Jukes Of Jax

Fran's varied talents became known when he began playing on the linoleum at 6 months of age.  He began playing a half-size Upright Bass at age eleven.  While in High School, he studied privately with Frederick Zimmerman of the New York Philharmonic and Vincent Carano of the New Jersey Symphony.   Studies continued with classes at the Juilliard School until the Draft Board threatened to send him to Viet-Nam.  He was accepted into the US armed Forces School Of Music and so he joined the Navy and performed with a USN Unit band.  Fran has composed numerous educational Childrens' songs and is a creative arranger.  His vocal renditions are in the style of Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, and Micheal Buble'.   He is the designer and programmer of this website and is the creator of JUKES OF JAX and the Childrens Educational Group KIDZSTUFF.
Fran performed for 25 years with the Joe Fobert Trio and the George Lang Orchestra in the New York / New Jersey metropolitan area.  He has backed many famous touring acts and travelling Broadway shows as a freelance musician and was a "house" musician for the famous Perona Farms Resturant and Neil's New Yorker Dinner Theatres.

Since moving to Florida in 1993, he has performed with the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra, the Central Florida Symphony, the Coastal Symphony of Georgia, the First Coast Opera Society, The St. Augustine Choir and has toured with Canada's Ann Murray and Sandy Duncan of PeterPan fame. Other area groups he has performed with are Mid-Life Crisis, Klezmania, KidzStuff, The John Thomas Group, Close Enough For Jazz, and the Lamplighters 9-piece Big Band.