Keith Frank Explained

Keith Frank
Birth Name:	Keith Frank
Origin:	Soileau, Louisiana
Instrument:	Accordion, vocals
Years Active:	1990–present
Label:	Lanor, Soulwood, Shanachie Records, Maison de Soul
Website:	www.keithfrank.com

Keith Frank 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). His brother Brad joined on drums, while his sister Jennifer played bass.^[5]

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. 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.

Since 2003, Frank records on Soulwood Records, which he owns and operates.

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.

Discography

Studio albums and EP with the Soileau Zydeco Band

• 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

• 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

• The Resurrection of the Creole Connection (2021) (Soulwood Records)

Solo recordings

• Follow the Leader (2012) (Soulwood Records)
• One Night At Cowboy's (2017) (Soulwood Records)

Notes and References

1. Bessman . Jim . Jan 20, 1996 . Maison de Soul artist Frank 'Movin' Up' to zydeco fame . . 108 . 3 . 9 . ProQuest Music Periodicals Database.
2. Web site: 2023-11-29 . HOME Keith Frank . 2024-02-18 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231129091759/https://keithfrank.com/ . 2023-11-29 .
3. Web site: Archived copy . 2008-05-14 . 2018-12-15 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181215121331/http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_action=doc . dead .
4. Book: Russell . Tony . Smith . Chris . . 2006 . . 978-0-140-51384-4. 202–203.
5. 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 . 10.4000/transatlantica.7586 . 1765-2766. free .