The Franklin Brothers Turn The Social Into a Two-Night Steely Dan and ’70s Soul Showcase

The Franklin Brothers Turn The Social Into a Two-Night Steely Dan and ’70s Soul Showcase Friday and Saturday, Sept. 25–26, when the New London-based 10-piece brings its horns, harmonies, and deep catalog back to Bank Street for consecutive 7:30 p.m. performances.

This isn’t a stripped-down bar band squeezing Steely Dan songs into a corner.

The Franklin Brothers Band travels with keyboards, guitars, bass, drums, percussion, multiple vocalists, and a four-piece horn section, giving it the personnel needed to tackle music famous for being difficult to reproduce outside a recording studio.

And while Steely Dan has become the band’s calling card, it isn’t the whole show.

The Franklin Brothers mix those songs with ’70s soul and funk, contemporary material and their own original music, making the two-night stand considerably broader than a conventional tribute concert.

They Didn’t Set Out to Become a Steely Dan Band

Brothers Carl and Jay Franklin formed the Franklin Brothers Band in New London in 2013.

Jay handles keyboards and vocals, while Carl plays guitar and sings.

Initially, Steely Dan wasn’t the plan.

The brothers were writing and performing their own horn-driven material, drawing from jazz, soul, funk and sophisticated pop. But as Steely Dan songs began working their way into the repertoire, something became obvious.

Audiences wanted more of them.

Carl Franklin has explained that the band noticed more people came to shows when they advertised the Steely Dan material. Around 2017, Strange Brew Pub owner Jason Wallace suggested going further and devoting an entire night to it.

There was one problem.

They needed roughly seven more Steely Dan songs to fill out the set.

The musicians learned them, packed the room and discovered a direction for the band that has lasted ever since.

Today, the Franklin Brothers describe themselves as Southern New England’s premier Steely Dan tribute band, while deliberately maintaining the soul, funk, rock and original music that came before it.

Ten Musicians for Music That Demands Them

There’s a reason Steely Dan attracts musicians.

Donald Fagen and Walter Becker built records around unusually sophisticated chord changes, jazz-influenced harmonies and meticulous studio arrangements. Their albums became famous for assembling exceptional session players and demanding performances precise enough to survive Becker and Fagen’s notoriously exacting standards.

Reproducing that music live takes more than knowing the chords to Reelin’ in the Years.

The Franklin Brothers’ current lineup gives them considerable firepower.

Alongside Carl and Jay are Nichelle Rollins on lead and backing vocals, Kevin Carey on bass, Tom DeFaria on drums and Big Al Daniels on percussion.

Then comes the horn section: Dave Cafro on trumpet, Rob Funk on trombone, Gary Boigon on tenor and baritone saxophones and Mike King on alto saxophone.

That’s ten musicians.

It allows the band to dig much deeper into the Steely Dan catalog than the obvious radio songs.

Its repertoire includes Peg, Deacon Blues, Black Cow, My Old School, Aja, Home at Last, Josie, Dirty Work, Dr. Wu, Gaucho, Babylon Sisters, Green Earrings, Don’t Take Me Alive and The Caves of Altamira.

For Steely Dan listeners, that’s a set list that reaches well beyond greatest-hits territory.

Then the Band Leaves Steely Dan Behind

The other half of the Franklin Brothers identity may be even more revealing.

Their non-Steely repertoire includes music associated with Stevie Wonder, Tower of Power, Labelle, Dusty Springfield, Average White Band, The Beatles and B.B. King, among others.

Songs the band has performed include Lady Marmalade, Pick Up the Pieces, Son of a Preacher Man, Ain’t Nobody, What Is Hip?, Superstition, I Wish, Drive My Car and The Thrill Is Gone.

That explains the horns.

It also explains why the poster advertises “Steely Dan, ’70s Soul & More” rather than simply calling this a tribute show.

The connective tissue is groove.

The band’s own recordings follow the same philosophy.

The Franklin Brothers’ second album, Lifeboat to Nowhere, includes songs such as New London Blues, I’ve Been to the Waters, State Street Jam and She Won. Carl Franklin’s solo album Been a While even includes jazz guitarist John Scofield on Chain Reaction.

The New London connection isn’t decorative, either. It’s embedded in the music.

The Band Came Together Because of a Friend

There’s a more personal story behind the current version of the group.

Carl Franklin traces its real beginning to 2015 and a childhood friend named John Boyle, who was terminally ill.

Boyle wanted the brothers to assemble an exceptional band to play his wedding and gave them enough money to hire some of the area’s best musicians. They bought and wrote arrangements, brought together the larger lineup and began rehearsing.

Boyle never made it to the wedding.

Instead, the musicians performed at his celebration of life on the same date.

The group stayed together.

The horn players discovered they had a band capable of tackling music they’d long wanted to perform, the repertoire kept expanding, and eventually those Steely Dan arrangements helped turn the Franklin Brothers into one of southeastern Connecticut’s larger and more recognizable ensembles.

More than a decade later, they’re still playing together.

Two Nights Back Home in New London

For this weekend, the band doesn’t have to travel far.

The Social Bar + Kitchen sits at 208 Bank Street in downtown New London, and the venue has made the Franklin Brothers a full weekend booking rather than a single-night appearance.

The Social is promoting Friday as Night 1 and Saturday as Night 2, with music beginning at 7:30 p.m. both evenings. The band’s own schedule lists a $15 cover and says reservations are required for a table.

That last part is worth paying attention to.

A 10-piece band takes up considerably more room than the average trio or quartet, and this is music that attracts listeners who may actually want to sit down and hear the arrangements rather than simply encounter background music over dinner.

Two nights gives them another option.

If Friday fills up, there’s Saturday.

And if you’re the kind of Steely Dan fan who knows the difference between Peg and Dr. Wu, there may be an argument for both.

More information is available at the Event Website link below.

Details

Event: A Weekend With The Franklin Brothers
Dates: Friday, Sept. 25 and Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026
Time: 7:30 p.m. both nights
Venue: The Social Bar + Kitchen
Address: 208 Bank Street, New London, CT 06320
Admission: $15 cover
Reservations: Required for a table according to the band’s current schedule
Music: Steely Dan, ’70s soul, funk, rock, contemporary covers and originals
Band: 10-piece ensemble with vocals, keyboards, guitars, bass, drums, percussion and four-piece horn section
Phone: 860-442-6900

 

Featured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people, location, or activities shown.