John Frizzell American composer Country: USA

1. Biography of John Frizzell
2. Meeting with Joe Pass
3. Collaboration with James Newton Howard
4. Solo Performances and Teaching

Biography of John Frizzell

John Frizzell is an American composer known for his work on various film soundtracks. He was born in New York and began his music career at a young age, singing in choirs such as the "Paris Opera Company" and the "Metropolitan Opera Company". As a teenager, he played guitar in rock bands before shifting his focus to jazz. This newfound passion led him to study at the School of Music at the University of Southern California and later at the Manhattan School of Music.

Meeting with Joe Pass

During his time at college, Frizzell crossed paths with Joe Pass, a master guitarist who became his mentor. It was Pass who helped Frizzell realize his calling as a composer. After completing his studies, Frizzell began working for producer Michael Mainieri, the owner of "Synclavier," the first electronic music studio. There, Frizzell honed his skills on the synthesizer, which later proved useful in his collaboration with Oscar-winning composer Ryuichi Sakamoto on the miniseries "Wild Palms" by Oliver Stone.

Collaboration with James Newton Howard

Frizzell eventually moved to Los Angeles, where he met James Newton Howard, and they collaborated on the soundtracks for the films "Rich Man's Wife" and "Dante's Peak" (both released in 1996). He continued to write successful film scores, experimenting with music production technologies. Frizzell incorporates computer effects and electronic music alongside recordings of classical orchestras to create the ideal melodies for his films.

Solo Performances and Teaching

Another characteristic of Frizzell's work is his love for solo performances in soundtracks. He has featured jazz melodies performed by the likes of Jack Sheldon, virtuoso violinist Mark O'Connor, and Sean and Sara Watkins from the Grammy-winning group "Nickel Creek." Additionally, aside from his composing career, Frizzell teaches at the USC Thornton School of Music, works at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and serves as the Honorary President of the International Conference on Film Music in Ubeda, Spain. He recently upgraded the music software "Logic Pro" by Apple, making it more user-friendly.