Keith Frank (born 1972) is an American zydeco musician from Soileau, Louisiana, United States.[1] Frank started his band, The Soileau Zydeco Band, in 1990 and is active as of 2023.[2][3] He is the son of accordion player Preston Frank,[4] and got his start playing for his father's bands, called the Soileau Playboys (Arhoolie Records) or the Preston Frank Family Band (Lanor Records).[1] His brother Brad joined on drums, while his sister Jennifer played bass.[5]
Keith Frank | |
|---|---|
 Keith Frank and the Soileau Zydeco Band play the Bridge Crawfish Festival May 2007. | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Keith Frank |
| Born | 1972 (age 51–52) |
| Origin | Soileau, Louisiana |
| Instrument(s) | Accordion, vocals |
| Years active | 1990–present |
| Labels | Lanor, Soulwood, Shanachie Records, Maison de Soul |
| Website | www.keithfrank.com |
Frank and the Soileau Zydeco Band gained national interest with the release of their 1995 album, Movin' On Up, featuring a cover of the theme song from The Jeffersons.[1] Around this time, he also became associated with "new zydeco," due to his incorporation of a heavy bass drum and influences from R&B, hip hop, and reggae.[5]
Since 2003, Frank records on Soulwood Records, which he owns and operates.[5]
Frank has played at the Grassroots Festival in Ithaca, New York, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, and the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington, D.C.[1]
Discography
editStudio albums and EP with the Soileau Zydeco Band
edit- What's His Name? (1994) (Maison de Soul)
- Movin' On Up (1995) (Maison de Soul)
- Only the Strong Survive (1996) (Maison de Soul)
- You'd Be Surprised (1997) (Maison de Soul)
- On A Mission (1998) (Maison de Soul)
- Ready or Not (2000) (Shanachie)
- The Masked Band (2001)
- Keith Frank EP (2002) (Maison de Soul)
- The Zydeco Icon (2003) (Soulwood Records)
- Going to See Keith Frank (2005) (Soulwood Records)
- Undisputed (2007) (Soulwood Records)
- To Be Perfectly Frank (2007) (Soulwood Records)
- Loved.Feared.Respected (2008) (Soulwood Records)
- Return Of The King (2018) (Soulwood Records)
Live albums with the Soileau Zydeco Band
edit- Live At Slim's Y-Ki-Ki (1999) (Shanachie)
- Live At Slims Yi Ki Ki, Vol. II (2014) (Soulwood Records)
- Live from Mamou – Volume 1 (2020) (Soulwood Records)
with The Creole Connection
edit- The Resurrection of the Creole Connection (2021) (Soulwood Records)
Solo recordings
edit- Follow the Leader (2012) (Soulwood Records)
- One Night At Cowboy's (2017) (Soulwood Records)
References
edit- ^ a b c d Bessman, Jim (Jan 20, 1996). "Maison de Soul artist Frank 'Movin' Up' to zydeco fame". Billboard. Vol. 108, no. 3. p. 9 – via ProQuest Music Periodicals Database.
- ^ "HOME | Keith Frank". 2023-11-29. Archived from the original on 2023-11-29. Retrieved 2024-02-18.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2018-12-15. Retrieved 2008-05-14.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ Russell, Tony; Smith, Chris (2006). The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings. Penguin. pp. 202–203. ISBN 978-0-140-51384-4.
- ^ a b c Demars, Marie (2015-04-08). ""On A Mission": Preserving Creole Culture One Tweet at a Time. Keith Frank, Zydeco, and the Use of Social Media". Transatlantica (1). doi:10.4000/transatlantica.7586. ISSN 1765-2766.