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Frank Singer Professional Biography and
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Recordings
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BIOGRAPHY
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click here for separate print version
Frank Singer began playing music at the age of nine. A passion developed quickly, and led Frank to attend the Berklee College of
Music in Boston in 1976. After graduating Magna Cum Laude in 1980, he went on to
complete private studies with Charlie Banacos on guitar, and continue with piano
studies for several years. Frank has been a working musician since graduating
from Berklee, teaching privately and in the classroom,
performing in clubs and concert halls, and composing, arranging, recording and
producing, both for his own groups and for professional clients.
Frank has had a long and varied career as a sideman and guest
soloist. In addition to playing shows with artists such as Cab Calloway, Vanessa
Williams, and Eddie Fisher, Frank has performed with recording artists Les
Arbuckle and Rick Della Ratta, trumpeter/composer Arturo Sandoval and more recently
with guitarist Larry Coryell. He performs with Downbeat poll-winner Bruce Johnston, and regularly
accompanies traveling recording artists in the Mid-Atlantic region, such as
vocalist/pianist Cheryl Hodge.
Frank's latest release is
Generations String Quartet, an original composition in five movements for
two violins, electric jazz guitar, and cello. The work was commissioned by
Gannon University for Erie, Pennsylvania's Bicentennial Celebration, and
includes a jazz guitar solo. "My Berklee degree is in 20th-century classical composition, and it's not
often I get to use it!", says Singer. "This was the first piece to get
public performances, and we managed to record one." This is now available on the
artist's Naked Kitty Productions label.
Frank's CD, oFF tHE tOP: standards 1, is his first
solo effort. It includes 12 jazz standards, all performed on solo jazz guitar.
"I've been doing this for years," states Singer, "but I never got
around to recording the tunes the way I play when I do a solo gig. This album gave me
that opportunity. I wanted to present it as a regular set - with same flow and pacing
as a live show." In addition to solo work in the New England and
Mid-Atlantic areas, Frank has been the partner in many vocal/guitar duos.
While living in Boston, Frank performed and recorded with
a number of jazz groups. Cat's A Bear, with Frank as principal composer, began its many incarnations in Boston,
with quartets, trios and duos. The duo, with Joe Dorris on drums, used a Macintosh
computer
as a sequencer in live performance. "The problem of rhythmic freedom was
solved by having live drums perform with sequenced parts." says Frank.
"We treated the sequence as the bass player, and played the way we would in
a trio." This band remained popular in Boston, performing and recording
until its relocation to Erie in 1989.
The group continued as a duo until the addition of bassist Tony
Stefanelli in 1992. Re-forming the power trio of jazz, the new version of Cat's A Bear also
added other personnel for various projects. The trio released Tito...In
Search of a Revolution in 1993, and added saxophonist Phil Papotnik for the
1996 release of Tito in Wonderland. Frank continues to compose for the
group, which has also begun to cover jazz standards with their own style. A new
batch of Singer originals will be featured on the next Cat's A Bear CD, which is
in the works now.
Another group which plays Singer's original music is the world
music group One World Tribe. Frank is a founding member of the group, and his
award-winning song Unity And Diversity is the title track of Tribe's
first album. "Tribe gave me an opportunity to express musical ideas in a
new way, and to try my hand at lyrics. We played music I had listened to for
years, but never done in a band. I really got my Latin piano chops together, and
I even learned how to freestyle hiphop - not something I had to chance to
do playing instrumental jazz." Tribe's second album, The World Today,
features Frank on some guitar, guitar synthesizer, keyboard solos and background
vocals. Plans for
a third album are in the works, with more emphasis on hiphop.
Frank continues to write, perform and record his original music,
in addition to teaching privately and performing jazz in the Mid-Atlantic
region. Current recordings feature music spanning the spectrum from jazz
standards to funky originals to world beat, and everything in between, with more
on the way. He spends any spare time he can find with his wife, Mary, and son, Ari,
who will always be musical, even while he is flying planes. [ top ]
[ Biography
] RECORDING RESUME
[
Resume ]
[ top ]
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Solo
Guitar [Jazz]
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>>>oFF
tHE tOP: standards 1 12 jazz standards
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Guitar [Classical/Jazz] |
>>>Generations
String Quartet Original String
Quartet in five movements, with electric guitar
replacing viola, including a jazz solo [
more ] |
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Guitar [Jazz]
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>>>Tito
In Wonderland [Cat's A Bear]
4 jazz standards, 2 originals [original sheet music
available]
>>>Tito: In Search of a Revolution [Cat's
A Bear] 8 originals [original sheet music
available]
>>>Eye Of The Pyramid [Cat's A
Bear] 8 originals [original sheet music
available]
>>>2liveCATS [Cat's A Bear] 9 originals
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Guitar [Jazz] |
>>>PlayErie.com Compilation CD One 2003 [Cat's
A Bear] 1 cut (Change)
on local compilation, assembled by
playerie.com |
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Guitar [Jazz]
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>>> Is
It My Turn Yet? [James Ligons] 10 originals
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Guitar, Keyboards [World]
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>>>Unity
and Diversity [One World Tribe] 12 originals, 1 cover with original lyric,
1 cover
Unity and Diversity [title track] by Frank Singer [original
sheet music available]
>>>The World Today [One World Tribe] 7 originals
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Guitar / Synthesizer,
Acouscic Guitar,
Keyboards,
Electric Bass [Jazz]
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>>>
Near Journey's End
[J.D. and the Sons of Rhythm]
19 improvisations (2 discs)
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Astral Worlds
[J.D. and the Sons of Rhythm]
19 improvisations (2 discs)
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Moving Through The Elements
[J.D. and the Sons of Rhythm]
16 improvisations (2 discs)
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Beyond Attention
[J.D. and the Sons of Rhythm]
14 improvisations (2 discs)
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Crossing Oceans of Time
[J.D. and the Sons of Rhythm]
14 improvisations (2 discs)
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Live At Forward Hall
[J.D. and the Sons of Rhythm]
13 live performance improvisations (2 discs)
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Imagination Doctors
[J.D. and the Sons of Rhythm]
13 improvisations (2 discs)
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Smoke Shadows
[J.D. and the Sons of Rhythm]
12 improvisations (2 discs)
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Quantum Events
[J.D. and the Sons of Rhythm]
11 improvisations (2 discs)
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Music From Another Planet
[J.D. and the Sons of Rhythm]
15 improvisations (2 discs)
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Primate Gestures
[J.D. and the Sons of Rhythm]
22 improvisations (2 discs)
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Family Values
[J.D. and the Sons of Rhythm]
2 originals, 13 improvisations (2 discs)
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Guitar [Jazz] |
>>>Live At Papermoon [Basil Ronzitti Trio] I cut on
benefit compilation for Billy's Friends Charity |
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Guitar [Blues]
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>>>Live At Scully's [J.D.
Blues] 6 covers, 1 original
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Guitar, Slide [Pop]
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>>>Free
Nick Stein [Plato's Cave]
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Guitar [Pop]
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>>>The Bright
Extraordinary Day [Jay Hitt]
For more information, contact Tom Hitt,
or visit Cycling
Troll Studios. |
[ Biography
]
RESUME [ Recordings
]
[ top ]
click here for separate print version
Frank W.
Singer
Contact me for
street address and
telephone number
frank@franksinger.com
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Education:
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1976-1980 |
Berklee College of Music, Boston, MA
B.M., Composition,
Magna Cum Laude, 1980.
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1980-1984
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Charles
Banacos, Gloucester, MA., Jazz Guitar and Jazz Piano studies.
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1999
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Finalist, World Music Category. John
Lennon Songwriting Contest.
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1995
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Composer. Gannon
University, Erie, PA.
Commissioned by Gannon University to create a piece of music as their
contribution to Erie's bicentennial celebration.
The result was Generations, a string quartet for two violins, cello and electric guitar.
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1980
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Recipient of Richard Levy Award in Recognition of Outstanding
Musicianship for
Contemporary Composition.
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| Professional
Experience:
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1974
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Sideman/Soloist. Erie
Philharmonic, various clubs and restaurants.
Free-lance
guitarist/pianist with Erie Philharmonic/Pops for jazz/contemporary performances;
have performed with Arturo Sandoval, Cab Calloway, Vanessa
Williams, Eddie Fisher, Jack
Jones, Deborah Gibson in Grease, Yesterdays, and others. Work as guitarist, pianist,
bassist,
and other at a variety of sites and functions.
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1976
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Instructor.Home
locations, various music studios, and schools.
Self-employed
in the Boston area and Erie, PA teaching all ages and levels of guitar, piano, electric bass, drums, saxophone, keyboards and voice, as well as theory, composition, and
arranging. Conduct Master classes, clinics and lectures on jazz history, improvisation,
composition, and
general music to various local schools.
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2002 -
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Performer. J.D. and the Sons of Rhythm.
Play guitar, guitar-synthesizer, keyboards in collective jazz
improvisation group, with 7 double disc releases to date and
more in the works.
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1993
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Composer, Performer. One World Tribe.
Compose and play guitar, synthesizer-guitar and keyboards in world music/latin/reggae
band which travels and performs throughout the
Mid-Atlantic states.
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1991
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Guitarist, Musical Director, and Principal Composer.
Cat’s A Bear/Tito.
Write, arrange, and play with this original jazz group, which plays in
clubs and colleges in the Erie, Buffalo, Cleveland, and Pittsburgh areas.
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1988-1991
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Guitarist, Arranger. FSG
Trio.
Arranged, played, and booked bebop trio with drums and upright bass, playing
standards
and originals in the Buffalo and Erie areas.
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1987-1990 |
Producer, Arranger, Composer. Musical Coordination Services, Boston, MA.
Owned and operated a company specializing in producing, arranging, video
scoring, transcribing, and other music-related functions.
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1982-1991
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Composer, Guitarist, Pianist. Cat's A Bear.
Partnered a contemporary original jazz duo using piano, synthesizer,
guitar, and percussion. Also responsible for the production and synthesis. Cat's A Bear performed
throughout the New England and Mid-Atlantic states.
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1984-1989
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Midi Engineer. Euphoria
Sound Studios, Revere, MA.
Responsible for the sound production and engineering on midi projects.
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1983-1989
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Bassist, Sound Engineer. Katy's
Lovers.
Performed, engineered, and recorded with this Boston-based Irish Folk
group.
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1986-1987
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Instructor. Creative
Arts at Park Summer Program, Brookline, MA.
Taught drums and ensemble as well as tech setup and studio recording to
students ages 8-15 in this intensive summer program.
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1980-1989
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Musician. Graham/Lindsey
Entertainment Agency, Boston, MA.
Served as guitarist, electric bass player, keyboard player, and pianist
in general business band.
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