Dick Gaughan, Brian McNeil, Tony Rice, Peter Rowan, Gerald Trimble, Silly Wizard, The Bothy Band, The Battlefield Band, Christy Moore, Planxty, Roger Landes, Scartaglen, Manus Lunny, Donal Lunny, Tony Cuffe, Fairport Convention, Richard Thompson, The Carter Family, Norman Blake, Doc Watson, Jerry Douglas, Ralph Stanley, Sean Tyrell... and so, so many more.
Growing up in the midwest Frank is the product of a confluence of Irish, Scottish, English, and American Southern tradition. He was drawn early to the powerful storytelling traditions and intricate arrangements of American roots music and bluegrass. Stepping into Irish and Scottish traditional music, the musical forerunners of those American styles, was a natural progression. Now he brings the storytelling traditions together with historical background to paint nuanced, intimate panoramas of human experience with a matching soundtrack.
Between 1986 and 2004, Frank was a founding member of three Midwestern bands that forged a unique sound from a Celtic base and applied their myriad influences: Emerald Skye, Gabriel's Gate, and Cavan. Frank anchored each providing lead vocals, song research and arrangements, and masterful guitar and bouzouki accompaniment. Not confining themselves to just the Irish and Scottish genres, one could hear elements of Balkan, Scandanavian, Middle-Eastern, and European Classical traditions in their selections and arrangements. Each were favorites at festivals and concert settings through the Midwest and Southwest and known for their driving, wide-ranging, powerful arrangements of dance tunes and elegant arrangements of songs, featuring Frank’s vocals. Gabriel's Gate and Cavan also gave creative outlet to several composers, including Frank, who contributed many original songs and tunes to the repertoire.
Blessed with a voice of great richness and range, Frank is known for his deft vocal performances as well as his driving and creative work on bouzouki and guitar. Now transplanted to the Pacific Northwest, Frank performs both solo and in small ensembles bringing his formidable talents to bear on elegant settings of his favorites in the tradition as well as new, original work.
