Meet Singer and Top Entertainer! Frank Disalvo Let’s see what he is all about!
MIHM-Tell us a little bit about you, where are you from and what inspired you to pursue a career in the music industry.
FD-I was born in San Jose Ca in 1949. My Mom was huge music fan, and being Sicilian/Italian, Sinatra and Jesus were at the top of the list! Mom had me singing at 2-3 years old, of course to her music. She asked me at 6 what do you want to be when you grow up, I said “I want to be a singa” she said “like Sinatra!”
MIHM- Tell us about JWP, the Music Works of Art, the Guitars and the other custom music instruments.
FD-I was always interested in instruments since my Grandpa and Dad played them. When I saw the Beatles on Ed Sullivan, I knew I had to learn the guitar. I did and within 4 months I had a 5-piece band playing the hits of the day. When I became of age, I started playing in night clubs playing all styles, Then Jazz became my passion. From that point I always had a band. I have also been a luthier since 1966 when I made my first guitar in High school woodshop. Since then, I have made over 150 one of kind custom guitars. See my website disalvoguitars.com
MIHM-Tell us about your Frank Sinatra tribute.
FD-The Sinatra thing came about later (year 2000) when a great trombone player came to me and said we should start a swing band and ask me if I knew any Sinatra, I said “for sure”. Back to the roots! We did that for 10yrs. I then moved from No Cal to Palm Springs 2011 and my career exploded. I became “the FRANK at Frank’s Place” Soon I was known as the Sinatra guy in the desert and The Deserts Premier Entertainer.
MIHM- Please tell us about The Big Band, The Sundowners, The Palm Swing Band, The Sons of Italy and The Swing City II.
FD-I was very fortunate to have a 16-piece big band who performed every Sunday at Frank’s Place for 6 years.
I also developed many different shows for the valley, such as an Italian Ratpack show (the Sons of Italy) 50’s-60’s dance band (the Palm Swing Band), a Classic Country band (the Sundowners) and my 8-piece Show/Dance band Swing City II, doing more contemporary things like EWF, Chicago, BS&T, Frankie Valli, and hits from the 70’s.
MIHM-What projects are you working on now?
FD-My new show “The Sinatra Story” features a 7-piece orchestra, 20 songs with 20 stories, and 20 Great videos.
MIHM-Who have been your biggest mentors in your career?
FD-My influences in music were very diverse. First were the Beatles and top 40 of the day. Then someone gave me an album John Mayall with Eric Clapton.
This blew my mind so I learned every song and riff on that album which started me on my new journey of being a Blues Guitarist. I learned all the Blues Guys including B.B. King, and the one on steroids, Jimi Hendrix. I spent 10 minutes with Jimi in 1968 all by myself at The Winterland in with S.F. What a great memory. But my best memory was, I got to play guitar B.B. King at the Fairmont Hotel in 1969. I had met him 2 times before.
In the 70’s I was very fortunate the have studied Jazz Guitar for 8 years with the amazing Bud Dimock.
MIHM-If you could work with somebody you admire, celebrity, politician, musician, leader or anybody else who would it be and why?
FD-Folks always ask me if you could perform with anybody who would it be? I always say “Dean Martin would be a blast”
MIHM-Define what success means to you?
FD-Success to me is an ongoing thing. It’s progressing and redeveloping who you are and keeping your shows fresh and developing new ideas.
MIHM-How can people reach you? Do you have a website and social media?
FD-My website is frankdisalvo.com
