Frank was about six months from dying from his throat and esophageal cancer when he told me he'd like to do some 'final recording.' Every day we'd go to my little midi studio and jam with the tape rolling, although truthfully there were days when just putting his horn together was all the energy he could muster.

One night he told me "Tomorrow--be ready!" and he looked like he meant it. I ran to my studio and stayed up all night composing this loving tribute to Frank. When he showed up in the morning, I hadn't even slept. He put the headphones on and listened to my vocal tracks and laughed out loud, hugged me and said "let's go!"

What you hear from Frank on this recording is a one-take miracle. His chops weren't in the best shape, but his dancing and lyrical playing still blows me away.

10 years after the original recording, which featured a cheesy electric piano and drum machine part, I replaced those tracks with piano, acoustic drums and upright bass, then invited our mutual friends from Synanon, Bruce Gilbert and David Scott, to play saxophones...and this is how it all fit together.