A Musician Who Knows No Limits -- Pianist Dehner Franks Soars Above His Peers As He Explores Styles

This is the pianist with the repertoire that never quits.

When Dehner Franks sits down at the keyboard, virtually anything can happen: classical, jazz, blues, country, pop, ragtime, opera, and original compositions.

All from memory. All effortlessly smooth, with a facility and a style that seems to cross every musical boundary - and a degree of sophistication that's miles above most of his peers.

Franks, who has appeared in jazz and other music festivals from Mount Hood to Ghana, can be heard plying his trade at the Sorrento Hotel four nights a week (Monday from 7 to 11 p.m. with singer Woody Woodhouse; Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays on solo keyboard), and on most Tuesdays at Gianni's Piccolo Italia Restaurant on Evergreen Way in Everett.

But jazz fans also might have heard portions of his 3,000-song repertoire over at the Centrum Jazz Festival in Port Townsend, or heard his many appearances on "Sandy Bradley's Potluck" over KUOW-FM, or his stint on KING-FM's "Live By George" with George Shangrow.

Not bad for a guy who didn't sit down at the piano until he was 15, and who had his first lesson at 19.

If there's much that's atypical about Dehner Franks, in some ways he might also be said to typify the changing face of music today. Steeped in the music of many traditions, he doesn't recognize the usual boundaries, and he doesn't close himself off from any forms of music.

He's a generalist who respects all the specifics. He's a musician with the talent to make any - or several - of his many dreams come true.

Born in Chicago in 1963, Franks was raised in Fort Smith, Ark., and grew up loving country and gospel music. There wasn't a piano at home, so he started out on the guitar and the drums. But when he finally did start the piano, it was love at first sound.

At 19, the same year as his first piano lesson, Franks placed third in a national competition held by the NAACP in Boston. By then, he had moved to the Portland area; a few years later, he moved to Seattle, where Franks continued to pursue his education. Along the way, he got married in 1988; Franks and his wife Anita have a 3-year-old son, DeAnthony, who is already "banging on the drums."

This year, Franks earned a double degree (bachelor of music/bachelor of arts) at the University of Washington. He is continuing to study classical piano with Seattle pianist Judith Cohen, artistic director of the Governor's Chamber Music Festival, because Franks wants to hone his classical technique for a forthcoming Middle East tour with singer Gretchen Hewitt.

"I don't take any credit for his talent; I feel privileged to work with him," Cohen says.

"He is amazing. So subtle, so sensitive in his touch. He hates making an ugly sound."

Generous, optimistic and gentle, Franks has a smile that illuminates his face, and he smiles often. When he performs, his obvious enjoyment of the music comes through, whether he's playing a fine concert grand or an inadequate upright piano.

"Dreams are free," Franks says, "so I dream as much as possible. I want to do everything: jazz, gospel festivals, classical concertos, solo recitals.

I also have several compositions in all kinds of styles. They're sitting on the shelf right now. I'm not going to just throw them out there; I'm waiting for the right opportunity."

While a lot of his compositions are in the contemporary jazz style, Franks says he also has written everything from classical etudes to Irish folk music ("I have a real love for Irish music, and I've written several jigs and airs").

Among his most meaningful recent performance experiences was last year's trip to Ghana for the pan-African Panafest, where he was featured in two televised programs. He learned the Ghanian "high life" style of music, which Franks likens to Bob Marley's reggae in its structure.

"It was wonderful to meet these kind, hard-working people," he says of the Ghanians. "I'll never forget them."

Upcoming performances include a Dec. 4 event with the Seattle Bach Choir, under the direction of Lou Magor; a Jan. 13, 1996, concert with the Seattle Symphony Orchestra in tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; the March tour of six countries with Gretchen Hewitt, and spring concerts for such organizations as the Everett Community Theater and the Columbia Boychoir.

"My whole thing," says the soft-spoken Franks, "is reaching people through music. The satisfaction I get is knowing I touched somebody else.

"If there's that one person sitting over in the corner who's isolated and not into the music, or who's feeling sad, I want to touch that one person. I want them to leave feeling full again."