Another step ahead in the return of Rob Frayne

Rob Frayne, in action with his combo at jazz camp this summer

My guess is that it’s going to be sold out — by rights it should be — but if it’s not, make sure you get to GigSpace this coming Friday, Oct. 10, to catch Rob Frayne making a public return to playing the saxophone.
     There’s a great interview with Rob by the Citizen’s Peter Hum that tells the whole story, but suffice it to say that Rob has been mostly out of action as a sax player since the horrible auto accident in 2004 that threatened both life and livelihood.
     As those who have been around JazzWorks know, Rob has been relentlessly cheerful and optimistic all that time and has worked hard to regain his strength. Unable to play much saxophone, he continued as a mentor at jazz camp, launched upon some serious composing/arranging projects and did the odd casual gig on keyboards or electric bass. Friday night’s is a serious gig.
     Last summer at the JazzWorks jazz camp, he played a little bit of tenor in the faculty concert; this summer, he played a lot more than that. His rendition, with Dave Restivo, of Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen brought the house down.
     Rob would probably tell you that he’s still not the tenorman he was, but most tenormen around now aren’t either. He’s regained his sound and he never lost his creativity. Friday night he plays with Roddy Ellias on guitar and Alvaro de Minaya and Garry Elliott on percussion. The show starts at 7:30.

---