader, Louie Bellson, and Chet Baker, in addition to recording copiously as a leader. Terry Gibbs (born 1924 is an American Jazz Vibraphonist and Band leader. Mitchell Herbert (Herb Ellis (born August 4, 1921) is an American Jazz Guitarist. The Lighthouse Café is a Nightclub located at 30 Pier Avenue in Hermosa Beach, California. Art Pepper (b September 1 1925, Gardena California &ndash d June 15, 1982, Los Angeles California) born Arthur Clifford Everett "Bud" Shank Jr (born May 27, 1926 in Dayton Ohio) is an American alto saxophonist and Flautist Callen Radcliffe Tjader Jr aka Cal Tjader ( July 16 1925 &ndash May 5 1982) was a Latin jazz Musician, though Luigi Paulino Alfredo Francesco Antonio Balassoni (born 6 July 1924) better known by the Stage name Louie Bellson (his own preferred spelling Chesney Henry "Chet" Baker Jr ( Yale Oklahoma, 23 December 1929 - Amsterdam, 13 May 1988) was an American
Discography as leader
- That's Him and This Is New (Revelation Records, 1969)
- Taurus (Revelation, 1973)
- View from Within (Creative World, 1973)
- Frames (Glendale Records, 1975)
- Straz (Catalyst Records, 1977)
- Relaxin (Sea Breeze Records, 1980)
- Kat Dancin (Discovery Records, 1985)
- Make Me Rainbows (Fresh Sound, 1987)
- I Remember You (Fresh Sound, 1989)
- Little Giant (Fresh Sound, 1989)
- The Very Thought of You (Discovery, 1990)
- Wood Winds West (Jazz Mark, 1992)
- Frank's Blues (Night Life Records, 1992)
- Moon and Sand (Discovery, 1993)
- Somebody Loves Me (Fresh Sound, 1994)
- Nobody Else But Me (Fresh Sound, 1997)
- Live in Sorgues France (Jazz Mark, 2002)
- Funk and Esoteric (Fresh Sound, 2004)