Frank started playing sax in the 4th grade and played all through high school. After one year in college in a pre-law program, he decided there were enough attorneys in the world but not enough sax players, so he switched schools to the University of Bridgeport (CT) and switched his major to music.
During college he played in the UB Jazz Ensemble, which at the time was well known locally and a killer band. He supported himself by playing in various and sundry local funk and soul bands. After graduating he got a gig with The Coasters who were doing a 50's revival act with Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, and The Angels. He played in the Coasters back up band for about 6 months but got tired of riding in a bus and quit. For the next 3 years Frank played in various show bands traveling throughout the U.S.
He got married, had a beautiful daughter, and continued playing full time in local Connecticut bands. Eventually he got a day job and still played part time, but by 1988 he had put the horn down.
Frank moved to Tucson in 1996 and brought his dusty saxophones with him. In 2008 he decided to start practicing again (hell, it'd only been 20 years). Getting back to sax after an extended layoff was a long painful process, and he's still workin' at it. Frank played in a couple of local Tucson bands before wandering in to a Birdz rehearsal in late 2009.
His musical preference is Soul/R&B/Funk/Jazz but BC is letting him learn how to play the blooze with the Birdz, and it's all just music anyway. His favorite sax players are John Coltrane, Lenny Pickett, Sonny Rollins, and Joe Henderson.
Frank Arciuolo
Move your mouse over the picture above and turn back the clock to 1987. More hair, darker glasses, but the same horn.
