Frank Pahl is a Michigan-based musician/composer, working in several styles including "toy pop", or music made with toys. He works primarily in Wyandotte and Ann Arbor, Michigan, and has exhibited his work in Canada, Europe and Japan, as well as the United States.
Musical Life
Pahl has worked in several groups, including Only a Mother, Sublime Wedge, Immigrant Suns and currently in Scavenger Quartet, a freeform musical group, and Little Bang Theory, a "toy" music trio. Frank has worked with other avant-garde musicians like Eugene Chadbourne and Fred Frith. He frequently collaborates with Professors Terry Saris and Peter Sparling Frank has built and exhibited a lot of "automatic instruments"
Pahl was born February 11, 1958, in Trenton, MI, and played euphonium in high school. Pahl grew up in Wyandotte and got turned onto music listening to FM radio in the 70s.
Discography
Solo
The Cowboy Disciple - Pahl's first solo release - 1991
Back from Beyond - toypop and various commissions for theater and dance - 2003
Scores
Loose Threads - Dance score commissioned by Terri Sarris as composer and dancer - 1995
Collaborations
Thunderclap - Live at the Den Haag Korzo Theatre Field Recordings 3 - Luc Houtkamp & Guests Frank Pahl - Engineer, Banjo - 1996
Boss Witch - Shaking Ray Levis My favorite improvising duo on this here planet, Dennis Palmer and Bob Stagner get together with some of their favorites. - 1997
In Cahoots - Pahl collaborates on separate tracks with: The Immigrant Suns, Eugene Chadbourne, Only a Mother, Shaking Ray Levis, Luc Houtkamp, David Greenberger, Missy Gibson, Brian Poole and more. - 1997
Music for Desserts - Frank Pahl and Klimperei - 2001
Mayor Of The Tennessee River - David Greenberger & Shaking Ray Levis - 2003
As a band member
Riding White Alligators - Only a Mother The first release by Only a Mother. -1987
The Romantic Warped - Only a Mother - 1989
Studio Animals - Only a Mother - 1990
Naked Songs For Contortionists - Only A Mother - 1991
Feral Chickens - Only A Mother - 1995
More Than Food - Immigrant Suns Frank Pahl - Farfisa Organ, Siren, Euphonium, Engineer - 1998
Damned Pretty Snout - Only A Mother - 1998
Field Recordings - Immigrant Suns Frank Pahl - Engineer, Alto Clarinet - 2001
Scavenger Quartet - Whistling for Leftovers Scavenger Quartet was originally formed to perform original jazz waltzes for the choreography of Peter Sparling. We got along so well we decided to call it a group. Dave Mandl of The Wire wrote "a chamber jazz hybrid that is much more intimate than Only a Mother but with an equally vast palette." And Ralph Valdez of WDET added "Future-rustic might be an apt description of the Scavenger sound which achieves a fusion that is simultaneously antiquated and avant garde." - 2001
Studio Animals - Various In the '80s I began releasing cassette-only compilations. This vinyl release was my foray into the big time. Contributors include Eugene Chadbourne, Only a Mother, Rascal Reporters, Major Dents and more. - 1989
Passed Normal Vol.5 - Various Artists - Frank & Major Dents contribute one track to this ever-eclectic collection series assembled by FOT Records. It started out as a cassette only collection, mutated to vinyl, and now on CD. - 1992
Lyrics By Ernest Noyes Brookings - Various Artists - 1992
LSD C&W, Pt.2 - Eugene Chadbourne w/Frank Pahl & Only A Mother - 1992
The Nerve Events - Various Artists w/Dr Nerve - 1993
Lyrics By Ernest Noyes Brookings II - Various Artists - 1995
Unsettled Scores - Various Artists - 1995
I Still Feel Like Myself - David Greenberger with special guests How's this for a lineup: Only a Mother, Eugene Chadbourne, Davey Williams, Billy Tipton Memorial Saxophone Quartet, Tatsu Aoki and David and I. All previously unreleased material. - 1995
Eyesore: A Stab At The Residents - Various Artists - Tribute to the Residents - 1996
Misique Du Jouet - Various Artists Including Frank Pahl, Klimperei, Pascal Camelade, David Fenech, Itoken, Harpy & more. Japanese toypop label Novel Cell Poem releases a bunch of previously unreleased tracks in a beautiful package with informative book insert. - 2003
