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Neighbors | Zack Shively .The Jim Frank Combo opened their show at Austintown Park on Aug. 16 with a fast tune full of solos. Pictured, from left, are Joe Commarata, Paul Jacobson, Bill Gonda and Jim Frank.
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Neighbors | Zack Shively .Two women danced while the Jim Frank Combo played a polka song at Austintown Park's Concert in the Park on Aug. 16.
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Neighbors | Zack Shively.The Jim Frank Combo jammed out a song with some Latin flair on Aug. 16 at Boardman Park's Concert in the Park. Pictured, from left, are Joe Commarata, Paul Jacobson and Bill Gonda.
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Neighbors | Zack Shively .The Austintown Park's Concert in the Park series featured the Jim Frank Combo on Aug. 16. Pictured, from left, are Joe Commarata, Paul Jacobson, Bill Gonda and Jim Frank.
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Neighbors | Zack Shively .Jim Frank played a solo during Austintown Park's Concert in the Park featuring the Jim Frank Combo on Aug. 15.
By ZACK SHIVELY zshively@vindy.com
The Jim Frank Combo played to an enthused crowd at Austintown Park on Aug. 16.
The show was a part of the Austintown Park’s Concert in the Park series. The concert took place at the Austintown Twp. Park Bandshell in front of the main parking lot of the park. The band derives its name from their accordion player, Jim Frank. The other members of the band are Paul Jacobson on the guitar, Bill Gonda on the drums and Joe Commarata on trumpet and extra percussion, such as maracas and tambourine.
The band opened the concert with a fast paced song filled with solos from Frank, Commarata and Jacobson. They decided to go slower on their second song, which was a ballad. For the third song, the band played a song with a Latin flair. Some women came up and danced later in the set when the band jammed out a polka tune. They also included George Gershwin’s “Summertime“ from his opera, “Porgy and Bess“ in their set.
People filled the hill in front of the stage in scattered groups. The further up the hill, the more disperse the groupings became. However, the audience stretched from near the concrete in front of the stage to the parking lot at the top of the hill. Jim Frank and his band could still be heard all the way to the pickleball courts in the park due to the shape of the bandshell. Some people chose to use the band as good background music for reading on the nice, breezy summer day. Others used the event for a good night out where they could talk and tap their foot to the beat.
The Concert in the Park series ran on Tuesdays through the summer in Austintown Park. The final concert happened on Aug. 22.
The Jim Frank Combo plays throughout the community, such as the Concert in the Park and three shows during the Brier Hill Festival.