Frank Wellington Wess (January 4, 1922 – October 30, 2013) was an American jazz saxophonist and flautist.

He began with classical music and played in Oklahoma. He later switched to jazz on moving to Washington, D. C. and by nineteen was working in the Big Bands. His career was interrupted during World War II although he did play with a military band in the period. After being demobbed, he joined Billy Eckstine's orchestra. He returned to Washington DC a few years afterwards and received a degree in flute at the city's Modern School Of Music. From 1953 he joined Count Basie's band, playing flute and tenor sax. He reverted to alto sax in the late '50s, and left Basie's band in 1964. From 1959 to 1964 he won Down Beat's critic poll for flute. He was a member of Clark Terry's big band from 1967 into the '70s and played in the New York Jazz Quartet (with Roland Hanna). He also did a variety of work for TV. In 1968 Wess contributed to the landmark album The Jazz Composer's Orchestra.

In the '80s and '90s, he worked with Kenny Barron, Rufus Reid, Buck Clayton, Benny Carter, Billy Taylor, Harry Edison, Mel Tormé, Ernestine Anderson, Louie Bellson, John Pizzarelli, Howard Alden, Dick Hyman, Jane Jarvis, Frank Vignola and was a featured member of the Toshiko Akiyoshi Jazz Orchestra. In the 2000s, Wess released two albums with Hank Jones. In 2007 Wess was named an NEA Jazz Master by the U.S. National Endowment for the Arts. Frank Wess died from kidney failure on October 30, 2013.

Discography

• Jazz for Playboys (Savoy, 1957)
• Wheelin' & Dealin' (Prestige, 1957)
• Opus De Blues (Savoy, 1959)
• The Frank Wess Quartet (Moodsville, 1960)
• Southern Comfort (Prestige, 1962)
• Yo Ho! Poor You, Little Me (Prestige, 1963)
• Wess to Memphis (1970)
• Flute of the Loom (1973)
• Two for the Blues (1983)
• Entre Nous (1990) (Concord Jazz)
• Going Wess (1993)
• Tryin' To Make My Blues Turn Green (Concord, 1994)
• Hank and Frank (2002)
• Hank and Frank II (2009)

With Toshiko Akiyoshi

• Carnegie Hall Concert

With Gene Ammons

• Velvet Soul (Prestige, 1960 [1964])
• Angel Eyes (Prestige, 1960 [1965])

With Dorothy Ashby

• The Jazz Harpist (Regent, 1957)
• In a Minor Groove (New Jazz, 1958)
• Hip Harp (Prestige, 1958)

With Count Basie

• One O'Clock Jump (1957)
• E=MC² (1957)
• April in Paris (1957)
• Ella and Basie! (1963)
• First Time! The Count Meets the Duke (1961)(With the orchestras of Count Basie and Duke Ellington)

With Bobby Hutcherson

• Conception: The Gift of Love (Columbia, 1979)

With Milt Jackson

• Meet Milt Jackson (Savoy, 1955)
• Opus de Jazz (Savoy, 1955)
• Bags & Flutes (Atlantic, 1957)

With Elvin Jones

• Elvin! (Riverside, 1961–62)
• And Then Again (Atlantic, 1965)
• Time Capsule (Vanguard, 1977)

With Thad Jones

• Olio (Prestige, 1957)
• After Hours (Prestige, 1957)

With Yusef Lateef

• Part of the Search (Atlantic, 1973)

With Arif Mardin

• Journey (Atlantic, 1974)

With Oliver Nelson

• The Spirit of '67 with Pee Wee Russell (Impulse!, 1967)

With Chico O'Farrill

• Nine Flags (Impulse!, 1966)

With Houston Person

• Sweet Buns & Barbeque (Prestige, 1972)

With Woody Shaw

• Rosewood (Columbia, 1977)

With Zoot Sims

• Passion Flower: Zoot Sims Plays Duke Ellington (1979)

With Melvin Sparks

• Akilah! (Prestige, 1972)

With Leon Spencer

• Where I'm Coming From (Prestige, 1973)

With Billy Taylor

• Billy Taylor with Four Flutes (Riverside, 1959)
• Kwamina (Mercury, 1961)