This latest release from Frogg Café, recorded over a two year period, is a musical adventure for those that want to explore new ideas and are not afraid of long pieces, new classical music or jazz.  Now if that hasn’t scared you off, great, because Frogg Café have an abundance of influences and are pure music pleasure to listen to.  Born out of a Zappa tribute band, these guys really can rock out along with playing at exquisitely high levels.  Besides the obvious nod to Frank Zappa (instrumentally as in Hot Rocks), I also hear Gentle Giant, jazz-rock fusion (Mahavishnu Orchestra and Return to Forever), Chicago (longer pieces from III), National Health, King Crimson (the current version), modern chamber orchestra, Miles Davis (Sketches of Spain period) and even Gershwin.  Holy cow, you might say, what is this guy on?  But the better question might be – what are THESE guys on?  The answer would be they are high on music, and that is what you get with this LP – 77 min of beautiful melodies, off-the-wall workouts, plenty of horns and winds mixed in with killer guitar, and lots of keyboards. 

Much like Gentle Giant, the members of New York’s Frogg Café play multiple instruments and do so abundantly.  And the members are: Bill Ayasse – violin, viola, mandolin, percussion, vocals; Frank Camiola – guitar, banjo, string bass; James Guarnieri – drums, glockenspiel, orchestral percussion; John Lieto – trombones; Nick Lieto – lead vocals, keyboards, trumpet, flugelhorn; and Andrew Sussman – bass, cello, acoustic guitar.  Numerous other musicians who contribute guitars, tambora, tabla, marimba, xylophone, flute, cello, clarinets and saxophones augment them.  In other words, be prepared for anything.  And before you think this might be just a wild and wooly jam fest, think again.  Bateless Edge moves between the above-mentioned influences with originality, structure and with thought provoking lyrics.  One track will be busy and heavy then another symphonic and heart-wrenching.  Here are some brief comments on the tracks:

“Terra Sancta” begins the album with a Middle Eastern vibe and Bill Ayasse is credited with a “Mahavishnu electric violin solo”, a la Jerry Goodman.  This is world music meets jazz-fusion and the track is dedicated to children who lost parents on 9/11 – very emotional stuff.  “Children in the classroom stare as teacher leads her down the hall”.  The bridge between east and west develops in this piece and still manages to rock out with the aforementioned violin and blazing guitar and marimba.

“Move Over, I’m Driving” features funky syncopation, Chicago-like horns, heavy bass lines and wicked interplay between violin and guitar.

“Pasta Fazeuhl”, dedicated to the spirit of Magma, probably the greatest RIO  (Rock in Opposition) band, is a killer track of huge solos in many keys and time signatures.  (If you say “Zeuhl” slowly and loudly, you’ll likely feel a vibration coming from deep down inside you – check out more about Magma!)  Some of this gets out there into modern jazz territory but manages to keep a rock underpinning and not lose focus. I hear Bartok in there somewhere too.

“Under Wuhu Son” is a 20 min, three-piece suite of incredible depth and beauty.  Lyrically about adoption of children from China and the families involved and those left behind, this piece starts with part one, In the Bright Light, a real rock symphonic ballad.  The second part, Left for Dead, rides along on a heavy rock riff with horns blazing in the background and then lets up for a time with a Zappa-styled Peaches in Regalia influenced section.  All the while the bass and percussion move in unison and will give your speakers a workout.  The final section, Brace Against the Fall, presents a more-or-less straight-ahead (for these guys anyway) rock song.  It develops into a cool trumpet serenade over a funky walking bass line – and then another killer guitar solo.

“From the Fence” is a gentler piece with intertwining horns, bass, guitars and keyboards with harmony vocals.  It is a strong workout, reminiscent of some of Steely Dan’s work mixed with Chicago and Blood Sweat and Tears.

The final track, “Belgian Boogie Board”, comes back to their avant-fire, and takes off!  According to the liner notes, this is a 28 page score written for at least 27 different instruments.  It is catchy, wild, busy, heavy – a huge sounding excursion into every style mentioned so far and a fitting way to end an extraordinary album.