Carey Frank [US]

This album is dedicated to Grandpa Harry who always said to Keep Smiling!

Los Angeles based pianist, composer and educator, Carey Frank’s, debut album, “Keep Smiling”, displays his abilities as a musician and storyteller. “Keep Smiling” was recorded in 2015, while Carey was simultaneously completing the final semester of his Masters of Music in Jazz Studies at The University of Southern California. The album features Jamey Tate on drums and Sezin Ahmet Turkmenoglu on upright bass, as well as celebrated Grammy award-winning saxophonist Bob Mintzer who makes guest appearances on the fifth and seventh tracks.

“Song For T” is dedicated to pianist and keyboardist T Lavitz, who passed away in 2010 at the age of 54. In 2008 and 2009 I spent my summers at Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA, and both years I was fortunate enough to study with T Lavitz (the well-known jazz/rock/fusion keyboardist from Jefferson Starship and the Dixie Dregs). T and I became friends after the summer ended and we continued to email back and forth, keeping up-to-date on each other’s current projects. Around August or September I stopped receiving his emails but didn’t think anything of it. When skimming through the October issue of Keyboard Magazine, I came across a page with his picture on it and the headline was “In Memoriam – T Lavitz”. “Song For T” is my dedication to the amazing musician and educator.

“W. J. Evans” is my homage to pianist and composer Bill Evans. It’s safe to say that Bill Evans is one of the most influential jazz pianists, inspiring pianists such as; Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, Keith Jarrett, Michel Petrucciani, Fred Hersh, Lyle Mays, Brad Mehldau, and so many others. It is common for many pianists to have an original composition written in the style of Bill Evans, I hope you enjoy mine.

“Hot Chick” is my composition written for one of my favorite pianists and musicians, Chick Corea, who has always been a major inspiration.

“I Wrote You a Ballad” was written for my piano teacher, Per Danielsson. Per is a master at playing ballads, so I saw it fitting to dedicate my first ballad to him.

“Take the Coltrane”, written by Duke Ellington, is one of my favorite blues melodies to play. The song was written by Duke for John Coltrane for a collaboration album in 1963. I saw it fitting to include guest saxophonist, Bob Mintzer on this track.

“Old Bourbon” is my musical take on a travel story I heard. The story was about a man traveling throughout Japan, who found an unusual bar that only serves Whiskey at least 100 years old or older. Unlike other alcoholic beverages that age and taste different with time, Whiskey never changes its taste, so when someone drinks this 200-year old bourbon, it’s almost as if they’re momentarily going back in time with each sip.

“The Heart of Life”, by John Mayer, is not only my favorite John Mayer song but also one of my favorite pop tunes. The song’s harmony, melody, and lyrics are so beautiful and unique. The song is about the love and pain from a significant other, family member or a friend. The chorus lyrics are; “Pain throws your heart to the ground, love turns the whole thing around. No it won’t all go the way it should but I know the heart of life is good.” My arrangement requires instrumentation that exceeds the trio format, which is why I had Bob Mintzer record on this track as well.

“What’s Her Name” is the second ballad on this album. This song is written for a girl I had a crush on but could never build up the courage to ask for her name. I wrote the song with only her face in mind imagining the possibilities of what her name could be.

“Recovery” was written for a very close friend who was finally on the road to recovery from a terrible addiction.

“Smile”, lyrics written by John Turner and Geoffrey Parsons almost two decades after Charlie Chaplin wrote the music for his film, Modern Times, tells the listener that there is always a bright tomorrow as long as they smile. This song means a lot to me and I put a lot of thought into choosing it as the final track of this album. All of the individual compositions on “Keep Smiling” are written for someone or something in one way or another. My biggest inspiration for becoming a musician was my Grandpa Harry who was a professional musician who passed away when I was 17. He hired me for my first gigs and taught me how to be a working musician. His motto was “keep smiling”, and he said that at the end of every show, left it on his voicemail, and even printed it on his business cards. I don’t think dedicating one composition to Grandpa Harry is enough, so I’m dedicated the entire album to him.