Alex Frank

He may only be in his 20’s, but Alex Frank has already established himself as a first-call bassist for film (Jersey Boys, Black Nativity), television (You’re The Worst, Modern Family, Friends With Better Lives), and records (Bruce Forman, Dave Damiani). Along with pianist Peter Smith and guitarist John Storie, Alex recently founded the group Too Marvelous For Words, a tribute to the original Nat King Cole trio, which has begun touring nationally.

Alex has also become an in-demand accompanist for jazz singers Tierney Sutton, Landau Eugene Murphy, Jr. (America’s Got Talent winner, 2011), Renee Olstead (TV’s Still Standing, The Secret Life of the American Teenager), Spencer Day,Jackie Ryan, Erin Boheme, Sara Gazarek, Jane Monheit, Polly Gibbons, Richard Shelton, James Tormé, Melissa Morgan, and film icons Molly Ringwald & Jeff Goldblum. For singer Dave Damiani, Alex co-produced his newest album, Midlife Crisis, as well as performing on all 13 tracks and co-writing the title song. This album features I’ve Been Around, a new song by Oscar and Grammy winners Johnny Mandel (The Shadow of Your Smile) and Marilyn & Alan Bergman (The Way We Were), which Alex and Johnny Mandel co-arranged. Alex is Damiani’s musical director and main arranger.

Additionally Alex is the bassist in jazz trios with pianist Tamir Hendelman (Barbra Streisand) and guitarist Bruce Forman (Ray Brown), and has recorded with them as well. In fact he is the bassist on Forman’s latest album, The Book of Forman, also featuring Marvin “Smitty” Smith on drums. His touring has taken him around the world, performing at such prestigious venues as New York’s Café Carlyle, Seattle’s Jazz Alley, and the Java Jazz Festival in Jakarta, Indonesia.

In 2013, Alex placed second in the International Society of Bassists’ biennial jazz competition, and in 2014, as a member of Bruce Forman’s Cow Bop, he was inducted into the Texas Western Swing Hall of Fame. Alex has toured with Cow Bop at such renowned venues as Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa, the Continental Club in Austin, Kuumbwa Jazz in Santa Cruz, as well as tours in New Zealand and New Caledonia. Also in 2014, Alex had the privilege of performing at UCLA with the Los Angeles Jazz Orchestra Unlimited, along with special guests and honorees Ernie Andrews, Barbara Morrison, and Kenny Burrell.

Alex graduated from Oberlin Conservatory, where he studied bass with Peter Dominguez and jazz giant Eddie Gomez from the Bill Evans trio. He also studied with legendary bassist John Clayton and David Allen Moore of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Since returning to his native Los Angeles, Alex has had the pleasure of performing with music icons George Benson, Benny Golson, Roy McCurdy, Marcus Belgrave, John Pisano, and Jim Keltner; Grammy winners John Proulx, Peter Erskine, Bill Cunliffe, Mike Lang, and Bill Holman; the big bands of Holman, Johnny Mandel, Patrick Williams, Allan Chan, Ron King, and the Budman/Levy Orchestra; George Doering’s bluegrass group, The Brombies; and with many other renowned artists including Joe  La Barbera, Graham Dechter, Clayton Cameron, Josh Nelson, John Daversa, Bob Reynolds, and Bob Sheppard.