Written by Jennie Dawes

This month's B.O.R.N. recipient is Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen 

 

Frank Solivan is anything but your typical outstanding bluegrass musician.  The California native, who started playing music when he was very young under instruction of his talented parents, was the second chair cello in the California All-State Honor Orchestra, and during his years in Alaska, held the post of first chair violin for the University of Alaska Symphony.   But he continued playing bluegrass, and the young Frank even enjoyed a stint touring with bluegrass great Doug Dillard – a testament to Frank’s versatile and accomplished musicianship.  He came back East when he joined Country Current, the outstanding country and bluegrass band of the U.S. Navy.   Somewhere in there he also had time to self-produce two albums, “I Am A Rambler,” released in 2002, and “Selfish Tears” in 2006.

 

Now living and working in Virginia outside of Washington, DC, Frank and his band, Dirty Kitchen, have a touring schedule that would make any campaign trail look like a vacation.   Their 2010 self-titled release, “Frank Solivan and Dirty Kitchen,” serves up a hearty helping of originals by Solivan and several collaborators and one golden nugget from the Stanley Brothers.   A few tracks feature special guests like John Cowan and Rob Ikes who join band members Frank  on vocals, mandolin, guitar, and fiddle; Mike Munford on banjo; Danny Booth on bass; and the newest and youngest member of the band, guitarist Chris Luquette. 

 

From traditional tunes to contemporary original bluegrass, Frank and his band mates treat audiences to high energy shows coast to coast.   To boot, Frank is an outstanding cook.  All just a few reasons why Frank Solivan and Dirty Kitchen are this month’s Band On Rise Nationally. 

 

National Bluegrass looks forward to catching up with Frank soon to find out the secret ingredient to the band’s success, but in the meantime we hope you’ll enjoy some video from the band’s Anchorage show: