Dale Frank
Scatland Sketches
My music is beautiful and passionate,simple and complex,these instrumental compositions are designed to touch your heart and your imagination.
About The Composer
Dale Frank has a Bachelors Degree in Music from the University of Montana 1959-1963.
Certificate in Composition and Arranging from the Berklee School of Music in Boston MA. (1963-1965)
Graduate work in Composition at UCLA, CA. Fall of 1966.
Dale’s body of work includes:
(1966-1968) Composer, arranger and conductor for the Bobby Bryant Jazz Band. One of the many pieces
included a 3 movement composition by Dale, which was performed at the Monterey Jazz Festival in 1968.
(1969) commissioned by Hugh Masakella to compose for his Jazz Quartet and orchestra.
Dale composed a three movement work based on traditional African folk songs for full symphonic
orchestra and jazz quartet, which was performed by the Cincinnati Symphony under the direction of
Eric Kunsel.
(1969 – 1971) Musical director for Jazz Singer Esther Phillips.
(1974 – 1975) Musical director for Latin Jazz Artist Willie Bobo
(1975) Dale worked on several projects as a string arranger for Wayne Henderson (of the Crusaders)
who was producing for the jazz label Blue Note. The most well known was the Ronnie Laws album
“Fever”.
(1973 – 1975) Dale had his own 23 piece jazz band which he composed and conducted all the music for. The
band consisted of some of the greatest players in Los Angeles at the time such as: Dave Grusin, Mike Lang,
Mark Anthony, Nick Ceroli, Johnny Garrnon, Bobby Bryant, Jay Daversa, Dalton Smith, Buddy Childers,
Pete Christlieb, Ernie Watts, Don Mensa, Bill Perkins, Tom Scott, George Bohanan, and Frank Rossilino,
to name a few.*
(1994) Dale returned to music with a new blues band that played periodically at the House of Blues on the
Sunset Strip in Hollywood.
(1997 – 1999) Dale formed a partnership with John Larkin, known as the artist “Scatman John”. They built a top of the line studio called Scatland Studios. John past away in December 1999 at 57 years old. Dale’s
first album Skatland Sketches (just released on CD Baby) is dedicated to his dear friend.
(2001 – 2003) Dale met a Latin singer Nidia Torres and together the created a form of Latin music some of
which will be on his next album called a Latin Touch. Scheduled to be finished and on CD Baby this summer
2008.
Personal Statement:
In 1976, I Iost the desire to create music. I knew how to create music but I didn’t know how to live. In 1994,
due to a course of events and experiences, many of which I call miracles, I came back into music.
My purpose now is to create beautiful music both instrumentally and vocally that people of all ages and backgrounds will enjoy. I love the term “world music”; I hope my music reaches people all over the world.
* Many of these great musicians and artist have past away. Their spirits live on in me and I am sure many others.
Electronic: Latin Freestyle