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About Frank Macchia:
Born and raised in San Francisco, California, 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 at the Summer Music Workshop Programs, and he composed and conducted an orchestral overture for his high school graduation ceremony.
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, Tony Texiera, and Ken Pullig. From 1976-80 he performed and composed for the top student ensembles as well as performing with his own ensembles. 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 tender 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 the San Francisco area where he continued working as a musician and composer/arranger over the next ten years, performing concerts with such artists as Ella Fitzgerald, Rita Moreno, Tony Bennett, Jack Jones, Clare Fischer, Chuck Mangione, and the Temptations, to name a few.
In 1991 Frank toured Germany performing in productions of West Side Story and 42nd Street, and when that tour was over, 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. From 1997-2001 he created a series of five original audio horror stories CDs with full underscore entitled “Little Evil Things”, which received critical acclaim. In 2003 he completed the jazz/world CD “The Galapagos Suite”, a six movement suite based on the animals of the Galapagos Islands, where he and his wife Tracy visited. His CD, “Animals” was released in Fall 2004, and the follow-up “Mo’ Animals” in Winter 2006, featuring Frank on multi-woodwinds and a roster of some of Los Angeles’ best musicians.
Review of Mo’ Animals:
‘Mo’ Animals is the third straight release from Frank Macchia that has vigorously flattened me on first hearing. A West Coast composer/arranger/instrumentalist whose CV includes Tony Bennett, Hollywood movies, and television might be initially looked at askance by us avant types, but I’ll shuffle play this guy with Sun Ra, Ellington, Gil Evans, and Henry Mancini any day. Macchia’s particular genius is how he has molded an apparently vast intake of influences into his own, very distinct universe. As with its predecessor, Animals, the 10 tracks on Mo’ are each named for a different animal, and yes, the writing and arranging evoke said animals. But this is no cutesy anthropomorphism — this is wonderfully conceived, beautifully executed stuff.
‘“Whales,” for example, is a ghostly, multi-tracked duet for Macchia and vocalist Tracy London. Using jazz as a basis, it pulls in such reference points as Brian Wilson, Lambert, Hendricks and Ross, and Nurse With Wound’s Salt Marie Celeste. The insane, flute-led melody of “Hummingbirds” throws up a Macchia alto solo that’s a glorious mix of free swagger and bebop rigor, while “Chickens” has marvelous, spastic pecking banjo motion by Grant Geissman. “Rhinos” shows Macchia’s affinity for Frank Zappa in a wild, electric stomper with a sexy baritone sax solo from the leader, while “Pigs,” with its lumbering low end scoring and contrabass clarinet, can’t help evoke Anthony Braxton’s writing for the nether registers. The breathtaking hues of “Bats” resonate with a striking wash of color, akin to Henry Mancini’s great “Lujon,” from 1961. Headphones are recommended to hear the full range of Maccia’s fertile imagination, but by all means listen.’
—Larry Nai, Signal to Noise, July 2006
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