November 12-13, 2004

THE FRANK & JOE SHOW
featuring Frank Vignola and Joe Ascione

Imagine if you will The Frank & Joe Show, an irresistible melting pot of musical dialects so seamlessly integrated as to create its own language.  There’s gypsy swing crossed with breezy island grooves, the American high lonesome sound infused with modern jazz; classic pop standards filtered through acoustic roots improvisation – all the while propelled by delectable rhythms that would bring pause to 1970s’ Latin rock bands like Santana and War.  The songbook stretches from Cole Porter to a comic book hero’s theme song.  The Doobie Brothers to Hoagy Carmichael, Gilbert O’Sullivan to Mozart.  The sound has been coalescing every Sunday night at the New York City nightclub, Sweet Rhythm, and was captured in the studio by legendary record producer, Joel Dorn, for what is the group’s debut album, “33 1/3” which was released in May 2004.

The Frank & Joe Show is comprised of virtuoso guitarist Frank Vignola, master percussionist Joe Ascione, and their merry band of New York City music makers.  They’ve been steadily building a devout fan base in the city with admirers hanging on Vignola’s every turn of phrase and Ascione’s continually morphing rhythmic nuances.  They bring audiences to their feet with infectious rhythms like that of their signature song, “Mozart Jam” and “Tico, Tico”.  They put romance in the air with gorgeous renditions of standards including “Stardust” and “Besame Mucho” and lead spontaneous sing-a-longs on classic pop fare such as “Don’t Fence Me In”.

A world class guitar player, Frank Vignola was born and raised in Long Island NY.  Inspired by family, many of who were musicians, he was playing guitar by the age of six.  Working professionally by twelve, he began doubling on the banjo, for which he was crowned the Grand National Banjo Champion of Canada at thirteen years old.  From early on his influences were diverse, ranging from Django Reinhardt, Joe Pass and Les Paul to Jimi Hendrix, Eddie Van Halen and Bach, all sources from which he still draws to this day.  Over a 20-year career, he’s recorded as a leader for a variety of labels including Concord, Nagel-Heyer and David Grisman’s Acoustic Disc, while enjoying steady work as a sideman with the likes of Les Paul, Hank Jones and Mar O’Connor.

A dazzling polyrhythmic percussionist, Joe Ascione was born and raised in Brooklyn NY.  Also the product of a musical family, it was clear that the drums were in his future when he was keeping time on his mother’s pots and pans by the age of four.  Counting Gene Krupa, Jo Jones and Buddy Rich among his greatest influences (having served as a roadie for the latter in his teenage years), Ascione has toured the world and appeared on over 60 albums as a sideman.  In the process becoming one of the most in-demand drummers in the business.  As a leader, he’s recorded two critically acclaimed albums, “Post No Bills” and “My Buddy”.

Frank and Joe first met at a gig circa 1989 in Long Island.  They immediately struck a friendship and it was only a matter of weeks before Vignola invited Ascione to fill in for his regular drummer on an upcoming gig.  Awed by Ascione’s rhythmic prowess, it was only a few more weeks before Vignola dismissed his full time drummer and added Joe to the fold permanently.  The two have been working and touring together ever since.

KEN SMITH, rhythm guitar
RICH ZUKOR, percussion
CHARLES FERRUGGIA, percussion
GARY MAZZAROPPI, double bass