JAM: April/May 2004 Issue: Musicians Celebrates Frank Mantooth

Musicians Celebrate Frank Mantooth: In Their Own Words

Nothing can adequately express the loss many felt when hearing the news that Frank Mantooth had passed away in Garden City, Kansas on January 30, 2004. An internationally known and respected composer, arranger, educator, pianist, and recording artist, he was also a friend, neighbor, husband, father, and fellow compatriot on the bandstand. In tribute, his life and legacy are celebrated in the words of some of the Kansas City musicians who knew him well.

Gary Foster

I worked a bit more each year with Frank and had exceptionally good moments making music with him. Our first extended outing was on the recording sessions for Kerry Strayer's Mentor CD, recorded in Kansas City a couple of years ago. In October 2003, along with Brent Jensen, Gerald Spaits, Rod Fleeman and Tommy Ruskin, Frank and I played for Jim Monroe's concert series in Topeka and Kansas City . Frank was in fine form. On October 6, Frank, Brent and I stopped at KANU radio [ Lawrence , KS ] to record a promo for the Topeka Jazz Festival. We performed in trio and duo settings for nearly an hour completely unrehearsed. When I heard the recording, one passage, in a duet with Frank, struck me as the kind of moment improvisers try for but for seldom achieve. I can tell, hearing the music, how comfortable I felt playing with Frank. It is very subjective, of course. I listened to it again on the evening of the day Frank died . . . and it is still there! Jazz musicians and educators everywhere knew and respected Frank. He was a fine individual. His work stands on its own and we are all better for having been part of his musical world.

Todd Strait

I met Frank through Bob Bowman but had known his name, played his charts, and was familiar with his music many years before. Anyone who has played in high school, college, or professional big bands has played something he wrote whether they remember or not! He was a great educator, teaching at countless summer jazz camps and also was a prolific composer of educational "combo packs," referred to as "Scam Packs" in ToothSpeak. His musical voice, whether on paper (charts) or playing the piano, was absolutely his own--totally unique and so much like his personality, full of wit, humor, and completely seamless.

Besides all the hang time we had as a quartet, Tooth and I had a good amount of one-on-one time when he would stay with my wife, Louise, and I in KC. He and I would attempt to jog in the mornings, and talking with him around the track, and over coffee and doughnuts afterwards, were some of my favorite times with him. I got to know a very thoughtful, caring, side of him that was always there but just below the surface -- he was genuine in his love for his family and his loyalty to his friends, his honesty with himself. Tooth touched a lot of lives, we are lucky to have had him in ours.

Stan Kessler

He made everyone around him laugh and feel good about themselves, and was so easy to like . . . with that searing and creative wit. He was the consummate writer and arranger. And he was always self effacing, calling himself a "hack" piano player, which he was most definitely not!

Paul McKee

I was fortunate enough to work with Tooth in many types of situations: teaching at jazz camps, performing at festivals and participating on several of his recording projects. All were very rewarding and entertaining experiences. Often a week-long jazz camp can be a bit of a grueling experience -- lots of work and too little pay. Whenever Frank would be on the camp faculty (and believe me, Tooth did a LOT of camps in the summer) you could count on a fun week with lots of laughter and great music. Typically in an evening concert the host would introduce all the faculty members while they were on stage. Tooth would always have some spontaneous musical pun to accompany each intro -- a drummer who was notorious for dragging tempos might receive a few bars of "Anchors Away" or "Slow Boat To China," or a saxophone player who recently shaved his head and was looking particularly scary might elicit a bit of the "Halloween" movie theme. Tooth always had some sort of a musical comment ready which was always ac companied by his mischievous grin.

Frank's recording projects were always major musical and social events. Most frequently players from all over (including KC, of course) would assemble in Chicago for what was always like a family reunion. You'd never know who was to walk in the door to contribute their skills -- Randy Brecker, Pete Christlieb, Pat Labarbra, Bobby Shew, Clark Terry, to name but a few. Frank always seemed to to know what and who he wanted on each chart, and the band was always first-rate.

And finally, playing with Frank was always a treat. He was a soulful and articulate soloist and compassionate accompanist.

Dave Glenn

I first met Frank in Vienna in the late 1970's. He was then living with a friend of mine, Wayne Darling, and I was in the area so I went to visit Wayne . I'd already heard a lot about Frank from the drummer, Jack Mouse so I knew I'd be in for a good time. I came into Vienna by train from Frankfurt and Wayne and Frank met me at the station. It was my first time in Europe so I was quite excited and also a bit anxious, but Wayne and Frank put me immediately at ease by taking me to a great little restaurant-tavern. It was a memorable hang as was the rest of my visit.

Years later Frank and I ended up at the University of Kansas Jazz Camp for a number of summers together. We would stay at the same motel and alternate between getting up early and jogging together and staying up late hanging in the bar. I especially remember the mornings though. While jogging we'd talk about all kinds of things . . . his incredible humor never failed to put things in the proper perspective. Frank was one of the funniest cats I've ever been around. He was also one of the most empathetic and wisest cats I've ever known. With one cryptic quip he could make everything so clear. We will all miss Frank Mantooth for a long, long time.

Kerry Strayer

Although Frank Mantooth was better known as an arranger and composer, he was also an exceptionally creative improviser and a world class jazz pianist. I feel fortunate to have been able to work with him, become friends with him and record with him.

I first met him when we worked together at the annual Great Plains Jazz camp at Emporia State University . I remember one memorable spring evening when we were performing on the faculty concert with Bob Bowman, Todd Strait , and Gary Ziek, the camp director. Gary was playing "Body and Soul" on flugelhorn and was about half way through the bridge when the tornado sirens went off. We immediately stopped playing, and all the musicians and audience headed down to the basement of the building until the storm blew over. After a half an hour or so, the “all clear” was sounded and everybody filed backed upstairs into the hall to resume the concert. Once we got back on stage, we were standing there scratching our heads trying to think of what to play, and Frank said,”'Body and Soul -- bridge -- fifth bar!”

Wayne Goins

I felt very close to Frank. I've known him since the first year of my appointment at Kansas State University in 1998. I had the honor of penning an extensive interview with Frank for IAJE's Jazz Educator Journal in March of 2000, and it pleased me greatly to see how happy he was with the positive response we got when it was released. I also had the great fortune of having Frank come down to my first Central States Jazz Festival in 2001, whereupon we had a huge snow storm that shut KSU down for the first time in our school's history. But wouldn't you know it, Frank drove all through the night anyhow, calling me from his hotel room early that morning. I was amazed, and I met him for breakfast and we laughed about it.

We did an “All-Mantooth” concert on November 19, 2001 , and all three of my ensembles played Frank's excellent charts, and he came down to conduct the concert and play piano as well. He did an absolutely fantastic job of arranging an original composition of mine called "Clair's Lair" for big band, and the chart made its debut to a rousing ovation.

The three things I will remember most about Frank Mantooth were his incredible musicianship, his undeniable taste in humor, and, most importantly, his magnanimous concern and generosity toward all others. Frank Mantooth was an exceptional human being, and, sadly for us, we shall never again see that unique brand of genius. I will always be honored to have known him--he showed me just how great the capacity is for human kindness and the spirit of love.

Kim Park

He had the insightful ability to turn life's cognitive dissonances into ludicrous epithets, thereby diffusing their deleterious psychological impact on heart and mind. It is said that laughter is the music of the soul. No one ever embodied this concept more eloquently than my friend, Frank Mantooth. He was a true original.

-- Tim Cross






	Search our site:		Musicians Celebrate Frank Mantooth: In Their Own Words Nothing can adequately express the loss many felt when hearing the news that Frank Mantooth had passed away in Garden City, Kansas on January 30, 2004. An internationally known and respected composer, arranger, educator, pianist, and recording artist, he was also a friend, neighbor, husband, father, and fellow compatriot on the bandstand. In tribute, his life and legacy are celebrated in the words of some of the Kansas City musicians who knew him well. Gary Foster I worked a bit more each year with Frank and had exceptionally good moments making music with him. Our first extended outing was on the recording sessions for Kerry Strayer's Mentor CD, recorded in Kansas City a couple of years ago. In October 2003, along with Brent Jensen, Gerald Spaits, Rod Fleeman and Tommy Ruskin, Frank and I played for Jim Monroe's concert series in Topeka and Kansas City . Frank was in fine form. On October 6, Frank, Brent and I stopped at KANU radio [ Lawrence , KS ] to record a promo for the Topeka Jazz Festival. We performed in trio and duo settings for nearly an hour completely unrehearsed. When I heard the recording, one passage, in a duet with Frank, struck me as the kind of moment improvisers try for but for seldom achieve. I can tell, hearing the music, how comfortable I felt playing with Frank. It is very subjective, of course. I listened to it again on the evening of the day Frank died . . . and it is still there! Jazz musicians and educators everywhere knew and respected Frank. He was a fine individual. His work stands on its own and we are all better for having been part of his musical world. Todd Strait I met Frank through Bob Bowman but had known his name, played his charts, and was familiar with his music many years before. Anyone who has played in high school, college, or professional big bands has played something he wrote whether they remember or not! He was a great educator, teaching at countless summer jazz camps and also was a prolific composer of educational "combo packs," referred to as "Scam Packs" in ToothSpeak. His musical voice, whether on paper (charts) or playing the piano, was absolutely his own--totally unique and so much like his personality, full of wit, humor, and completely seamless. Besides all the hang time we had as a quartet, Tooth and I had a good amount of one-on-one time when he would stay with my wife, Louise, and I in KC. He and I would attempt to jog in the mornings, and talking with him around the track, and over coffee and doughnuts afterwards, were some of my favorite times with him. I got to know a very thoughtful, caring, side of him that was always there but just below the surface -- he was genuine in his love for his family and his loyalty to his friends, his honesty with himself. Tooth touched a lot of lives, we are lucky to have had him in ours. Stan Kessler He made everyone around him laugh and feel good about themselves, and was so easy to like . . . with that searing and creative wit. He was the consummate writer and arranger. And he was always self effacing, calling himself a "hack" piano player, which he was most definitely not! Paul McKee I was fortunate enough to work with Tooth in many types of situations: teaching at jazz camps, performing at festivals and participating on several of his recording projects. All were very rewarding and entertaining experiences. Often a week-long jazz camp can be a bit of a grueling experience -- lots of work and too little pay. Whenever Frank would be on the camp faculty (and believe me, Tooth did a LOT of camps in the summer) you could count on a fun week with lots of laughter and great music. Typically in an evening concert the host would introduce all the faculty members while they were on stage. Tooth would always have some spontaneous musical pun to accompany each intro -- a drummer who was notorious for dragging tempos might receive a few bars of "Anchors Away" or "Slow Boat To China," or a saxophone player who recently shaved his head and was looking particularly scary might elicit a bit of the "Halloween" movie theme. Tooth always had some sort of a musical comment ready which was always ac companied by his mischievous grin. Frank's recording projects were always major musical and social events. Most frequently players from all over (including KC, of course) would assemble in Chicago for what was always like a family reunion. You'd never know who was to walk in the door to contribute their skills -- Randy Brecker, Pete Christlieb, Pat Labarbra, Bobby Shew, Clark Terry, to name but a few. Frank always seemed to to know what and who he wanted on each chart, and the band was always first-rate. And finally, playing with Frank was always a treat. He was a soulful and articulate soloist and compassionate accompanist. Dave Glenn I first met Frank in Vienna in the late 1970's. He was then living with a friend of mine, Wayne Darling, and I was in the area so I went to visit Wayne . I'd already heard a lot about Frank from the drummer, Jack Mouse so I knew I'd be in for a good time. I came into Vienna by train from Frankfurt and Wayne and Frank met me at the station. It was my first time in Europe so I was quite excited and also a bit anxious, but Wayne and Frank put me immediately at ease by taking me to a great little restaurant-tavern. It was a memorable hang as was the rest of my visit. Years later Frank and I ended up at the University of Kansas Jazz Camp for a number of summers together. We would stay at the same motel and alternate between getting up early and jogging together and staying up late hanging in the bar. I especially remember the mornings though. While jogging we'd talk about all kinds of things . . . his incredible humor never failed to put things in the proper perspective. Frank was one of the funniest cats I've ever been around. He was also one of the most empathetic and wisest cats I've ever known. With one cryptic quip he could make everything so clear. We will all miss Frank Mantooth for a long, long time. Kerry Strayer Although Frank Mantooth was better known as an arranger and composer, he was also an exceptionally creative improviser and a world class jazz pianist. I feel fortunate to have been able to work with him, become friends with him and record with him. I first met him when we worked together at the annual Great Plains Jazz camp at Emporia State University . I remember one memorable spring evening when we were performing on the faculty concert with Bob Bowman, Todd Strait , and Gary Ziek, the camp director. Gary was playing "Body and Soul" on flugelhorn and was about half way through the bridge when the tornado sirens went off. We immediately stopped playing, and all the musicians and audience headed down to the basement of the building until the storm blew over. After a half an hour or so, the “all clear” was sounded and everybody filed backed upstairs into the hall to resume the concert. Once we got back on stage, we were standing there scratching our heads trying to think of what to play, and Frank said,”'Body and Soul -- bridge -- fifth bar!” Wayne Goins I felt very close to Frank. I've known him since the first year of my appointment at Kansas State University in 1998. I had the honor of penning an extensive interview with Frank for IAJE's Jazz Educator Journal in March of 2000, and it pleased me greatly to see how happy he was with the positive response we got when it was released. I also had the great fortune of having Frank come down to my first Central States Jazz Festival in 2001, whereupon we had a huge snow storm that shut KSU down for the first time in our school's history. But wouldn't you know it, Frank drove all through the night anyhow, calling me from his hotel room early that morning. I was amazed, and I met him for breakfast and we laughed about it. We did an “All-Mantooth” concert on November 19, 2001 , and all three of my ensembles played Frank's excellent charts, and he came down to conduct the concert and play piano as well. He did an absolutely fantastic job of arranging an original composition of mine called "Clair's Lair" for big band, and the chart made its debut to a rousing ovation. The three things I will remember most about Frank Mantooth were his incredible musicianship, his undeniable taste in humor, and, most importantly, his magnanimous concern and generosity toward all others. Frank Mantooth was an exceptional human being, and, sadly for us, we shall never again see that unique brand of genius. I will always be honored to have known him--he showed me just how great the capacity is for human kindness and the spirit of love. Kim Park He had the insightful ability to turn life's cognitive dissonances into ludicrous epithets, thereby diffusing their deleterious psychological impact on heart and mind. It is said that laughter is the music of the soul. No one ever embodied this concept more eloquently than my friend, Frank Mantooth. He was a true original. -- Tim Cross RETURN TO APRIL/MAY 2004 MAIN INDEX © Kansas City Jazz Ambassadors 1996-2004. All rights reserved.