User:Jazzbohemia/Dr. Alan Francis Jazz Musician and Scholar

Dr. Alan Francis, the scholar, received his Doctorate of Philosophy from Harvard University from the Department of Romance Languages and Literatures in 1976, as documented in the Harvard Directory published every ten years. Al Francis, the jazz musician playing vibes, recorded New Ideas with Don Ellis, Ron Carter, Jaki Byard and Charlie Persip in 1961 on Prestige Records, Prestige/New Jazz 8257, and has since been rereleased and  mastered by Fantasy Studios, Berkeley, 1990. Al was born in Niagara Falls, N.Y. in 1938, according to his registered birth certificate. He attended DeVeaux School for Boys and graduated in 1956 earning the title of Head Boy and awards in mathematics. He then attended Boston University School of Fine and Applied Arts to begin his percussion studies with Charles Smith, Principle Percussionist of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. His first professional gig was n Boston with the Al Vega trio, but shortly thereafter began to work and play with the renowned pianist, composer and arranger, Jaki Byard. They played 7 nights and 2 afternoons at places like the Savoy on the Hill and Wally`s Paradise on Mass. Ave., a stone's throw from Symphony Hall and his mentor, Chas. Smith who would eventually retire and have a chair named in his honor. Al moved back to Buffalo with his family in Niagara Falls to attend SUNY Buffalo where he would meet and study Spanish literature with Julio Rodríguez-Puértolas. He received a B.A, in Spanish and with a recommendation from JRP was awarded a scholarship to Harvard Graduate School where he would study with Raimundo Lida and write his dissertation which would later be published in Spain by Gredos, Picaresca, decadencia, historia. Una aproximación a una realidad histórica. Al of the above can be verified in any library catalogue or on the internet. Al has been a puzzle to many for his diverse interests and goals that range from founding a chapter of Youth Against War and Fascism in Boston to protest the Vietnam War and later to dedicate some 20 years to public education in minority school districts such as DOE/NYC from which he retired on April Fool`s Day, 2005. A scholar, a jazz musician, a concerned citizen that establishment sites like this one would like to ignore, but ce la vie, I, Nick diGrandis, can not put asunder and have set up a jazz bohemia on you tube and my space to get out some of Al`s creations. Al was resident jazz musician at Calvary Episcopal in Gramercy Park on Park Ave. So. where Bill Wilson founded AA. His book on the picaresque novel is on sale for from $300 to $500 on the internet. Asunder, a collection of poetry, was punlished by U.Mass/Boston. Dr. Francis is currently working on his analysis of the Upside Down School System and a Kerouac tainted fable of Love as a Beat Fantasy. Dr. Francis married María Miledys Tavarez on Columbus Day, 1991, and they have a daughter, Alaine Francis-Tavarez, a Barnard student (graduated 2015) who, like her father, has studied at the University of Barcelona. Al´s music can be seen or heard at youtube/jazzvibes 251 & myspace/jazzbohemia.