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Frank Catalano

Right place at the right time? Absolutely. Luck? Definitely. But after Frank Catalano stepped in for a no-show tenor sax during jazz organist Charles Earland's set at Andy's Jazz Club in Chicago (a club the then 17-year-old slick-talked his mother into taking him to) it wasnt luck that made him the youngest solo artist signed to the legendary Delmark label, a tour buddy of Tony Bennett, a U.S. Patent-holding sax innovator or the youngest saxophonist ever voted into the DOWNBEAT Critics Poll. Catalano, who bought his first sax at 12 with the money he saved mowing lawns, is a member of a small, but exclusive club: young musicians who have experienced and worked with the greatness of people like Charles Earland, Tony Bennett, Von Freeman and Randy Brecker. At only 28, his experience —which includes a degree in classical composition from DePaul—fused with and a raw, natural talent create a saxophonist with missile-speed fingering and a unique styling that has attracted even the likes of Santana, whom he toured with at the ripe age of 18. Stars like John Legend, Jennifer Lopez and Destiny’s Child all have invited Catalano to contribute to some of the top albums of the past 12 months, including Maurice Joshua’s remix of John Legends Grammy award-winning song Ordinary People. Luck works in strange ways. At 16, while messing around with the engine of a 72 Beetle in front of his mothers house, Catalano severed off his right, middle finger. A career ending move? It could have been. But after reconstructive surgery, Catalano forced his hands to relearn technique, skill and artistry. He triumphed a glistening musician and signed with Delmark to record his first solo album, Cut it Out with trumpeter Ira Sullivan at only 19. Catalano's tinkering with machines has a more musical bent now. While recording with Ministry in 1999, Catalano was inspired by the bands use of sampling and engineered a unique sampling keyboard attachment for the saxophone. His device was patented on Dec. 11, 2001, coincidently on the two-year anniversary of his mentor Charles Earlands death. Catalano's performances both live and recorded are electric. His Delmark solo albums include You Talkin to Me?!, which features a tandem tenor session with Von Freeman, and Live at The Green Mill with Randy Brecker on trumpet. Over the past ten years he also has worked with Louie Bellson, Tito Puente, David Sanborn, Betty Carter, John Medeski and DJ Logic.

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Album Review

Frank Catalano, Jimmy Chamberlain, David Sanborn: Bye Bye Blackbird

Read "Bye Bye Blackbird" reviewed by Angelo Leonardi


Frank Catalano dev'essere stufo dell'etichetta di “giovane prodigio." Alla soglia dei 40 anni con una carriera ventennale, il musicista di Chicago ha tutte le carte in regola per essere considerato un esponente di punta tra i sassofonisti Rhythm & Blues, i cosiddetti honkers. Ha esordito a 17 anni con l'organista Charles Earland, l'anno seguente era già in tour con Carlos Santana e in quello successivo firmava il primo disco da leader con la Delmark. Da allora le sue ...

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Album Review

Frank Catalano: Mighty Burner

Read "Mighty Burner" reviewed by Jim Santella


Recorded live at Chicago's Green Mill and Edgewater Lounge, Mighty Burner pays homage to organist Charles Earland, with whom saxophonist Frank Catalano worked from 1995-99. Earland, who died of a heart attack at age 58 on December 11, 1999, mentored younger jazz artists during his final years. Catalano, 27, was one of those younger artists who learned his lessons well. With a piano trio in support, he blows all night long through both of these sessions. The energy! No wonder ...

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Album Review

Frank Catalano: Mighty Burner

Read "Mighty Burner" reviewed by Mark Corroto


If I were a saxophonist, I certainly would want to be Maceo Parker for a day. Frank catalano Certainly had the long-time James Brown sideman on his mind when he recorded Mighty Burner.

With three fine Delmark hard bop discs under his belt, the twenty-something Chicagoan unleashes this crowd-pleasing live session. He takes no pauses, focusing on quartet music, soloing liberally and barely pausing for a minimal drum solo by Robert Gay. The title track is a rocked-out blues that ...

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Album Review

Frank Catalano: Pins 'n' Needles

Read "Pins 'n' Needles" reviewed by Jack Bowers


Baby­faced Frank Catalano, who looks barely old enough to shave, wields his razor­sharp tenor saxophone like a machete on Pins ‘n’ Needles to slice and dice a trio of standards, three of his own compositions and Charlie Parker’s “Scrapple from the Apple,” ably supported by renowned trumpet master Randy Brecker (on three selections) and an incendiary rhythm section spearheaded by pianist Willie Pickens, anchored by bassist Larry Gray and driven by drummer Joel Spencer. Catalano, a Chicagoan who’s still in ...

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Album Review

Frank Catalano: Live at the Green Mill

Read "Live at the Green Mill" reviewed by Derek Taylor


Not so long ago an adversarial relationship between the so-called camps of mainstream and avant-garde was the talk of the jazz press. Ostensibly led by the preening mouthpiece of Wynton Marsalis many of the “young lions” were openly and sometimes virulently critical of their creative improvising counterparts on the freer side of the fence. Things have since tempered as evidenced by Marsalis’ open admiration of Ornette Coleman and his brother Branford’s futile championing of saxophonist David S. Ware as A&R ...

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Performance / Tour

Jazz This Week: Block, Gibson and Recoder, Jim Manley, Frank Catalano, Tom McDermott, Cornet Chop Suey, and More

Jazz This Week: Block, Gibson and Recoder, Jim Manley, Frank Catalano, Tom McDermott, Cornet Chop Suey, and More

Source: St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman

It's potentially another very busy weekend for fans for jazz and creative music in St. Louis, with so many performances, workshops and film screenings going on that yr. humble StLJN editor got a bit behind schedule and worn out just assembling the basic info for all the events of interest. So, assuming you're willing to forgive this week's relative lack of description and/or commentary, let's go to the highlights... Tonight, the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University presents “Freedom ...

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Performance / Tour

Jazz This Week: Dee Dee Bridgewater, Ann Hampton Callaway, Eric Person, Frank Catalano, Frank Rosaly, and More

Jazz This Week: Dee Dee Bridgewater, Ann Hampton Callaway, Eric Person, Frank Catalano, Frank Rosaly, and More

Source: St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman

You might say this week's menu of jazz and creative music events in St. Louis has a sort of Noah's Ark vibe to it. The performances are coming in pairs, including two female vocalists, two versatile saxophonists, and two shows with an experimental/free improv bent.It all gets started on Thursday, when Chicago percussionist Frank Rosaly does a solo show of music from his new recording Milkwork at Lemp Neighborhood Arts Center. Rosaly uses both acoustic and electric instruments, ...

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Festival

Jazz This Week: David Sanborn, Cedar Walton, Vinny Golia Large Ensemble, Frank Catalano, Bruce Menefield, KMOX Jazz and Wine Festival, and More

Jazz This Week: David Sanborn, Cedar Walton, Vinny Golia Large Ensemble, Frank Catalano, Bruce Menefield, KMOX Jazz and Wine Festival, and More

Source: St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman

It's potentially a very busy week for fans of jazz and creative music in St. Louis, with plenty of noteworthy performances happening over the next few days. Let's look at some of the highlights:This evening, veteran pianist Cedar Walton begins a four-night run with his trio at Jazz at the Bistro. Arriving on the scene in the late 1950s, Walton has worked with heavyweight musicians such as Art Blakey, John Coltrane, Art Farmer, Benny Golson, Abbey Lincoln, J.J. ...

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Video / DVD

Frank Catalano's "Funky Dunky" and "Mighty Burner"

Frank Catalano's "Funky Dunky" and "Mighty Burner"

Source: St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman

This week, let's look at a couple of clips featuring Chicago saxophonist Frank Catalano, who will be in St. Louis to perform on September 30 at The Gramophone as part of the Tuesday night series the club is co-presenting with Jazz St. Louis.The first video shows Catalano and his band doing his original composition “Funky Dunky" at the Cotton Club in Tokyo, Japan, while the second clip finds him back on home ...

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Recording

Frank Catalano Performs July 16 at NYC Jazz Standard to Celebrate CD Release

Frank Catalano Performs July 16 at NYC Jazz Standard to Celebrate CD Release

Source: All About Jazz

Savoy Jazz is thrilled to announce that tenor saxophonist Frank Catalano is the first artist to be signed to the label under an artist management agreement along with a multi-album contract. Frank Catalano joins the legendary independent label Savoy with an innovative management agreement under which the label will partner with the artist in every facet of his career, and will handle traditional responsibilities for production and marketing of his albums. Savoy Jazz will release his first project under the ...

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Saxophone, tenor

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Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Topics Of Conversation

Blue Sky Fable
2013

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Bang!

Savoy Jazz
2008

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Live at the Green Mill

Delmark Records
2002

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Pins 'n' Needles

Chicago Lakeside Jazz
2002

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Videos

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