Michael Franks

Michael Franks (* 18. September 1944 in La Jolla/Kalifornien) ist ein US-amerikanischer Jazz-Sänger und Songwriter.

Franks sang während seiner Highschool-Zeit Folk- und Rock-Songs zur Gitarre. Er studierte Literatur an der UCLA und promovierte an der University of Oregon. Nachdem er an der UCLA und in Berkeley Musikkurse gegen hatte, komponierte er die Filmmusiken für Count Your Bullets und Zandy's Bride.

1973 veröffentlichte er sein erstes eigenes Album, dem zahlreiche weitere vorwiegend bei Warner Brothers folgten. Franks arbeitete u.a. mit Flora Purim, Kenny Rankin, Ron Carter, The Crusaders, David Sanborn, Toots Thielemans und Eric Gale zusammen und schrieb Songs für The Manhattan Transfer, Patti LaBelle, Carmen McRae und The Carpenters.

Diskographie

Michael Franks mit Max Bennett, Bobby Bruce, Larry Bunker, Gene Cipriano, Ed Greene, Paul Humphrey, Carol Kaye, Steve La Fever, Richard Markowitz, Jerry McGee, Ollie Mitchell, Larry Muhoberac, David Paich, Michael Price, Maurice Rodgers, Tom Scott, Louie Shelton, Kenny Shroyer, Tommy Tedesco, Tony Terran, Lloyd Ulyate, Wendy Waldman, Chauncey Welsch, 1973
The Art of Tea mit Michael Brecker, Larry Bunker, Larry Carlton, Wilton Felder, John Guerin, Joe Sample, David Sanborn, Jerry Steinholtz, 1976
Sleeping Gypsy mit Ray Armando, Michael Brecker, Larry Bunker, Larry Carlton, Helio Delmiro, João Donato, Wilton Felder, John Guerin, João Palma, Joe Sample, David Sanborn, 1977
Burchfield Nines mit Steve Gadd, Will Lee, Ralph MacDonald, Leon Pendarvis, Bud Shank, John Tropea, Ernie Watts, 1978
Tiger in the Rain mit Kenny Barron, Rubens Bassini, Crusher Bennett, Randy Brecker, Herb Bushler, Joe Caro, Ron Carter, John Clark, Harold Coletta, Dom Cortese, Lew DelGatto, Lewis Eley, Paul Griffin, Hilda Harris, Bob Leinbach, Howard Leshaw, Jesse Levy, Charles Libove, Dave Liebman, Harry Lookofsky, Guy Lumia, Mike Mainieri, Joseph Malin, Tom Malone, Lou Marini, Rick Marotta, Richard Maximoff, Charles McCracken, Bucky Pizzarelli, Anthony Posk, Seldon Powell, Flora Purim, Ben Riley, Claudio Roditi, David Sanborn, Alan Shulman, John Simon, Lew Soloff, Richard Sortomme, Maretha Stewart, Harry Urbont, Emanuel Vardi, Abdul Wadud, Buddy Williams, George Young, 1979
One Bad Habit mit Ray Armando, Dennis Belfield, Lenny Castro, André Fischer, Eric Gale, Eddie Gómez, Don Grolnick, Larry Hall, Jerry Hey, Yolanda Howard, Kim Hutchcroft, Neil Jason, Rick Marotta, Hugh McCracken, Petsye Powell, Bill Reichenbach, Sylvia Shemwell, George Sopuch, David Spinozza, Tennyson Stephens, Larry Williams, Rick Zunigar, 1980
Objects of Desire mit Tawatha Agee, Phillip Ballou, Ray Bardani, Rubens Bassini, Michael Brecker, Randy Brecker, Larry Carlton, Joe Caro, Francisco Centeno, Kacey Cisyk, Michael Colina, Rick Cutler, Renee Diggs, Mark Egan, Lawrence Feldman, Victor Feldman, Jill Jaffe, Neil Jason, Steve Khan, Yvonne Lewis, Ted Lo, Harvey Mason, Hugh McCracken, Yolanda McCullough, Leslie Miller, Nick Moroch, Rob Mounsey, Andy Newmark, Bonnie Raitt, David Sanborn, Lew Soloff, Luther Vandross, Randy VanWarmer, Buddy Williams, 1982
Passionfruit mit Randy Brecker, Hiram Bullock, Kacey Cisyk, Edie Daciels, Sue Evans, Jon Faddis, Steve Gadd, Astrud Gilberto, Neil Jason, Will Lee, Hugh McCracken, Jeff Mironov, David Nadien, Chris Parker, Kenny Rankin, Pat Rebillot, Hamish Stuart, Toots Thielemans, David Tofani, John Tropea, Naná Vasconcelos, 1983
Previously Unavailable mit Max Bennett, Bobby Bruce, Larry Bunker, Gene Cipriano, Ed Greene, Paul Humphrey, Carol Kaye, Steve La Fever, Jerry McGee, Ollie Mitchell, Larry Muhoberac, David Paich, Michael Price, Maurice Rodgers, Tom Scott, Louie Shelton, Kenny Shroyer, Tommy Tedesco, Tony Terran, Lloyd Ulyate, Wendy Waldman, Chauncey Welsch, 1983
Skin Dive mit Manolo Badrena, Dave Bargeron, Warren Bernhardt, Michael Brecker, Hiram Bullock, Joe Caro, Clifford Carter, Ron Carter, Vivian Cherry, Kacey Cisyk, John Clark, Ronnie Cuber, Mark Egan, Bill Evans, Sue Evans, Jon Faddis, Lawrence Feldman, Babi Floyd, Bobby Floyd, Frank Floyd, Steve Gadd, Peter Gordon, Danny Gottlieb, Neil Jason, Steve Khan, Will Lee, Hugh McCracken, Leslie Miller, Marcus Miller, Jeff Mironov, Rob Mounsey, Andy Newmark, Chris Parker, Brenda Russell, David Sanborn, George Young, 1985
The Camera Never Lies mit Patti Austin, Michael Brecker, Randy Brecker, Hiram Bullock, Clifford Carter, Kacey Cisyk, Cornell Dupree, Mark Egan, Bill Evans, Lawrence Feldman, Art Garfunkel, Robin Gould, Lani Groves, Neil Jason, Steve Jordan, Steve Khan, Earl Klugh, Will Lee, Ralph MacDonald, Marcus Miller, Jeff Mironov, Rob Mounsey, Chris Parker, Lew Soloff, Roger Squitero, Richard Tee, Michal Urbaniak, George Wadenius, Dave Weckl, 1987
Blue Pacific mit Alex Acuña, John Beasley, Larry Carlton, Vinnie Colaiuta, Luis Conte, Peter Erskine, Howard Feiten, Michael Fisher, Sean Franks, John Guerin, Bunny Hull, Paul Jackson, Jr., Jeff Lorber, Dean Parks, John Patitucci, Brenda Russell, Marc Russo, Joe Sample, Bob Shepard, Neil Stubenhaus, Livingston Taylor, Michael Thompson, Freddie Washington, Kirk Whalum, 1990
Dragonfly Summer mit Lamar Alsop, Ronald Carbone, Mino Cinelu, Harold Coletta, Paulinho Da Costa, Harvey Estrin, Lawrence Feldman, Russell Ferrante, Gil Goldstein, John Hall, Jimmy Haslip, Lance Hoppen, Toninho Horta, Paul Jackson, Jr., Eric Benet Jordan, William Kennedy, Steve Khan, Olivia Koppell, Dave Koz, Karen Krefus, Jesse Levy, Richard Locker, Jeff Lorber, Charles McCracken, Alec Milstein, Bob Mintzer, John Robinson, Steve Rodby, Marvin Stamm, Nathan Stutch, Amanuel Vardi, 1993
Abandoned Garden mit Don Alias, Manolo Badrena, Diane Barere, Michael Brecker, Randy Brecker, Mark Egan, Eliane Elias, Peter Erskine, Art Farmer, Lawrence Feldman, Russell Ferrante, Gil Goldstein, Jimmy Haslip, Bob James, Bashiri Johnson, Marc Johnson, John Leventhal, Chuck Loeb, Christian McBride, Bob Mintzer, Jeff Mironov, Brian Mitchell, Lewis Nash, Keith O'Quinn, Chris Parker, Joshua Redman, David Sanborn, Mark Orrin, Frederick Slotkin, Andy Snitzer, Steve Swallow, 1995
Barefoot on the Beach mit Tawatha Agee, Jay Azzolina, Jim Beard, Michael Brecker, Randy Brecker, David Charles, Carmen Cuesta, Brian Dunne, Steve Gadd, Lani Groves, Wolfgang Haffner, Jimmy Haslip, Chris Hunter, Jim Hynes, Bob James, Bashiri Johnson, Birch Johnson, Steve Khan, Will Lee, Chuck Loeb, Larry Lunetta, David Mann, Bob Mintzer, Jeff Mironov, Chris Palmaro, Shawn Pelton, Mike Ricchiuti, Dave Samuels, Valerie Simpson, Andy Snitzer, 1999
Live 2003
Watching the Snow mit Jay Anderson, Jay Azzolina, Charles Blenzig, John Clark, Chris Hunter, Billy Kilson, Romero Lubambo, Veronica Nunn, 2004
Rendezvous in Rio mit Alex Al, Jay Anderson, Mark Anderson, Billy Arnold, Charles Blenzig, Sergio Brandao, Roger Burn, Vinnie Colaiuta, Sean Conly, Mike DeMicco, Pamela Driggs, Brian Dunne, Robbie Dupree, Willard Dyson, Wolfgang Haffner, Jimmy Haslip, Larry Hoppen, Chris Hunter, Carmen Cuesta Loeb, Chuck Loeb, Jeff Lorber, Romero Lubambo, Eric Marienthal, Jerry Marotta, Gary Meek, Veronica Nunn, Scott Petito, Beth Reineke, Leslie Ritter, David Sancious, Marc Shulman, Dwight Sills, Andy Suzuki, Michael White, 2006