The storied influencer of generations of songwriters

By Ken Capobianco

ichael Franks fans haven’t heard new music from the beloved veteran singer-songwriter in a while. When he released his delightful The Music in My Head in 2018, face masks were strictly for doctors and superheroes, and Billie Eilish was too young to vote.

In the interim, Franks, a master miniaturist and jazz innovator, has quietly been living his best life and adjusting to the postpandemic world as he charts his next musical step. With 18 albums under his belt over a career spanning more than five decades, Franks’ legacy is secure, so there’s no real urgency for him to add a new chapter to his storied songbook.

“At this point in our lives, my wife, Claudia, and I are perilously close to being reclusive. And let’s just say, the last five years have been a bit disorienting, which has made it difficult for me to write,” the genial and refreshingly honest resident of Woodstock, New York, said recently via phone in an extended interview from his home.

“I wrote through the pandemic, but I found it pretty hard to finish anything. I realized I write from a happy place, and it was hard to be happy and imagine the people who have kept me employed all these years being happy either. Luckily, I’m at a place financially where I don’t have to worry. I tried to take care of the people I worked with because they weren’t doing anything, but it’s been an unusual time.”

Franks, who is scheduled to perform at the San Diego Smooth Jazz Festival on June 24, expects to put out new music next year, but he’s not under any pressure.

“When I started there were deadlines. Warner Brothers in the ’70s was like ‘OK, we need a record every year,’ and it pushed me. And then, in the ’80s, it became one every two years, and then they came slower and slower, and now just slow. I’m on my own schedule.”

He added that as he’s gotten older, his circle has gotten smaller, and life has become more solitary, inspiration for lyrics has been much more elusive.

“The frequency with which I write and record music should tell you that it’s difficult for me to find inspiration for lyrics,” he said with a big laugh.

Since his very first album, The Art of Tea (1976), Franks has found a way to creatively blend Brazilian and world musical influences with traditional jazz and classic pop songcraft for brilliantly conceived, finely observed music that has influenced generations of songwriters. He’s best known for his idiosyncratic, lyrical approach that picks up on the quotidian, often mundane details of life and the mysterious cues of romance. The self-taught musician has used his comparative literature degree from UCLA to slyly reference great literature in his complex, frequently whimsical, lyrics that are emotionally true, insightful and playful all at the same time.

“I never know where the songs come from,” he maintained. “I can be inspired by a wind chime. The title song from my last record, The Music in My Head, was really just descriptive of my house—the flora and fauna where I live. I have a very happy life. I’m in love with my wife so that makes it easy, and songs come from that.”

He added that his environs of Woodstock in upstate New York can be a source for a song. “It’s so beautiful and quiet. We moved here in 1979 and have lived in three different places, but the area has always been inspiring. Even in winter, which we haven’t had much of one this year—it’s hard to deny climate change, considering the lack of snow and cold—but it’s so great here in every season, and I’m so grateful. There’s wonder in everything. You can find it in the small things if you look hard enough.”

Franks, who will be heading back to his hometown for the San Diego Smooth Jazz Festival, said he rarely returns anymore except for shows. But he holds onto fond memories of his days long past gone.

“It’s amazing going back there because it’s so different now,” he said. “I lived in San Diego, [California], until I went to college at UCLA [1966], so that’s the last time I was actually there, other than to visit my aunts and grandmother.

“Now, I just have cousins there, and they are older than me. But the high school I went to—a Catholic boys high school—is not around anymore. It’s hard for me to find my way around because it’s so different and smaller. My family lived in La Jolla and Del Mar and Solana Beach, but what a great place to live,” Franks enthused.

“We were in different places because my father was a contractor and built homes on spec and often had a hard time selling them, continued on page 22 continued from page 21 so we moved a lot. I got used to it. Throughout my career, I’ve always gotten great gigs there and love playing the jazz festival. It’s great and welcoming.”

For decades, Franks and his wife have devoted their energies to various animal rescue efforts, which is an important component of their lives. They support Hearts United for Animals, PETA and their local ASPCA.

At 78, Franks’ road-warrior days are in the rearview mirror, but he still plays festivals and select shows to reach his fans and keep the live music spirit alive in his heart.

“We have about 10 dates this year, and that’s just right for me. I, of course, used to go out on the road on the tour bus. It was a lot of fun, and I met so many great people. I used to UPS my clothes back home,” he laughed. “I’m definitely not in that place now and don’t really miss it.”

His live band will include stellar players, bassist Dave Egan and drummer Danny Gottlieb, both of whom played with Franks during the prime of his career.

“I met those guys back in ’76,” Franks reminisced. “My band was on a bill in Miami, [Florida], with Pat Metheny’s group—they were with Pat at the time. I’ve always liked them, and after Pat changed personnel in his band, I picked them up for mine, and we did a couple of tours of Europe and the States together. They are such great musicians, and we work well together.”

A substantial part of the singer-songwriter’s income over the years has come from hip-hop sampling. His music has been sampled by various artists for decades now, appearing in songs from Snoop Dogg, Murs, Little Brother, Faith Evans and Lecrae, among many other artists.

While Franks rarely listens to contemporary pop, he enjoys hearing how his music is integrated into other songs and meeting the musicians inspired by his work.

“I meet a lot of young African American musicians, and I can’t believe they listen to what I do, but they are so polite. The funny thing is they used to say their parents listened to me, but now they say their grandparents listen to my music,” he chuckled. “But the great thing is I have contact with all these inventive artists.”

He has begun work on a podcast in collaboration with jazz vocalist Veronica Nunn, who has been singing with Franks for many years. The nascent podcast will focus on the artist’s experiences in the music industry, and it will build on the in-progress memoir he hopes to complete.

“I’d been writing a kind of a memoir because I’ve met so many great players and musicians,” Franks explained. “I have a lot of stories from the road, and I thought I better write this stuff down before I forget it all. I started from the beginning and only got to 1977, so I don’t know how far I’ll get. The podcast with Veronica will explore a lot of those stories. The first one we’ve done so far is on working with Joe Sample. It’s enjoyable—we’ll see where we go from here.”

While Franks has cut back on his musical activities in recent years, he and his wife continue to devote their energies to various animal rescue efforts. This has quietly been an important component of his life for decades.

“My wife and I grew up in families where you adopt a pet from a shelter, and that was a nice history to have. I moved from LA to New York years ago, and we lived in Queens before moving here,” he said. “When I met her, she had two dogs and two cats. As those companions passed away, we wanted to get more dogs and cats, and my wife got involved with the local ASPCA [American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals].

“We also got involved with a shelter in Nebraska, of all places, that rescues dogs from puppy mills all over the country.

“They have a network of pilots. And, if you adopt a dog, the pilots will fly the dog to a place near you where you can pick the dog up. We’ve adopted two dogs from them in the past year and five or six overall. I donated all the royalties from my Christmas record to them. It’s called Hearts United for Animals [HUA.org]. We support the local ASPCA, and we were one of the first members of PETA [People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals] years ago. It’s important for us.”

Looking back, Franks believes the most important advice he’d give a young musician would be basic. “You should have heroes and emulate the people you admire. I was born in 1944 and listened to a lot of big-band music from my parents. The most hip thing they had in their record collection was the Nat King Cole trio. I heard a lot of standards, which are still fabulous.

“There’s greatness in them, and the great songwriters really influenced me. I’m not sure the idea of emulating great artists applies anymore, though. I don’t know, but it seems a lot of young musicians just want to be stars and don’t focus on the art. I was lucky to do what I do and make a living. It still feels kind of miraculous.”

Franks is scheduled to perform at the San Diego Smooth Jazz Festival on June 24, at The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park, Embarcadero Marina Park South, 222 Marina Park Way, San Diego, California. For tickets and information, visit www.sandiegosmoothjazzfestival.com. For more information on Franks, visit www.michaelfranks.com.