Frank Strozier – What's Goin' On (SteepleChase, 1978)

Frank Strozier (as, fl); Danny Moore (tr); Harold Mabern (p); Stafford James (b); Louis Hayes (d)

Recorded on November 5, 1977

Frank Strozier one of the many jazzmen who came out Memphis, Tennessee.  On this LP, Strozier is joined by another Memphian, pianist Harold Mabern.  Strozier and Mabern are old friends, having played together in the band MJT+3 while both were living in Chicago.

For whatever reason, Strozier never achieved a high profile in the jazz world.  But he was an outstanding musician who could play burning lines on his alto.

I vividly recall the first time I heard Strozier on record, years ago.  It's on Woody Shaw's Little Red's Fantasy (Muse, 1978).  I wasn't familiar with Strozier, so reading his name on the cover made no impression -- until I heard the music.  As the sound of his alto came roaring through the speakers, I remember thinking, "Who is THAT?!?!"  ... I've been a Frank Strozier fan ever since.

More Frank Strozier

Strozier's other LP for SteepleChase, Remember Me (1977), is also outstanding.  Harold Mabern and fluegelhornist Danny Moore appear on both records.