Fred Frith
Fred Frith performing at the Moers Jazz Festival, June 1998. The Moers Festival (now officially named mœrs festival) is an international jazz festival in Moers Germany happening yearly every Whitsun. (© Alexander Kurz)
Background information
Birth name	Fred Frith
Born	February 17, 1949 (1949-02-17) (age 59) Heathfield, Sussex, England
Genre(s)	Avant-progressive rock, Experimental, Free improvisation, Contemporary classical
Occupation(s)	Musician, Composer, Professor of Composition
Instrument(s)	Guitar, Violin, Bass guitar, Keyboards, Percussion
Years active	1968 – present
Label(s)	Caroline, Ralph, RecRec, Recommended, Fred, Tzadik, Winter & Winter
Associated acts	Henry Cow, Art Bears, Massacre, Skeleton Crew, Keep the Dog, Chris Cutler, John Zorn
Website	www.fredfrith.com

Fred Frith (born February 17, 1949) is an English multi-instrumentalist, composer and improvisor. Events 1500 - Battle of Hemmingstedt. 1600 - Philosopher Giordano Bruno is burned alive at Campo de' Fiori Year 1949 ( MCMXLIX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Heathfield is a small market town and the principal settlement in the Civil parish of Heathfield and Waldron in the Wealden District of East Sussex is a historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other Avant-progressive rock is a style of Music based on rock music that explores unconventional territory often incorporating non-standard Chord progressions Experimental music is a term introduced by composer John Cage in 1955 Free improvisation or free music is improvised music without any rules beyond the taste or inclination of the musician(s involved in many cases the musicians make Contemporary classical music can be understood as belonging to a period that started in the mid-1970s with the retreat of modernism. A musician is a person who plays or writes Music. Musicians can be classified by their roles in creating or performing music An instrumentalist plays a A composer (literally meaning 'one who puts together' is a person who creates Music, usually in the medium of notation, for Interpretation and Performance The meaning of the word professor ( Latin: professor, person who professes to be an expert in some art or science teacher of highest rank) varies A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified for the purpose of making Music. The guitar is a Musical instrument with ancient roots that is used in a wide variety of musical styles The violin is a bowed String instrument with four strings usually tuned in Perfect fifths It is the smallest and highest-pitched member The electric bass guitar (also called electric bass, or simply bass; ˈbeɪs as in "base" is a Stringed instrument played primarily with the A keyboard instrument is any musical instrument played using a Musical keyboard. In the Music industry, a record label can be a Brand and a Trademark associated with the Marketing of music recordings and Music Caroline Records started out as a subsidiary of Richard Branson 's Virgin Records label during the early to mid 1970s Ralph Records was The Residents ' original Record label, the name coming from the somewhat colorful phrase "calling Ralph on the porcelain telephone RecRec Music was a Swiss Independent record label created in 1983 by Daniel Waldner. Recommended Records ( RēR) is a British Independent record label and distribution network founded by Chris Cutler in March 1978 Fred Records is a British Independent record label created in 2002 by English Guitarist, Composer and improvisor Tzadik Records is a Record label based in New York City specialising in Avant-garde and Experimental music. Winter & Winter is a Munich -based Record label that specializes in Jazz and Improvised music. Henry Cow were an English Avant-garde rock group, founded at Cambridge University in 1968 by multi-instrumentalists Fred Art Bears were an English Avant-garde rock group formed during the disassembly of Henry Cow in 1978 by three of its members Massacre was an improvising and Experimental rock band from New York City, formed in 1980 by guitarist Fred Frith, bassist Bill Laswell Keep the Dog was a United States -based Experimental rock touring band from New York City formed in 1989 by English Multi-instrumentalist Chris Cutler (born January 4, 1947) is an English percussionist composer lyricist and music theorist John Zorn (born September 2 1953 in Queens, New York City) is an American Avant-garde Composer, arranger, Record Events 1500 - Battle of Hemmingstedt. 1600 - Philosopher Giordano Bruno is burned alive at Campo de' Fiori Year 1949 ( MCMXLIX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland A multi-instrumentalist is a Musician who plays a number of different instruments The Bachelor of Music degree usually requires a second instrument A composer (literally meaning 'one who puts together' is a person who creates Music, usually in the medium of notation, for Interpretation and Performance Improvisation (also called extemporization) is the practice of acting singing talking and reacting of making and creating in the moment and in response to the stimulus of

Probably best-known for his guitar work, Frith first came to attention as one of the founding members of the English avant-garde rock group Henry Cow. The guitar is a Musical instrument with ancient roots that is used in a wide variety of musical styles Avant-garde (avɑ̃gaʁd in French) means "advance guard" or "vanguard Rock music is a genre of Popular music often though not necessarily employing Electric guitar, Bass guitar, and Drums. A musical ensemble is a group of two or more Musicians who perform instrumental or vocal Music. Henry Cow were an English Avant-garde rock group, founded at Cambridge University in 1968 by multi-instrumentalists Fred Frith was also a member of Art Bears, Massacre and Skeleton Crew. Art Bears were an English Avant-garde rock group formed during the disassembly of Henry Cow in 1978 by three of its members Massacre was an improvising and Experimental rock band from New York City, formed in 1980 by guitarist Fred Frith, bassist Bill Laswell He has collaborated with a number of prominent musicians, including Robert Wyatt, Brian Eno, Lars Hollmer, The Residents, Lol Coxhill, John Zorn, Bill Laswell, Derek Bailey, Iva Bittová and Bob Ostertag. Robert Wyatt (born Robert Wyatt-Ellidge, 28 January 1945 in Bristol) is an English Musician, and founding member of the influential Brian Peter George St John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno (born 15 May 1948 commonly known as Brian Eno (ˈiːnoʊ is an English Musician, producer Lars Gustav Gabriel Hollmer (born 1948 is a Swedish Accordionist, Keyboardist and Composer whose work draws on influences ranging from The Residents is an American Avant-garde music and Visual arts collective who have created over sixty albums created numerous musical short films Lowen Coxhill, generally known as Lol Coxhill (born September 19, 1932, in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England) is a free John Zorn (born September 2 1953 in Queens, New York City) is an American Avant-garde Composer, arranger, Record Bill Laswell (born February 12, 1955 in Salem Derek Bailey ( January 29, 1930 – December 25, 2005) was an English avant-garde Guitarist and leading figure in the Iva Bittová (born July 22, 1958) is a Czech Avant-garde violinist singer and composer of Romani ethnicity Robert "Bob" Ostertag (born April 19 1957 in Albuquerque New Mexico, United States is an experimental Audio artist based in San Francisco He has also composed several long works, including Traffic Continues (1996, performed 1998 by Frith and Ensemble Modern) and Freedom in Fragments (1993, performed 1999 by Rova Saxophone Quartet). Ensemble Modern is a chamber ensemble dedicated to the music of modern composers Freedom in Fragments is a Studio album by English Guitarist, Composer and improvisor Fred Frith. The Rova Saxophone Quartet is a San Francisco -based Saxophone quartet formed in October 1977 at the same time as their "less adventurous" but better known

Frith is the subject of Nicolas Humbert and Werner Penzel's award-winning 1990 documentary film Step Across the Border. Step Across the Border is a 1990 Avant-garde Documentary film on English Guitarist, Composer and improviser He has contributed to a number of music publications, including New Musical Express and Trouser Press, and has conducted improvising workshops across the world. The New Musical Express (better known as the NME) is a Popular music Magazine in the United Kingdom which has been A trouser press is an Electrical appliance used to smooth the Wrinkles from a pair of Trousers ( pants in Australia, Frith's career spans over three decades and he appears on over 400 albums. He still performs actively throughout the world. ^[1]

Currently Frith is Professor of Composition in the Music Department at Mills College in Oakland, California. Mills College is an independent liberal arts women's college founded in 1852 that offers Oakland (ˈoʊklənd founded in 1852 is the eighth-largest city in the U He lives in the United States with his wife, German photographer Heike Liss and their children, Finn Liss (b. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. August 22, 1991) and Lucia Liss (b. January 8, 1994).

Frith was awarded the 2008 Demetrio Stratos Prize for his career achievements in experimental music. The prize was established in 2006 in honour of experimental vocalist Demetrio Stratos who died in 1979. Efstratios Demetriou ( Alexandria, April 22, 1945 – New York, June 13, 1979) better known as Demetrio Stratos ^[2]

Frith is the brother of Simon Frith, a well-known music critic and sociologist, and Chris Frith, a psychologist working at University College London. Simon Frith is a former rock Critic and a Sociologist who specializes in Popular music culture A music critic is someone who reviews Music (including printed music performances and recorded music and publishes writing on them in books or journals (or on the internet Sociology (from Latin: socius "companion" and the suffix -ology "the study of" from Greek λόγος lógos "knowledge" Professor Chris Frith FRS FBA (born March 16, 1942, United Kingdom -) is an Emeritus Professor at the Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging Mental health professional A psychologist is a practitioner of Psychology, the systematic investigation of the mind including Behavior, Cognition, University College London ( UCL) is a multi-faculty university institution based in the United Kingdom and a constituent college of the University of London

Contents 1 Biography 1.1 Henry Cow 1.2 Guitar Solos 1.3 Post Henry Cow 1.4 New York 1.5 Other projects 2 Equipment 3 Step Across the Border 4 Fred Records 5 Compositions 6 Discography 7 Films 8 Footnotes 9 External links

Biography

Frith was born in Heathfield in Sussex, England into a family where music was considered an essential part of life. Heathfield is a small market town and the principal settlement in the Civil parish of Heathfield and Waldron in the Wealden District of East Sussex is a historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland He started violin lessons at the age of five and became a member of his school orchestra. But at 13 he switched to guitar after watching a group imitating a popular instrumental band at the time, The Shadows. The Shadows are an English instrumental and vocal Rock and roll group active from the 1950s to the 2000s He decided to learn how to play guitar and get into a band. Frith taught himself guitar from a book of guitar chords and soon found himself in a school group called The Chaperones, playing Shadows and Beatles covers. A guitar chord is a chord, a collection of tones usually sounded together at once played on a Guitar, a type of chromatically fretted String The Beatles were a pop and rock band from Liverpool, England formed in 1960 A cover band (or covers band) is a band that plays mostly or exclusively cover songs. But when Frith started hearing blues music from the likes of Snooks Eaglin and Alexis Korner it changed his whole approach to the guitar, and by the time he was 15, The Chaperones had become a blues band. The Blues is a vocal and instrumental form of Music based on the use of the Blue notes It emerged as an accessible form of self-expression Snooks Eaglin (born Fird Eaglin Jr, January 21 1936, New Orleans, Louisiana) is a Guitarist and Singer Alexis Korner (19 April 1928 – 1 January 1984 born Alexis Andrew Nicholas Koerner, was a pioneering Blues Musician and broadcaster who has sometimes Frith's first public performances were in 1967 in folk clubs in the North of England, where he sung and played traditional and blues songs. A Folk club is a regular event permanent venue or section of a venue devoted to Folk music and Traditional music.

Besides the blues, Frith started listening to any music that had guitar in it, including folk, classical, ragtime and flamenco. Folk music can have a number of different meanings including Traditional music: The original meaning of the term "folk music" was synonymous Classical music is a broad term that usually refers to mainstream music produced in or rooted in the traditions of Western liturgical and Secular music Ragtime (alternately spelled Rag-time) is an American musical genre which enjoyed its peak popularity between 1897 and 1918 Flamenco is a Spanish term that refers both to a musical genre known for its intricate rapid passages and a dance genre characterized by its audible footwork He also listened to Indian, Japanese and Balinese music and was particularly drawn to East European music after a Yugoslav school friend taught him folk tunes from his home. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Bali is an Indonesian Island located at, the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands, lying between Java to the west and Lombok to Eastern Europe is a general term that refers to the Geopolitical region encompassing the easternmost part of the European continent. Yugoslavs ( Bosnian: Jugosloveni/Jugoslaveni; Macedonian and Serbian: Југословени Jugosloveni; Croatian Frith went to Cambridge University in 1968 where his musical horizons were expanded further by the philosophies of John Cage and Frank Zappa's manipulation of rock music. The University of Cambridge (often Cambridge University) located in Cambridge, England, is the second-oldest university in the Philosophy is the study of general problems concerning matters such as existence knowledge truth beauty justice validity mind and language WikipediaWikiProject Composers#Lead section --> John Milton Cage Jr Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21 1940 – December 4 1993 was an American Composer, Electric guitarist Record producer and Film director Rock music is a genre of Popular music often though not necessarily employing Electric guitar, Bass guitar, and Drums. Frith graduated from Cambridge with a BA (English Literature) in 1970, and an MA (English Literature) in 1974, but the real significance of Cambridge for him was that that was where the seminal avant-garde rock group Henry Cow were formed. The term English literature refers to Literature written in the English language, including literature composed in English by Writers not necessarily from A Master of Arts ( Latin: Magister Artium) is a Postgraduate academic Master's degree awarded by universities in a large Avant-garde (avɑ̃gaʁd in French) means "advance guard" or "vanguard Rock music is a genre of Popular music often though not necessarily employing Electric guitar, Bass guitar, and Drums. A musical ensemble is a group of two or more Musicians who perform instrumental or vocal Music. Henry Cow were an English Avant-garde rock group, founded at Cambridge University in 1968 by multi-instrumentalists Fred

Henry Cow

Main article: Henry Cow

Frith met Tim Hodgkinson, a fellow student, in a blues club at Cambridge University in 1968. Henry Cow were an English Avant-garde rock group, founded at Cambridge University in 1968 by multi-instrumentalists Fred Tim Hodgkinson (born 1 May 1949) is an English Experimental music Composer and performer principally on reeds and "We’d never met before, and he had an alto sax, and I had my violin, and we just improvised this ghastly screaming noise for about half an hour. " ^[3] But something clicked and recognizing their mutual open-minded approach to music, Frith and Hodgkinson formed a band there and then. They called it Henry Cow and they remained with the band until its demise in 1978.

Frith composed a number of the band's notable pieces, including "Nirvana for Mice" and "Ruins". While guitar was his principal instrument, he also played violin (drawing on his classical training), bass guitar, piano and xylophone. Over its ten years Henry Cow released six albums, toured Europe extensively and produced a body of music that was challenging, provocative and influential for years to come. The music also challenged the capabilities of the musicians themselves, forcing them to learn new techniques and play their instruments in ways never done before. Frith relished these opportunities to explore and experiment, and began pushing his guitar to the limit.

Guitar Solos

Main article: Guitar Solos (album)

After Henry Cow's first album, Frith released Guitar Solos in 1974, his first solo album and a glimpse at what he had been doing with his guitar. Guitar Solos is a 1974 Solo album by English Guitarist, Composer and improvisor Fred Frith. Guitar Solos is a 1974 Solo album by English Guitarist, Composer and improvisor Fred Frith. The album comprised eight tracks of unaccompanied and improvised music played on prepared guitars. Musical Improvisation is the creative activity of immediate Musical composition, which combines performance with communication of emotions and instrumental A prepared guitar is a Guitar which has had its Timbre altered by placing various objects on or between the instrument's strings including other Extended It was recorded in four days at the Kaleidophon Studios in London without any overdubbing. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Overdubbing (the process of making an overdub, or overdubs is a technique used by Recording studios to add a supplementary recorded sound to a previously recorded

When it was released, Guitar Solos was considered a landmark album ^[4] because of its innovative and experimental approach to guitar playing. The January 1983 edition of Down Beat magazine remarked that Guitar Solos ". Down Beat is an American Magazine devoted to "jazz blues and beyond" to indicate its expansion beyond the jazz realm which it covered exclusively . . must have stunned listeners of the day. Even today that album stands up as uniquely innovative and undeniably daring. " ^[5] It also attracted the attention of some "mainstream" musicians, including Brian Eno, resulting in Frith playing guitar on two of Eno's albums, Before and after Science (1977) and Music for Films (1978). Brian Peter George St John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno (born 15 May 1948 commonly known as Brian Eno (ˈiːnoʊ is an English Musician, producer Before and after Science is a 1977 album by Brian Eno. It is less experimental than its predecessor Another Green World, containing eight Music for Films (1978 is one of Brian Eno's ambient albums It is a Conceptual work intended as a soundtrack for imaginary films

In the mid-1970s, Frith contributed a series of articles to British weekly music magazine, New Musical Express entitled "Great Rock Solos of our Time". The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The New Musical Express (better known as the NME) is a Popular music Magazine in the United Kingdom which has been In them he analysed prominent rock guitarists of the day and their contribution to the development of the rock guitar, including Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton. A guitarist is a Musician who plays the Guitar. Guitarists may perform solo pieces or play with ensembles and bands of a wide variety of genres James Marshall Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix) (November 27 1942 – September 18 1970 was an American Guitarist, Singer and Songwriter Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE (born 30 March 1945 is an English Blues-rock Guitarist, singer Songwriter and Composer

Post Henry Cow

While recording Henry Cow's last album, differences emerged between the group members over the album's content. Frith and Chris Cutler favoured song-oriented material, while Hodgkinson and Lindsay Cooper wanted purely instrumental compositions. Chris Cutler (born January 4, 1947) is an English percussionist composer lyricist and music theorist Lindsay Cooper (born 3 March 1951) is an English Bassoon and Oboe player Composer and Political activist As a compromise, Frith and Cutler agreed, early in 1978, to release the songs already created on their own album, Hopes and Fears, under the name Art Bears (with Dagmar Krause). Hopes and Fears is the first Album by English Avant-garde rock group Art Bears. Art Bears were an English Avant-garde rock group formed during the disassembly of Henry Cow in 1978 by three of its members Dagmar Krause (born 4 June 1950) is a German singer best known for her work with Avant-garde rock groups like The instrumental material was recorded by Henry Cow on Western Culture later that year, after which the band split. Western Culture is an album by British Avant-garde rock group Henry Cow, recorded at Sunrise Studios in Kirchberg The Art Bears trio continued purely as a studio group until 1981, releasing two more albums, Winter Songs in 1979 and The World as It Is Today in 1981. Winter Songs is the second Album by English Avant-garde rock group Art Bears. The World as It Is Today is the third and last Album by English Avant-garde rock group Art Bears.

During this time Frith also released Gravity (1980), his second solo album, recorded at Norrgården Nyvla in Uppsala, Sweden with Swedish group Samla Mammas Manna, and at the Catch-a-Buzz studio in Rockville, Maryland with United States band The Muffins. Gravity is a 1980 Solo album by English Guitarist, Composer and improvisor Fred Frith. Uppsala ˈɵpˌsɑːla (older spelling Upsala) is the capital of Uppsala County ( Uppsala län) and the fourth largest city of "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. Samla Mammas Manna was a Swedish Progressive rock band often characterized by its Virtuoso musicianship circus references and Silly Rockville is the County seat of Montgomery County Maryland, United States. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the It showed Frith breaking free from the highly structured and orchestrated music of Henry Cow and experimenting with folk and dance music. "Norrgården Nyvla" was also the title of one of the tracks on the album and is considered one of Frith's most recognisable tunes.

New York

Towards the end of 1979 Frith relocated to New York City where he immediately hooked-up with the local avant-garde/Downtown music scene. The City of New York Avant-garde (avɑ̃gaʁd in French) means "advance guard" or "vanguard Downtown music is a subdivision of American music. The scene the term describes began in 1960 when Yoko Ono — one of the Fluxus artists at that time The impact on him was uplifting: ". . . New York was a profoundly liberating experience for me; for the first time I felt that I could be myself and not try to live up to what I imagined people were thinking about me. " ^[6] Frith met and began recording with a number of musicians and groups, including Henry Kaiser, Bob Ostertag, Tom Cora, Eugene Chadbourne, Zeena Parkins, Ikue Mori, The Residents, Material, The Golden Palominos and Curlew. Henry Kaiser (born 19 September 1952, Oakland California) is a widely-recorded experimental Guitarist and frequent collaborator with other musicians Robert "Bob" Ostertag (born April 19 1957 in Albuquerque New Mexico, United States is an experimental Audio artist based in San Francisco Tom Cora (born Thomas Henry Corra) ( September 14, 1953 - April 9, 1998) was a United States cellist and composer Eugene Chadbourne ( January 4, 1954 in Mount Vernon New York) is an American, Improvisor, Guitarist and Banjoist Zeena Parkins is a Harpist active in Rock music, Free improvisation and Jazz. (b 17 Dec 1953, Tokyo, Japan) is a Drummer, Composer, and Graphic designer The Residents is an American Avant-garde music and Visual arts collective who have created over sixty albums created numerous musical short films Material is a musical group formed in 1979 and led by Bass guitarist Bill Laswell. The Golden Palominos were an American musical group headed by Drummer and Composer Anton Fier, first formed in 1981. Curlew is an experimental Free jazz group founded by Saxophone player George Cartwright in 1979. He spent some 14 years in New York, during which time he joined a few bands, including for John Zorn's Naked City (in which Frith played bass) and French Frith Kaiser Thompson (consisting of John French, Frith, Henry Kaiser and Richard Thompson). John Zorn (born September 2 1953 in Queens, New York City) is an American Avant-garde Composer, arranger, Record Naked City was an Avant-garde music group led by saxophonist and composer John Zorn. French Frith Kaiser Thompson was a United States Experimental rock quartet comprising John French, Fred Frith, Henry Kaiser and John "Drumbo" French (born 1949) is an American drummer and musician Richard John Thompson (born 3 April 1949 in Notting Hill Gate, West London) is a British songwriter Guitar player Frith also started three bands himself, namely Massacre, Skeleton Crew and Keep the Dog. Massacre was an improvising and Experimental rock band from New York City, formed in 1980 by guitarist Fred Frith, bassist Bill Laswell Keep the Dog was a United States -based Experimental rock touring band from New York City formed in 1989 by English Multi-instrumentalist

Massacre was formed in 1980 with bassist Bill Laswell and drummer Fred Maher. Bill Laswell (born February 12, 1955 in Salem Fred Maher is an American Drummer, programmer and Record producer. A high energy experimental rock band, they toured the United States and Europe in 1980 and 1981, and released one album, Killing Time (1981), recorded at Martin Bisi's later-to-be historic studio in Brooklyn. Experimental rock or avant-garde rock is a type of music based on rock which experiments with the basic elements of the genre and/or which pushes the boundaries Killing Time is an Album by Avant garde, experimental power trio Massacre, with guitarist Fred Frith, bassist/ Martin Bisi is an American producer and Songwriter. He is known for recording seminal records by Sonic Youth, John Zorn, Brooklyn (named after the Dutch town Breukelen) is one of the five boroughs of New York City. Massacre split in 1981 when Maher left, but later reformed again in 1998 when drummer Charles Hayward joined. Charles Hayward (born 1951 is an English drummer and was a founder member of the experimental rock group This Heat. The new Massacre released three more albums.

Skeleton Crew, a collaboration with Tom Cora from 1982 to 1986, was an experimental group noted for its live improvisations where Frith (guitar, violin, keyboards, drums) and Cora (cello, bass guitar, homemade drums and contraptions) played a number of instruments simultaneously. Experimental music is a term introduced by composer John Cage in 1955 They performed extensively across Europe, North America and Japan and released Learn to Talk in 1984. Learn to Talk is a studio album by United States experimental rock band Skeleton Crew, recorded at Sunrise Studio Zeena Parkins (electric harp and keyboards) joined in 1984 and the trio released The Country of Blinds in 1986. The Country of Blinds is a studio album by United States Experimental rock and Jazz band Skeleton Crew, recorded at Sunrise In October 1983 Skeleton Crew joined Duck and Cover, a commission from the Berlin Jazz Festival, for a performance in West Berlin, followed by another in February 1984 in East Berlin. Duck and Cover were a multinational Avant-progressive rock Septet founded in Germany in 1983 comprising Chris Cutler ( UK) JazzFest Berlin (also known as the Berlin Jazz Festival) is a Jazz festival based in Berlin, Germany. West Berlin was the name given to the western part of Berlin between 1949 and 1990 East Berlin was the name given to the eastern part of Berlin between 1949 and 1990

Frith formed Keep the Dog in 1989, a sextet and review band for performing selections of his extensive repertoire of compositions from the previous 15 years. A sextet is a formation containing exactly six members It is commonly associated with vocal or musical instrument groups but can be applied to any situation where six similar or related The lineup was Frith (guitar, violin, bass guitar), René Lussier (guitar, bass guitar), Jean Derome (winds), Zeena Parkins (piano, synthesizer, harp, accordion), Bob Ostertag (sampling keyboard) and Kevin Norton (drums, percussion). René Lussier (born April 15, 1957) is a musician based in the province of Québec, Canada. Jean Derome (born June 29, 1955) is a French Canadian Avant-garde saxophonist, flautist and Composer Kevin Norton (born in Brooklyn NY January 21 1956 is a percussionist and composer active in the New York City jazz and contemporary music scenes Later Charles Hayward replaced Norton on drums. The group existed until mid-1991, performing live in Europe, North America and the former Soviet Union. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 A double CD, That House We Lived In, from their final performances in Austria, Germany and Italy in May and June 1991, was released in 2003. That House We Lived In is a double Live album by the United States Experimental rock band Keep the Dog. Austria (Österreich ( officially the Republic of Austria (Republik Österreich Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest

Other projects

During the 1980s, Frith began writing music for dance, film and theatre, and a number of his solo albums from this time reflect this genre, including The Technology of Tears (And Other Music for Dance and Theatre) (1988), Middle of the Moment (1995), Allies (Music for Dance volume 2) (1996) and Rivers and Tides (2003). The Technology of Tears (And Other Music for Dance and Theatre is a double Album by English Guitarist, Composer and Middle of the Moment is a Soundtrack by English Guitarist, Composer and improvisor Fred Frith, of the 1995 Allies (Music for Dance volume 2 is a Studio album by English Guitarist, Composer and improvisor Fred Frith Rivers and Tides Working with Time is a Soundtrack by English Guitarist, Composer and improvisor Fred Frith Exploring new forms of composition, Frith also experimented with chance or accidental compositions, often created by building music around "found sounds" and field recordings, examples of which can be found on Accidental (Music for Dance volume 3) (2002) and Prints: Snapshots, Postcards, Messages and Miniatures, 1987-2001 (2002). A found object, in an artistic sense indicates the use of an object which has not been designed for an artistic purpose but which exists for another purpose already Field recording is the technique for capturing the audible illustration of an environment produced outside of a Recording studio. Accidental (Music for Dance volume 3 is a Studio album by English Guitarist, Composer and improvisor Fred Frith Prints Snapshots Postcards Messages and Miniatures 1987-2001 is a 2002 Album by English Guitarist, Composer and improvisor

As a composer, Frith began composing works for other musicians and groups in the late 1980s, including the Rova Saxophone Quartet, Ensemble Modern and Arditti Quartet. The Rova Saxophone Quartet is a San Francisco -based Saxophone quartet formed in October 1977 at the same time as their "less adventurous" but better known Ensemble Modern is a chamber ensemble dedicated to the music of modern composers The Arditti Quartet is an internationally acclaimed String quartet founded in 1974. In the late 1990s, Frith established his own Fred Frith Guitar Quartet consisting of Frith, René Lussier, Nick Didkovsky and Mark Stewart. The Fred Frith Guitar Quartet was a United States -based contemporary classical and Experimental music guitar quartet comprising Fred Frith Nick Didkovsky (b 1958 is a Composer, Guitarist, computer music programmer and leader of the band Doctor Nerve. Mark Stewart is a New York City -based multi-instrumentalist composer singer and instrument designer Their guitar music, varying from "tuneful and pretty, to noisy, aggressive and quite challenging" ^[7], appears on two albums, Ayaya Moses (1997) and Upbeat (1999), both on Lussier's own Ambiances Magnétiques label. Ambiances Magnétiques is a non-profit Canadian Musical collective, which was formed in 1983 by a group of Montreal independent musicians and producers

The ex-Henry Cow members have always maintained close contact with each other and Frith still collaborates with many of them, including Chris Cutler, Tim Hodgkinson and Lindsay Cooper. Cutler and Frith have been touring Europe, Asia and the Americas since 1978 and have given dozens of duo performances. Three albums from some of these concerts have been released by Recommended Records. Recommended Records ( RēR) is a British Independent record label and distribution network founded by Chris Cutler in March 1978 In December 2006, Cutler, Frith and Hodgkinson performed together at The Stone in New York City, their first concert performance since Henry Cow's demise in 1978. ^{[8] [9]}

In 1995 Frith moved to Stuttgart in Germany to live with his wife, German photographer Heike Liss and their children Finn and Lucia. Stuttgart (ˈʃtʊtgaɐ̯t is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. Between 1994 and 1996, Frith was Composer-in-Residence at L’Ecole Nationale de Musique in Villeurbanne, France. Villeurbanne is a commune in east-central France. It is situated northeast of Lyon, with which it forms the heart of the second largest Conurbation This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics.

Frith relocated to the United States in 1997 to become Composer-in-Residence at Mills College in Oakland, California. Mills College is an independent liberal arts women's college founded in 1852 that offers Oakland (ˈoʊklənd founded in 1852 is the eighth-largest city in the U In 1999 he was appointed the Luther B. Marchant Professor of Composition in the Music Department at Mills where he currently teaches composition, contemporary performance and improvisation. ^[10] While he had never studied music in college, Frith's credentials of over forty years of continuous practice and self-discovery got him the position. He has, however, maintained that "most of my students are better qualified to teach composition than I am," and that he learns as much from them as they learn from him. ^[11]

In March 1997 Frith formed the electro-acoustic improvisation and experimental trio Maybe Monday with saxophonist Larry Ochs from Rova Saxophone Quartet and koto player Miya Masaoka. Electroacoustic music includes several different sonic and Musical genres or musical techniques Free improvisation or free music is improvised music without any rules beyond the taste or inclination of the musician(s involved in many cases the musicians make Experimental music is a term introduced by composer John Cage in 1955 Trio is generally used in any of the following ways Three Musicians playing the same or different Musical instrument. Maybe Monday is a United States experimental Electroacoustic improvisation music ensemble comprising Guitarist Fred Frith, The saxophone (commonly referred to simply as sax) is a conical- bored transposing Musical instrument considered a member of the Woodwind The Rova Saxophone Quartet is a San Francisco -based Saxophone quartet formed in October 1977 at the same time as their "less adventurous" but better known The koto ( 琴 or 箏) is a traditional Japanese stringed Musical instrument derived from the Chinese Zither ( Guzheng Miya Masaoka (born Washington DC, 1958 is an American Musician and Composer who performs on the 17-string Japanese koto Between 1997 and 2008 they toured the United States, Canada and Europe and released three albums. In March 2008 Frith formed Cosa Brava, an experimental rock and improvisation quartet with Zeena Parkins from Skeleton Crew and Keep the Dog, and Carla Kihlstedt and Matthias Bossi from Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, and The Norman Conquest. Cosa Brava is an Experimental rock and improvisation Quintet formed in March 2008 in Oakland California by multi-instrumentalist and composer Experimental rock or avant-garde rock is a type of music based on rock which experiments with the basic elements of the genre and/or which pushes the boundaries In Music, a quartet (quatuor Quartett quartetto cuarteto is a method of instrumentation (or a medium used to perform a musical composition and consisting of four parts Zeena Parkins is a Harpist active in Rock music, Free improvisation and Jazz. Keep the Dog was a United States -based Experimental rock touring band from New York City formed in 1989 by English Multi-instrumentalist Carla Kihlstedt, a violinist vocalist and multi-instrumentalist is a founding member of Tin Hat Trio (now renamed Tin Hat Sleepytime Gorilla Museum and The Sleepytime Gorilla Museum (often abbreviated to SGM) are an American Experimental rock band, formed in 1999 in Oakland California They toured Europe in April 2008 and are scheduled to perform at the 25th Festival International de Musique Actuelle de Victoriaville in Victoriaville, Quebec, Canada in May 2008. The Festival International de Musique Actuelle de Victoriaville is an annual international music festival held in Victoriaville Quebec that showcases contemporary music Victoriaville (nicknamed "Victo" is a city in central Quebec, Canada, on the Nicolet River. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page ^[12]

Equipment

Fred Frith has used a number of different guitars, including homemades, over the years, depending on the type of music he is playing. For the more structured and refined music he has often used a Gibson 345, for example on his solo album, Gravity. The Gibson Guitar Corporation of Nashville Tennessee, USA is a manufacturer of acoustic and Electric guitars The company's most popular guitar Gravity is a 1980 Solo album by English Guitarist, Composer and improvisor Fred Frith. For the heavier "rock" sound, as in Massacre, he has used an old 1961 solid body Burns guitar, created by the British craftsman Jim Burns. Massacre was an improvising and Experimental rock band from New York City, formed in 1980 by guitarist Fred Frith, bassist Bill Laswell The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located On his landmark Guitar Solos album, Frith used a modified 1936 Gibson K-11 guitar (q. Guitar Solos is a 1974 Solo album by English Guitarist, Composer and improvisor Fred Frith. v. for details).

For Frith's early unstructured music, as with Henry Kaiser on With Friends Like These, and his early table-top guitar solo performances, he used a homemade six- and eight-string double-neck guitar, created by a friend Charles Fletcher. Henry Kaiser (born 19 September 1952, Oakland California) is a widely-recorded experimental Guitarist and frequent collaborator with other musicians A double neck guitar is a Guitar that has two necks Double neck guitars The most common type has 12 strings on the top neck while the bottom neck Frith told Down Beat magazine in 1983: "It was the one and only guitar that he ever built . Down Beat is an American Magazine devoted to "jazz blues and beyond" to indicate its expansion beyond the jazz realm which it covered exclusively . . he constructed it mainly out of old pieces from other guitars that I had, and for the body I think he used an old door. " ^[5] The possibilities offered by homemade instruments prompted Frith to start creating his own guitars, basically slabs of wood on which he mounted a pickup, a bridge, and strings stretched over metal screws. A pickup device acts as a Transducer that captures mechanical vibrations (usually from suitably equipped Stringed instruments such as the Electric guitar A bridge is a device for supporting the strings on a Stringed instrument and transmitting the Vibration of those strings to some other structural component A string is the vibrating element that is the source of vibration in String instruments such as the Guitar, Harp, Piano, and members "The basic design of the instrument is supposed to be as rudimentary and flexible as possible," Frith said, "so I can use an electric drill to bore holes into the body of it to achieve certain sounds . . . . " ^[5]

Frith has used a variety of picks with his guitars, from traditional guitar picks to violin bows, drum sticks, egg beaters, paint brushes, lengths of metal chain and other found objects. A guitar pick is a type of Plectrum designed for use on a Guitar. The violin is a bowed String instrument with four strings usually tuned in Perfect fifths It is the smallest and highest-pitched member A found object, in an artistic sense indicates the use of an object which has not been designed for an artistic purpose but which exists for another purpose already Frith remarked: "It's more to do with my interest in found objects and the use of certain kinds of textures which have an effect on the string . . . the difference between the touch of stone, the touch of glass, the touch of wood, the touch of paper — those kinds of basic elements that you're using against the surface of the strings which produce different sounds. " ^[5]

In a typical solo improvising concert, Frith would lay a couple of his homemade guitars flat on a table and play them with a collection of found objects (varying from concert to concert). He would drop objects, like ball bearings, dried beans and rice, on the strings while stroking, scraping and hitting them with whatever was on hand. A ball bearing is an engineering term referring to a type of Rolling-element bearing which uses Balls to maintain the separation between the moving parts ^[13] Later he added a live sampler to his on-stage equipment, which he controlled with pedals. A sampler is an electronic musical instrument closely related to a Synthesizer. The sampler enabled him to dynamically capture and loop guitar sounds, over which he would capture and loop new sounds, and so on, until he had a bed of repeated patterns on top of which he would then begin his solo performance.

Effects:

• Pro Co RAT Distortion Pedal
• Boss FV-50L Volume Foot Controller
• Boss RC20-XL Delay
• Line 6 DL Delay
• Whammy4
• Ebow

Step Across the Border

Main article: Step Across the Border

Step Across the Border is an award winning 1990 documentary film on Fred Frith, written and directed by Nicolas Humbert and Werner Penzel, and released in Germany and Switzerland. The Pro Co RAT is a guitar Effects pedal produced by Pro Co Sound. Step Across the Border is a 1990 Avant-garde Documentary film on English Guitarist, Composer and improviser Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Switzerland (English pronunciation; Schweiz Swiss German: Schwyz or Schwiiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra officially the Swiss Confederation It was filmed in Japan, Europe and the United States, and also features musicians René Lussier, Iva Bittová, Tom Cora, Tim Hodgkinson, Bob Ostertag and John Zorn. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the René Lussier (born April 15, 1957) is a musician based in the province of Québec, Canada. Iva Bittová (born July 22, 1958) is a Czech Avant-garde violinist singer and composer of Romani ethnicity Tom Cora (born Thomas Henry Corra) ( September 14, 1953 - April 9, 1998) was a United States cellist and composer Tim Hodgkinson (born 1 May 1949) is an English Experimental music Composer and performer principally on reeds and Robert "Bob" Ostertag (born April 19 1957 in Albuquerque New Mexico, United States is an experimental Audio artist based in San Francisco John Zorn (born September 2 1953 in Queens, New York City) is an American Avant-garde Composer, arranger, Record

Fred Records

Main article: Fred Records

In 2002, Fred Frith created his own record label, Fred Records to re-release his back catalogue of recordings and previously unreleased material. Fred Records is a British Independent record label created in 2002 by English Guitarist, Composer and improvisor Fred Records is a British Independent record label created in 2002 by English Guitarist, Composer and improvisor Frith also appears on several releases by Tzadik Records and Winter & Winter. Tzadik Records is a Record label based in New York City specialising in Avant-garde and Experimental music. Winter & Winter is a Munich -based Record label that specializes in Jazz and Improvised music.

Compositions

Since the late 1980s, Fred Frith has composed a number of longer works. Here is a selection, the year indicating when they were composed. For a complete list, see Compositions by Fred Frith.

• 1989 The As Usual Dance Towards the Other Flight to What is Not – for four electric guitars
• 1990 Helter Skelter – for two sopranos, contralto and a large electric ensemble
• 1990 Stick Figures – for six guitars and two players
• 1991 Lelekovice – (for Iva Bittová) string quartet no. Quartets is a 1994 Studio album by English Guitarist, Composer and improvisor Fred Frith. Eleventh Hour is a Double album by English Guitarist, Composer and improvisor Fred Frith. Quartets is a 1994 Studio album by English Guitarist, Composer and improvisor Fred Frith. Iva Bittová (born July 22, 1958) is a Czech Avant-garde violinist singer and composer of Romani ethnicity 1
• 1992 Stone, Brick, Glass, Wood, Wire – graphic scores for any number of players
• 1993 Freedom in Fragments – a suite of 23 pieces for saxophone quartet
• 1993 The Previous Evening – a tribute to John Cage for four clarinets, tapes, bass, footsteps, electric guitars, whirled objects and voice
• 1993 Elegy for Elias – for piano, violin and marimba
• 1994 Pacifica – a meditation for 21 musicians with texts by Pablo Neruda
• 1995 Seven Circles – for piano
• 1996 Impur – for 100 musicians, large building and mobile audience
• 1996 Shortened Suite – for trumpet, oboe, cello and marimba
• 1997 Back to Life – for trumpet, oboe, cello and marimba
• 1998 Traffic Continues: Gusto – for large ensemble with improvising soloists
• 2001 Landing for Choir – for Flamenco singer, cello, saxophone and samples
• 2002 Allegory – for string quartet and electric guitar
• 2002 Fell – for string quartet & electric guitar
• 2003 The Happy End Problem – for flute, bassoon, gu zheng, percussion, violin and electronics
• 2003 The Right Angel – for orchestra and electric guitar
• 2005 Save As – for cello and percussion
• 2006 Snakes and Ladders – for clarinet, electric guitar, piano, percussion, cello and double bass

Discography

Main article: Fred Frith discography

Fred Frith appears on over 400 recordings: with bands, in collaboration with other musicians, solo, albums he produced for other bands and musicians, and albums featuring his composed work performed by others. Stone Brick Glass Wood Wire (Graphic Scores 1986-96 is a double Live album by English Guitarist, Composer and Freedom in Fragments is a Studio album by English Guitarist, Composer and improvisor Fred Frith. The Previous Evening (Music for Dance volume 4 is a Studio album by English Guitarist, Composer and improviser WikipediaWikiProject Composers#Lead section --> John Milton Cage Jr Back to Life is a Studio album by English Guitarist, Composer and improvisor Fred Frith. Pacifica is a Studio album by English Guitarist, Composer and improvisor Fred Frith. Pablo Neruda ( July 12, 1904 – September 23, 1973) was the pen name and later legal name of the Chilean writer and politician Back to Life is a Studio album by English Guitarist, Composer and improvisor Fred Frith. Impur is an Album by English Guitarist, Composer and improvisor Fred Frith. Back to Life is a Studio album by English Guitarist, Composer and improvisor Fred Frith. Back to Life is a Studio album by English Guitarist, Composer and improvisor Fred Frith. Eleventh Hour is a Double album by English Guitarist, Composer and improvisor Fred Frith. Eleventh Hour is a Double album by English Guitarist, Composer and improvisor Fred Frith. The Happy End Problem (Music for Dance volume 5 is a Studio album by English Guitarist, Composer and improvisor Back to Life is a Studio album by English Guitarist, Composer and improvisor Fred Frith. Fred Frith appears on over 400 recordings This is a selection from bands he was/is a member of collaborations with other bands and musicians and his solo recordings

Films

• 1990 Step Across the Border – 90 minute documentary on Fred Frith by Nicolas Humbert and Werner Penzel. Step Across the Border is a 1990 Avant-garde Documentary film on English Guitarist, Composer and improviser
• 1991 Streetwise – documentary by Charles Castella about Frith's work in Marseille with "unemployed rock musicians". Marseille, ( English alt Marseilles mɑrˈseɪ — French: maʁsɛj locally — Provençal Occitan: Marselha maʀˈsijɔ
• 2000 Le Voyage Immobile – documentary about Frith's trio with Louis Sclavis and Jean-Pierre Drouet for France 3 national TV. Louis Sclavis (b Lyon France, February 2, 1953) is a French Jazz musician France 3 is the second largest French public Television channel and part of the France Télévisions group which also includes France 2
• 2004 Touch the Sound – documentary by Thomas Riedelsheimer about Scottish percussionist Evelyn Glennie and her collaboration with Frith. Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. Dame Evelyn Elizabeth Ann Glennie, DBE (born July 19 1965 in Aberdeen) is a Scottish virtuoso Percussionist.
• 2007 Attwenger Adventure – a documentary on Austrian folk-punk duo Attwenger by Markus Kaiser-Mühlecker with special appearances by Frith rehearsing and performing live with Attwenger and Wolfgang "I-Wolf" Schlögl at Music Unlimited XX. Austria (Österreich ( officially the Republic of Austria (Republik Österreich Folk punk is a fusion of Folk music and Punk rock. Folk punk in the United Kingdom has existed almost as long as punk rock itself Attwenger (formed 1990 is a musical duo from Linz, Austria. The group is made up of drummer Markus Binder and button accordion player Hans-Peter Falkner in Wels, Austria. Wels is the second largest City of the state of Upper Austria, located in the north of Austria, upon the Traun River near Linz ^{[14] [15]}

Footnotes

External links

• FredFrith.com Official homepage.
• Fred Frith biography FredFrith. com archive at the Internet Archive Wayback Machine. The Internet Archive ( IA) is a Nonprofit organization dedicated to maintaining an on-line Library and archive of Web and
• Fred Frith biography The Canterbury Website.
• Fred Frith interview Dan Warburton, Paris Transatlantic Magazine, March 1998.
• Fred Frith interview BBC Music archive at the Internet Archive Wayback Machine. The Internet Archive ( IA) is a Nonprofit organization dedicated to maintaining an on-line Library and archive of Web and
• Fred Frith radio interview Chris Comer, "Clearing" Guitar Solo, September 2001.
• Stage Effects Setup. All About Jazz. (Italian)
• Fred Frith at Allmusic. allmusic (previously All Music Guide) is a Metadata database about music owned by All Media Guide.
• Fred Frith discography.

Persondata
NAME	Frith, Fred
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION	English musician, composer and improvisor
DATE OF BIRTH	February 17, 1949
PLACE OF BIRTH	Heathfield, Sussex, England
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH

England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Events 1500 - Battle of Hemmingstedt. 1600 - Philosopher Giordano Bruno is burned alive at Campo de' Fiori Year 1949 ( MCMXLIX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Heathfield is a small market town and the principal settlement in the Civil parish of Heathfield and Waldron in the Wealden District of East Sussex is a historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland

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