Jeffrey James Franca started his musical trajectory playing guitar, taking lessons around the age of five. He found himself invested in playing music, although he didn’t realize how invested at the time.
Joining his band program in elementary school, he started playing the snare drum. Playing a drum set from his uncle, he completely embraced the instrument, finding the transition from guitar to snare natural.
He studied with jazz pedagogists at Indiana University Bloomington, and at the age of 20, he found himself in Los Angeles, California. There, he performed with producers, film score composers, and other musicians in the area.
He then settled in Washington, D.C., where he says he performed “eight nights a week,” playing with African, jazz, reggae, and funk bands, among many other groups. He’s played with Bill Kreutzmann of The Grateful Dead in his group Billy and the Kids, and since 2011, he has been the drummer and musical director for the group Thievery Corporation.
Since joining the group, Thievery Corporation has been his primary focus as a drummer. It’s been a long time since he led a band, but especially for the 2025 Nederland Jazz and Wine Festival, he has assembled a band dubbed The Shape of Jazz.
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