Rock On, Counsel
By day, Frank Blackstone (right) runs Blackstone Counsel, where he serves as outside General Counsel to around 25 tech companies and professional services firms. What you might not know about the lawyer of almost 30 years is that he's been playing the piano since age 7, including professionally in Chicago and DC while working for IBM, attending GW Law, and working for EDS. Here he's with friend and jazz guitarist Peter White at Blues Alley—the spot where Grammy-winning composer and pianist Ramsey Lewis helped Frank propose to his wife.
Attorney and drummer Alex Levay, left, and Frank started their DC band out of GWU Law's Law Revue with FERC's Len Tao as guitarist and lead singer, playing gigs around the city in the '80s and '90s. Frank tells us he's played or sat in with musicians including Muddy Waters, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Eddie Clearwater, Lionel Hampton, Big Time Sarah, and Vaughn Halyard. Now he's passing it on to the next generation, teaching his younger son to improvise on the piano and doing duets together at some of his son's recitals.
