Posted on October 2, 2007

A Conversation with Trumpet Player,
Composer and Arranger, Frank Cano

By Tomas Peña

Bio: Frank Cano is a native of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. He studied music at California State University, Long Beach, and has shared the stage with Francisco Aguabella, Roberto Torres, Ralfi Pagan, Tony Orlando, Jose Feliciano, Luci and Dezi Arnaz Jr. and Culture Clash among others. Frank was also the Musical Director for 29th, 30th, and 31st Annual "Nosotros Golden Eagle Awards" in Beverly Hills. A Beautiful Day is Frank Cano’s first recording as a leader.

TP: Congratulations on a fine recording! After working with over 150 musical acts and diverse artists in the U.S. and abroad, what prompted you to step out on your own?

FC: Being a member of Francisco Aguabella’s Latin jazz band for the last three years has helped me to grow musically. Also, working with fantastic horn players like Benn Clatworthy (saxophone) and Andrew Lipman (trombone) gave me an idea of how I wanted my music to sound. Finally, trombone player Francisco Torres (of Poncho Sanchez fame) and I have been discussing the possibility of working on a project. The rest was a matter of getting the musicians together, scheduling the time and of course, having the money to follow through. I always knew that I would put a project together. I just didn’t know when it would happen.

TP: You are relatively new to the Los Angeles scene. Tell me about your beginnings and what drew you to the trumpet.

FC: When I was in grade school I joined the school band with a friend, he chose the drums and I gravitated towards the trumpet. Also, I went to school with Jose Hernandez who founded the famous “Mariachi Sol de Mexico.” He’s a very good trumpet player and all around musician who has the ability to play in any style: Mexican music, jazz, pop, etc. He has a brother who is a very good trumpet player and between the two they made me aware of how great the trumpet can sound. Our high school jazz band featured the famous trumpet player, “Cat” Anderson (he was famous for hitting the high-notes). During a rehearsal I approached him (even though I was very nervous) and we spoke about the trumpet and music. It was a very inspiring moment. Other trumpet players who have inspired me in the past and continue to inspire me are: Felix Chapotin, Claudio Roditi and Jerry Gonzalez.

TP: A Beautiful Day has received a great reception both here and abroad. Tell me about the making of the recording and the musicians you selected to accompany you on your journey.

FC: The making of A Beautiful Day was a great experience. Working on other people’s project is nice, but doing your own thing is exciting! The nucleus of my band is: Ramon Banda (timbales), Joey De Leon (conga drums), Jose “Papo” Rodriguez (percussion and bongo), Chris Barron (piano), Rene Camacho (bass), Javier Vergara (tenor sax), Franciso Torres (trombone/co-producer), Anthony Gil (alto sax), Danilo Lozano (flute), Melanie Jackson (vocals) Lalo Alfaro (lead vocal and coro) and of course, Francisco Aguabella, whom I am fortunate to have as a featured guest (on tracks 2 and 6). I must say, it was a very “loose” session. We had a lot of fun and everyone played their “tails” off!

TP: That definitely comes across … While searching the Internet, I came across a group bio for Latin Groove. Does the band still exist?

FC: Latin Groove is a band I formed about five years ago. At one time it consisted of ten people, however, I scaled it down to five or six players for financial reasons. We play jazz and salsa and have a great sound for a small group, if I do say so myself!

TP: What’s in the future for Frank Cano?

FC: I am presently writing material for another project and am trying to get a record deal on the strength of A Beautiful Day. Also, I am gigging around L.A. and pushing the CD. I have been blessed with support of DJ Jose Rizo, Helen Borgers, and the DJ’s at Kjazz, Hector Resendez of KPFK and people such as yourself, who have helped to spread the word. I believe it’s a fine CD by a fine group of musicians.

TP: Any other thoughts?

FC: I was speaking to my friend Luis Bonilla, a great trombone player about my project. He hit it right on the head when he said, “at the end of the day, being able to do what we do and have people buy our music and enjoy it is great, but the beauty of it is that we can leave our recordings behind for our family and friends to enjoy. This is our legacy for them to remember us by.” Hearing those words made me think of my six-year old daughter, Natalie and my nieces and nephews. The thought makes me happy.

TP: What better way to end our conversation than on a happy note? Incidentally, I haven’t stopped playing your CD since I received it! Please look me up when you visit “La Gran Manzana.” I know we will be hearing a lot from you in the future.

Interviewer’s note: You can purchase A Beautiful Day at: www.cdbaby.com

To know more about Frank Cano, visit his official website at www.frankcano.com