Any person who’s hung around the Irish Channel or Garden District long enough has undoubtedly seen Frank Connell at one of the many bars in the area whether or not they know it. He’s the one whose sole transportation is a wheelchair pulled by a loyal dog named Leroy. It’s hard to miss.

What most people don’t know about Mr. Frank is that he’s played acoustic guitar and written his own songs for more than 30 years now. Before the release of Thirty Minutes with Mr. Frank, only his dog and a few of his close friends might have even known he owned a guitar.

In December Mr. Frank had a CD release party at the Big Top, where he played his first live solo performance. It is evident on the album that these lyrics have been waiting to emerge from him for a long time. They’re sincere sentiments about relationships, hardships and happiness. His acoustic country-folk style conveys his message in a way that only a lifetime of living out the vagrant themes of his album could produce. Mr. Frank finishes the disc with a spiritually driven piano instrumental, “Wind/Summer/Rain,” establishing him as a talented musician and a beautiful songwriter when he really puts his heart into it.