Since Frank Solivan left the cold climes of Alaska for the bluegrass hotbed of Washington, D.C., he’s built a reputation as a monster mandolinist — and has become a major festival attraction with his band, Dirty Kitchen. Solivan, with banjoist Mike Munford, 2013 IBMA Banjo Player of the Year, award-winning guitarist Chris Luquette and bassist Jeremy Middleton, simmer a bluegrass/newgrass stew from instrumental, vocal and songwriting skills so hot, they were named IBMA’s 2016 Instrumental Group of the Year.
On Jan. 25, Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen will release “You Can’t Stand The Heat” under Compass Records. The new 10-song collection, co-produced by Grammy-winning banjoist and Compass co-founder Alison Brown, offers a vibrant mix of songs, from the traditional “Lena” featuring the mid-Atlantic bluegrass vocals of Danny Paisley and Dudley Connell, to the neo-old timey Crooked Eye John, written by Cris Jacobs and featuring the inimitable fiddling of label mate Michael Cleveland, to the compelling lead-off track “Crave” co-written by Frank and Becky Buller and showcasing the guitar prowess of Chris Luquette.
The band also delivers a compelling rendition of Steely Dan’s “Rikki” featuring the lead vocals of Jeremy Middleton, the catchy “Be Sure” written by Frank Solivan and the red-hot instrumental “Crack of Noon” penned by banjoist Mike Munford.
To learn more about the band, visit Dirtykitchenband.com. Watch the band perform live at 8 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 25 at The Nelson Odeon, located at 4035 Nelson Road in Cazenovia. Advance tickets are $28.
