Joel Frahm

Joel Frahm (born 1970^{[note 1]}) is an American jazz saxophonist.

Joel Frahm
Frahm in 2013
Background information
Born	Racine, Wisconsin, U.S.
Genres	Jazz Neo-bop avant-garde jazz
Occupation	Musician
Instrument	Saxophone
Years active	1988–present

Early life

Frahm was born in Racine, Wisconsin, in 1970.^{[1][note 2]} He attended the Stephen Bull Fine Arts School, where he began playing the tenor saxophone.^[1] At the age of 15 he and his family moved to West Hartford, Connecticut, where he attended William H. Hall High School.^[1] He met pianist Brad Mehldau at school, and the two had weekly gigs locally.^[1] "After leaving high school in 1988, Frahm attended Rutgers University for a year before transferring to The Manhattan School of Music, and following graduation with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Jazz Performance he entered Betty Carter's Jazz Ahead workshop."^[1]

Frahm lists saxophonists John Coltrane, Stan Getz and Chris Potter as influences.^[2]

Later life and career

His debut recording as a leader was Sorry, No Decaf, for Palmetto Records, in 1998.^[3] A 2001 recording, Don't Explain, was a series of duets with Mehldau.^[3]

Discography

As leader/co-leader

• Sorry, No Decaf (Palmetto, 1998)
• The Navigator (Palmetto, 2000)
• Don't Explain (Palmetto, 2001)
• We Used to Dance (Anzic, 2005)
• With Bruce Katz, Project A. (Anzic, 2009)
• Caminhos Cruzados (Venus, 2010)
• Live at Smalls (Smallslive, 2011)
• With Pavel Wlosok Trio, Czechmate (New Port Line, 2013)
• With Johannes Mössinger, New by Two (Unit, 2017)

As sideman

With Omer Avital

• Live at Smalls (2010)
• New Song (2014)

With Brad Mehldau

• Finding Gabriel (Nonesuch, 2019)
• Jacob's Ladder (Nonesuch, 2020–2021)

With Adi Meyerson

• Where We Stand (Independent, 2018)^[4]

As invited soloist

With Sant Andreu Jazz Band, Barcelona

• Jazzing 6 Vol. 1+2, Temps (2016))^[5][6]