Frank Tusa: key obituary facts
Is Frank Tusa dead? Yes. Frank Tusa died on July 26, 2026, at age 79.
Cause of death: Frank Tusa's cause of death has not been publicly confirmed.
What was Frank Tusa known for?
He was an American musician.
More about Frank Tusa
Born: 1 April 1947.
Place of birth: New York City.
Gender: male.
Occupation: music educator, jazz musician, composer, musician.
Nationality: United States.
Frank Tusa, an American bassist and composer, died on July 26, 2026, aged 79.
Born in New York City on April 1, 1947, he became known as a jazz double-bassist, composer and educator. Tusa began on guitar before switching to bass at age 79, later working in a Broadway pit orchestra and performing while serving in the Army.
In the early 1970s, he played with Paul Bley, Horacee Arnold and the Open Sky trio with Dave Liebman and Rakalam Bob Moses, and he also performed with Dave Holland, Collin Walcott and Dom Um Romão. He relocated to San Francisco in 1980 and taught at San Jose State University and Stanford University.