Frank Solivan
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Frank Larry Solivan is an American mandolinist, recording artist, composer, and leader of the progressive bluegrass band Dirty Kitchen.


Biography


Early life

Solivan grew up near
Modesto, California Modesto ( ; ) is the county seat and largest city of Stanislaus County, California, United States. With a population of 218,069 according to 2022 United States Census Bureau, U.S. Census Bureau estimates, it is the List of cities and towns in Ca ...
. His grandmother on his father's side played mandolin and fiddle, and his father plays the banjo, guitar, bass, and mandolin. His mother's side of the family included classical violin and cello players. He fell in love with bluegrass music at an early age. Solivan formed his first band, Generation Gap in the late 1980s. They once opened for
Ralph Stanley Ralph Edmund Stanley (February 25, 1927 – June 23, 2016) was an American bluegrass artist, known for his distinctive singing and banjo playing. He began playing music in 1946, originally with his older brother Carter Stanley as part of The ...
at a California show. In 1995, at age 18, Solivan moved to Alaska where he sat first chair violin in the
University of Alaska The University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF or Alaska) is a public land-, sea-, and space-grant research university in College, Alaska, United States, a suburb of Fairbanks. It is the flagship campus of the University of Alaska system. UAF was e ...
's Symphony Orchestra. and played mandolin in his friend Ginger Boatwright's band. In 2002, Solivan recorded his first solo album ''I Am a Rambler'' when he temporarily moved to Nashville from Alaska to pursue musical goals. He was assisted by friends such as
David Grier David Grier is an American Steel-string guitar, acoustic guitarist. A three-time International Bluegrass Music Association, IBMA guitarist of the year, Grier has been lauded as highly influential and a master Flatpicking, flatpicker by music pub ...
,
Rob Ickes Rob Ickes (; born 1967) is an American dobro (resonator guitar) player in San Francisco, California. Ickes moved to Nashville in 1992 and joined the contemporary bluegrass band Blue Highway as a founding member in 1994. He currently collaborate ...
, and Shad Cobb.


Country Current

In 2003, Solivan auditioned and was offered the electric guitar position in the
U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest displacement, at 4.5 million tons in 2021. It has the world's largest aircraft ...
, service band Country Current. He played electric guitar in their country band and mandolin and fiddle in their bluegrass band for six years. In 2006, while in the Navy playing with Country Current, Solivan recorded and released a solo album ''Selfish Tears.''


Dirty Kitchen

After the Navy, Solivan decided to form his own band. Besides Solivan (mandolin), the current lineup of Dirty Kitchen includes Mike Munford (banjo), Chris Luquette (guitar), and Jeremy Middleton (bass). The band name is a reference to the gourmet meals Solivan prepares for friends and family (and the title of one of Solivan's instrumental songs). Frank Solivan and Dirty Kitchen have released four studio albums: ''Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen'' in 2010, ''On the Edge'' in 2013 (after signing with
Compass Records Compass Records is an American independent record label founded in 1995 by musicians Garry West and Alison Brown that specializes in folk, bluegrass, Celtic, jazz, and acoustic music. In 2006, Compass purchased the Green Linnet and Xenophil ...
), and ''Cold Spell'' in 2014. and ''If You Can't Stand the Heat'' (2019).


''Family, Friends & Heroes''

Solivan's third solo project ''Family, Friends & Heroes'' was released in 2016, and features members of Dirty Kitchen, family members, and
John Cowan John Cowan (born August 24, 1953) is an American progressive bluegrass vocalist and bass guitar player. He was the lead vocalist and bass player for the New Grass Revival. Cowan became the band's bassist in 1972 after the departure of original ...
, Shawn Camp,
Jerry Douglas Gerald Calvin Douglas (born May 28, 1956) is an American Dobro and lap steel guitar player and record producer. He is widely regarded as "perhaps the finest Dobro player in contemporary acoustic music, and certainly the most celebrated and prol ...
,
Sam Bush Charles Samuel Bush (born April 13, 1952) is an American mandolinist who is considered an originator of progressive bluegrass music. In 2020, he was inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame as a member of New Grass Revival. ...
,
Jim Hurst James Edward “Jim” Hurst is an American bluegrass and country guitarist. He is known primarily as an instrumentalist but has also been credited for vocals with numerous other artists as well as his solo career. Hurst has performed with mus ...
, Megan McCormick,
Rob Ickes Rob Ickes (; born 1967) is an American dobro (resonator guitar) player in San Francisco, California. Ickes moved to Nashville in 1992 and joined the contemporary bluegrass band Blue Highway as a founding member in 1994. He currently collaborate ...
, and
Del McCoury Delano Floyd McCoury (born February 1, 1939) is an American bluegrass musician. As leader of the Del McCoury Band, he plays guitar and sings lead vocals along with his two sons, Ronnie McCoury and Rob McCoury, who play mandolin and banjo resp ...
. On " Wayfaring Stranger," Solivan's mother Lorene (now deceased) sings lead vocals.


Other projects

Solivan has toured with The Earls of Leicester when Tim O'Brien had conflicting commitments. Solivan built his primary mandolin from scratch at a workshop under the tutelage of luthier Roger Siminoff.


Awards

In 2014, The album ''Cold Spell'' by Frank & Dirty Kitchen was nominated for a
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...
in the Bluegrass Album category. In 2013, Mike Munford was voted Banjo Player of the Year by the IBMA, and guitarist Chris Luquette received the Momentum Award for Performance Instrumentalist. In 2014 Dirty Kitchen received four IBMA award recognitions: * Frank Solivan was nominated for Male Vocalist of the Year and Mandolin Player of the Year * Mike Munford was nominated for Banjo Player of the Year * Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen won Instrumental Group of the Year award In 2016, Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen were again the IBMA Instrumental Group of the Year. In 2019, The album ''If You Can't Stand The Heat'' by Frank & Dirty Kitchen was nominated for a
Grammy award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...
in the Bluegrass Album category. Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen , Artist , www.grammy.com
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Discography


Solo albums

* 2002: ''I am a Rambler'' (Fiddlemon) as Frank Solivan II * 2006: ''Selfish Tears'' (Fiddlemon) as Frank Solivan II * 2016: ''Family, Friends & Heroes'' (
Compass A compass is a device that shows the cardinal directions used for navigation and geographic orientation. It commonly consists of a magnetized needle or other element, such as a compass card or compass rose, which can pivot to align itself with No ...
)


As a member of Frank Solivan and Dirty Kitchen

* 2010: ''Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen'' (Fiddlemon) * 2013: ''On The Edge'' (Compass) * 2014: ''Cold Spell'' (Compass) * 2019: ''If You Can't Stand the Heat'' (Compass)


Also appears on

* 2005:
Gordon_Titcomb Gordon Titcomb is an American multi-instrumentalist, studio musician and composer, Titcomb tours with Arlo Guthrie playing banjo, mandolin and pedal steel guitar. He has also toured and performed with Hank Williams Jr., Paul Simon, Judy Collins, Wi ...
Gordon_Titcomb Gordon Titcomb is an American multi-instrumentalist, studio musician and composer, Titcomb tours with Arlo Guthrie playing banjo, mandolin and pedal steel guitar. He has also toured and performed with Hank Williams Jr., Paul Simon, Judy Collins, Wi ...
Rising Son Records * 2007:
Bill Emerson Norvell William Emerson (January 1, 1938 – June 22, 1996) was an American politician. He served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Missouri from 1981 until his death from lung cancer in Bethesda, Maryland in 19 ...
- ''Bill Emerson and the Sweet Dixie Band'' (Rebel Records">Rebel A rebel is a participant in a rebellion. Rebel or rebels may also refer to: People * Rebel (given name) * Rebel (surname) * Patriot (American Revolution), during the American Revolution * American Southerners, as a form of self-identification; ...
) * 2014:
John Cowan John Cowan (born August 24, 1953) is an American progressive bluegrass vocalist and bass guitar player. He was the lead vocalist and bass player for the New Grass Revival. Cowan became the band's bassist in 1972 after the departure of original ...
- ''Sixty'' (Compass) - vocals on track 6, "Rising From The Ashes"


References


External links

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Solivan, Frank 1977 births American bluegrass musicians American bluegrass mandolinists Living people