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Dan Frankowski is a thinker, novelty-seeker, trumpet player, and composer.
He was born and raised in the Twin Cities. He started playing trumpet in 4th grade. He played in local bands and orchestras through high school. His high school band (director Dennis Malmberg) and the Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphonies (GTCYS) were crucibles. He got a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Oberlin College in 1991. There, he studied jazz playing with Donald Byrd (the trumpeter), Kenny Davis, and Jack Wilkins, and jazz composition with Dr. Wendall Logan. He got a master's degree in computer science at the University of Minnesota in 1993. There he researched transmitting sound on computer networks. He went to Budapest, Hungary for a year on a Fulbright grant to study mathematics.
At the University of Minnesota, he later studied jazz with Dr. Ronald McCurdy, attended master classes by Slide Hampton, Joshua Redman, Hal Galper, Terrel Stafford, Wynton Marsalis, and members of the Mingus Big Band. He also played in the Jazz Ensemble and Jazz Combo. He recorded an album of mostly his original compositions with the University jazz sextet. He played the solo chair in the pit orchestra of the nationally acclaimed touring production of A Harlem Nutcracker by Donald Byrd (the choreographer), music director David Berger.
He is one half of an experimental horn duo anton and dan that focuses on original music and an original sound. They released the album Fuselage in the Rumpus Room.
He plays with area big bands, including the Nova Jazz Orchestra, the Twin Cities Jazz Orchestra, and sometimes the Cedar Avenue Big Band. His big-band compositions are on Nova's Ireland album.
He has an album of original jazz sextet compositions with the Minnesota Postsecondary Jazz Sextet called twin cities suite.
He also released an album of original jazz music with a guitar player, entitled 'The Dynamic Duo.'
He lent Freddie Hubbard his trumpet to play at Qwest (no joke!).
His free-lance work includes playing with Fat Soul City, Streetside Rhythm, Free and Easy, Power of Ten, and stirring church favorites on Easter, which he calls trumpeter's full employment day.
He has sat in on sessions at the Artist's Quarter in Minneapolis, the Doo-Wop Club and the Jazz Cafe in Budapest, St. Mark's Bar in New York City, The Note in Chicago, Ole Madrid in San Diego, and The Rex in Toronto, among others. |
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