him an official member of Buckshot LeFonque. McComb later discovered that it was Steve McKeever who recommended him for the project. While with Buckshot LeFonque, McComb recorded and toured worldwide in support of two critically acclaimed albums: 1994's debut Buckshot LeFonque and the 1997 follow-up Music Evolution. This momentum led to a solo recording contract with Columbia Records. In summer of 1999, he began recording what would become his debut album Love Stories, released on March 14, 2000. The 14-track set produced by both McComb and Branford Marsalis was entirely self-penned with the exception of the bookending covers of the gospel staple "His Eye Is On The Sparrow," and the jazz standard "Some Other Time." Though the album was a solid effort and remains a fan favorite, its sales suffered from lack of support and record company politics. Eventually, McComb asked to be released from his contract. Going independent Once free, McComb, wary of his past experience with major record companies, signed next to the independent label Malibu Sessions in 2002. McComb states, "I felt that maybe I needed to be with an independent company, a smaller company that would be able to give more time and dedication to their artists." 2003 saw the release of Frank's first independent set, The Truth. The set was produced by Steve Harvey, producer of Donnie's widely lauded The Colored Section. The Truth also featured contributions from Billy Preston, Ledisi, and percussion master Paulinho Da Costa. Though the album was desperately sought after in America, it was only licensed for release through Expansion Records in England and Toy's Factory in Japan. The set was eventually made available stateside through iTunes in 2004. For his next release, McComb took the reins to deliver Straight From The Vault in 2005. The 12-track collection of both vocal and instrumental compositions was entirely self-written and self-produced. Moreover, the album was released through his own label Boobescoot Music, putting McComb in complete control of his recordings for the first time in his career. The move paid off, as the set won the SoulTracks Readers Choice Awards for Best Album (2005) Frustrated by fan reports that his early work at MoJazz was being sold for exorbitant amounts on the black market, McComb took steps to release the recordings himself. In 2006, Malibu/Expansion Records Sessions released what would have been McComb's MoJazz debut as The Truth, Volume 2. This set has