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"
Qualifications and awards
Pahl was awarded the Master of Fine Arts degree in Art and Design from the University of Michigan Pahl was awarded the Kresge Art Fellowship in 2010.
Personal life
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
The Romantic Side of Schizophrenia- 1994
In Cahoots- 1997 (Vaccination Records) Remove The Cork 1998 (Demosaurus Records) Back from Beyond 2003 Song of War and Peace 2007
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 (Shaking Ray Records) My favorite improvising duo on this here planet, Dennis Palmer and Bob Stagner get together with some of their favorites (JD Parran, Davey Williams, Frank Pahl, Mary Richards & Steve Beresford). - 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 In Cahoots vol. 2- 2021 (Bandcamp) In Cahoots vol. 3- 2021 (Bandcamp) In Cahoots vol. 4- 2021 (Bandcamp) In Cahoots vol. 5- 2022 (Bandcamp) In Cahoots vol. 6- 2022 (Bandcamp) Music for Desserts - Frank Pahl and Klimperei (in poly sons - France) - 2001 Mayor Of The Tennessee River - David Greenberger & Shaking Ray Levis (PelPel Recordings) - 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 (Phonetic Records) Frank Pahl - Farfisa Organ, Siren, Euphonium, Engineer - 1998 Damned Pretty Snout - Only A Mother - 1998 Field Recordings - Immigrant Suns (Phonetic Records) Frank Pahl - Engineer, Alto Clarinet - 2001 Whistling for Leftovers- Scavenger Quartet - (Snowdonia - Italy) Scavenger Quartet (Doug Gourlay of Only a Mother, Tim Holmes of Major Dents, and Joel Peterson of Immigrant Suns and XHG) 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 Supernova - Immigrant Suns 2002 (Phonetic Records) Frank Pahl - Harmonium, Euphonium We Who Live On Land- Scavenger Quartet- 2004 (Acidsoxx Musiks) Hats - Scavenger Quartet - 2012 (Acidsoxx Musiks)