Groove Podcast: Alex Frank on Jazz Bass, Film Composition, and Working with Jeff Goldblum

There’s something quietly brilliant about Alex Frank. Maybe it’s his ability to make a bass line feel cinematic without ever getting in the way. Maybe it’s his rare balance of humility and mastery. Or maybe it’s the way he’s managed to build a career that bridges jazz, film and pop… all without losing the soul of the instrument.

In this conversation, Alex takes us through that journey, from his early exposure to the sounds of Los Angeles – a city he’s made both muse and stage – to playing alongside icons like Jeff Goldblum, Michael Bublé, and Diana Krall.

We sat down with Alex when he was in Montreal this past summer as the bass player and musical director for Jeff Goldblum & The Mildred Snitzer Orchestra (yes… Jeff Goldblum the famed actor from Jurassic Park, Independence Day, Wicked and countless other Hollywood blockbusters) – one of the many highlight of the legendary Festival International De Jazz De Montreal.

What stands out is his sense of reverence: for the bass, for the groove, for the musicians who shaped his ears. He speaks about learning the art of listening… not just to notes, but to the emotional intention behind them, and how that has become his compass as both performer and composer.

We talk about his work in film and television, how storytelling informs his playing, and what it means to find honesty in the smallest musical choices. There’s also a thread of mentorship here… his reflections on being part of the next generation of players carrying forward the tradition of upright bass in modern jazz and beyond.

For Alex, it’s not about speed or showmanship, but sound – that warm, breathing tone that moves air and hearts in equal measure. Alex is an artist who understands that bass isn’t just rhythm, it’s resonance. It’s the invisible architecture of feeling. And in his bass playing, Alex invites us to sit inside that sound and remember what music can still make us feel.

Enjoy the conversation…