Spring Jazz Festival featuring:: Fran Curley Ensemble

Fran Curley, drums; Charlie Towkars, reeds; Ben Koan, piano; David Cristopolis, bass

Over the span of 30-plus years, Fran has played professionally in rock, funk, jazz, blues and wedding bands in Connecticut as well as in Berkshire and Hampshire Counties in Massachusetts.

He has studied with Buddy Rich, taskmaster James Tansley from Bridgeport University and Ed Soph (jazz legend Clark Terry’s drummer for many years). He currently studies with Bob Weiner, a former faculty member at Berklee College of Music who toured extensively with Harry Belafonte.

He has also performed percussion on premiers of a series of intergenerational works including Brothers and Sisters and Parents where he worked with world-renowned composer Neely Bruce (Chorus Master for the Connecticut Opera and Professor of Music at Wesleyan University) and Phyllis Bruce, co-author and Music Director at the South Church Music Program in Middletown, CT.