Smooth Sensibilities

Behind the Music: Frankie Perez

While many musicians may devote their life solely to playing an instrument, some artists enjoy exploring nonmusical outlets to express other sides of their creative personalities. At 38, Puerto Rican saxophonist Jose Frankie Pérez has discovered acting-quite a departure from his regular touring gig with singer Ricky Martin's band.

"I just finished a musical here in Puerto Rico that involved a bit of acting," says Pérez. "Funny enough, the reviews in the paper and from my fellow actors on stage were very good, and now I'm actually toying with trying acting lessons."

Pérez feels music has always opened doors for him. This is only fitting since he doesn't come from a musical family, and says he never thought of becoming a musician until high school. And even then, he wanted to play the trombone.

"The music school didn't have any openings for trombonists," he recalls, "so I went back again the next year, but by then I'd changed my mind. My neighbor played sax, and I thought I'd try that instead. I really wanted to be a marine biologist, but as soon as I discovered music, I decided to go for it."

In typical Frankie Pérez fashion, once he set his mind to it, he gave it his all. "After I graduated high school, I went to Berklee College of Music in Boston," he continues. "I actually only applied to Berklee, nowhere else, because I knew that was where I wanted to be. Thank God I got accepted!"

Rather than focusing on performance, Pérez ended up studying jazz composition and arranging. "Since I was still fairly new to music when I got to Berklee, I wanted to learn how to write first, and concentrate on the playing afterwards," he says. "In retrospect, it was a good plan. I think the writing really helped my playing, especially when dealing with solos. I wouldn't say I'm a jazz player, but when I play a solo, I think like a composer and try to make it as organized as possible."

Pérez also gigged around Boston, but says his first big breaks came after he moved back to his native Puerto Rico in 1999. These days, after appearing on more than 20 albums with various Latin artists, he has established himself to the point where he can basically choose what he wants to play. "I freelance, play with bands when the occasion arises, and find I most enjoy playing with pop artists," he explains. "In Puerto Rico I was in a group fronted by singer Glenn Monroig, a great composer, songwriter, and incredible musician. That was pop, but very free, and I had opportunities to improvise and take chances."

Even though Pérez is most comfortable in smooth jazz and pop music, he feels it's vital to listen to many different kinds of music in order to cement his own style. "My biggest influences in both composition and playing are always changing," he says. "I try to listen to a lot of Brazilian and Spanish music, and jazz." His own writing is distinguished by strong melodies. "It's different from jazz, which is more determined by rhythms or chord changes. I try to write music that people can listen to easily, like down-tempo ballads. In my playing, I also listen to a lot of smooth jazz and straight-ahead jazz players, and I like to combine aspects of both. There are so many good artists out there doing great things."

The recent Ricky Martin touring opportunity came when he was freelancing in Los Angeles, working the late-night talk show circuit. "Ricky and I have the same managers," he explains. "They called me a few times to see if I was available, and I said yes, make me an offer I can't refuse and I'll go." Some time later, they called again when Martin was launching his Livin' la Vida Loca tour, and he agreed to go.

One of the things that made the tour so rewarding was that it allowed Pérez to explore. He says it involved some straight-ahead session playing, but also gave him chances to solo. "Not too much, though, because the sound is very pop-oriented," he adds. "Ricky's shows are always very high energy. I think I actually danced more than I played, to tell you the truth," he laughs. "But the musicians in this band are great, and they can play any style of music. We get to expand and try different things, and I'd like to see us do more of that. It's a great gig."

He says Yamaha's new custom saxophones have helped him explore because the instruments provide the sound he's been looking for. "I had them silver-plated, which gives me the bright sound I need. To me, sound is the most important aspect of playing. Sure, you might be able to play lots of notes, but if your sound is not good, who wants to listen to them?"

Pérez feels the Yamaha custom saxophones are great across-the-board horns, perfect for pop, salsa, and smooth jazz. "I've switched to the custom horns exclusively," he says. "They give me the freedom of playing any style of music." He also enjoys his role as a Yamaha Performing Artist and clinician. "I'm glad that I got the opportunity to sign on," he says. "Yamaha has always been amazing to work with because they are so open to trying new things."

Between tours with Ricky Martin, Pérez is also trying new things, and is constantly juggling projects. He has just recorded a live all-star Latin jazz reunion album, his first, and is busy putting the wrap on a solo project, tentatively called "Mío" ("Mine"). "If you have to label it, I guess you could call it smooth Latin jazz," he says. "It's commercial, but I tried to cover a lot of different styles, from straight-ahead Latin jazz to reggae and hip-hop ballads, all with a Latin flavor. I'm playing soprano sax, alto, tenor, and flute."

Pérez sees a rosy future for his own distinctive brand of smooth jazz, and for Latin artists in general. "Thankfully for us, record companies are opening their doors to a great many Latin jazz artists. We're really being noticed."

And then there is the acting. "I'd definitely like to do a lot more of that-and I've already been approached to do another musical," he says.

A Grammy might very well be in Frankie Pérez's future someday, but at this stage of the game it could just as easily be an Oscar.