The Michael Paul Band

Frank grew up in Connecticut and started playing music at the age of  7 on the accordion, the traditional instrument of his family’s heritage. Frank’s father, who was a band leader, was his biggest influence and Frank, following in his father’s footsteps, took up the trumpet after 8 years of playing the accordion. Frank played trumpet in his high school band which placed 2^nd in the concert competition of the annual Cherry Blossom Festival held in Washington D.C. in 1962.

Hearing a lot of  swing and boogie during his younger years gave him a feel for the bass and growing up in the age of rock and roll made it a natural crossover.

After a sabbatical from music during his early 20s he returned to music and took up the electric bass and within a year was playing rock and blues with local bands. His knowledge of music helped him learn fast but he soon became aware of his shortcomings and decided to audition for entrance to the Berklee College of Music in Boston. Frank quickly made friends with other musicians at the school and before long was playing in some of the top bands from New York to the northern New England ski resorts and in warm-up acts for nationally known bands.

In 1976 Frank migrated to California and soon took a position with a fledgling local music magazine  in the San Francisco Bay area called BAM Magazine. (BAM standing for Bay Area Music) Frank quickly got involved with the bay area music scene and sometimes with the help of  the magazine, was able to jam and play with many of the greats and near greats of the S. F. bay area.