Special Noise by Frog Squad

Listening to Frog Squad's new album from Mahakala Music, Special Noise (out May 19), is akin to traversing the surface of a strange planet. It's not without recognizable landmarks, as moments of harmonious beauty arise, but listen also for strange sonic formations to erupt unexpectedly from this nine piece band.

From the first volley of horns, synthesizer, tweaked guitar, bass and drums that blasts from the title track, a descent into this foggy swamp world begins. From there, an authoritative guitar riff introduces the horns' driving-yet-delicate lead melody in track two, “Somersaulter,” giving way to some soaring, edgy axe work by the group's chief guitarist and composer, David Collins.

If the magic of Memphis can be found in its confluence of carefully composed music with the creative looseness of the city's players, no group captures those two elements better than Frog Squad. Started by Collins in 2017, soon after he'd graduated from the University of Memphis, the band's always walked a fine line between the composed and the improvised. And the creative urgency of the latter comes from the musicians he's recruited to the cause.

Bassist Khari Wynn, also celebrated as the guitarist and musical director for Public Enemy, has been a mainstay of the group since the beginning. Frog Squad bears more resemblance to Wynn's solo projects, like the Sun Ra-inspired Energy Disciples, than to the world class hip hop he's best known for, and Collins wisely leaves his bassist plenty of creative headroom. “I don't tell Khari what to play much at all,” says Collins, “because he just comes up with cool stuff. Once he gets familiar with the song he really takes off.”

The two musicians' kinship runs deep enough for Wynn's own composition, “Sunspot,” to be featured here, albeit in an arrangement crafted by Collins. Arranging is one thing he excels at, going back to his U. of M. days, though there's a paradox at the heart of his approach. Originally a drummer, Collins came to guitar later in life, yet that informs his approach to music. “There were a few things I arranged in college,” Collins recalls, “and the teachers said 'This sounds like you arranged it on guitar.' And instead of taking that as an insult, I thought, 'Maybe that's a cool thing.'”

Guitar's an unexpected focus, considering Collins' upbringing. “In sixth grade I picked up the drums,” he says. “But my grandpa, Aubrey Morris, was a piano player who played with Eddie Bond and Reggie Young, back in the day. I grew up really close with my grandparents, and he was always playing. I’d play drums with him on piano, and he’d show me stuff on it. So I learned both at the same time.”

Collins' experience behind the kit may explain the nearly telepathic connection he has with drummer Jon Harrison. “Jon and I play so much together,” Collins reflects, noting their frequent presence in the clubs of Memphis, “there are things we know about each other that come out organically in the music.” Harrison's touch, augmented by Hector Diaz on congas and bongos, allows these tracks to shift efforlessly from the jazz mindset to solid funk/rock grooves, echoing the sounds of early fusion. “I think it comes naturally because of all the gigs people in the band play around town,” Collins muses. With these players' chops forged in the clubs of Memphis for years, it's no wonder their driving momentum is so great here.

That's one reason the horn section is such a powerhouse. Hope Clayburn leads a band of her own, and countless live gigs have honed her effects pedal game as well as her strong voice on the alto sax, soprano sax and flute. Indeed, all the horns — including Franko Coleman (tenor sax), Chad Fowler (alto flute and alto, tenor and baritone sax), and Aaron Phillips (bass flute and tenor and baritone sax) — bring a strong effects pedal game to the proceedings.

Those skills dovetail nicely with Collins' penchant for atmospheric flourishes as he mixes the songs, but he's quick to point out that many of those otherworldly sounds come from the players themselves. That's especially true of the keyboard stylings of Cedric Taylor. “I didn't mess with his stuff too much,” says Collins. “He's pretty incredible. The synthesizer work is mostly him. Like on 'Porch Couch,' where he uses a ring modulator on his keyboard.”

The way Collins sees it, it's a full band effort. “Everything's better when you have multiple people putting their input on it. I can just bring in a rough sketch, and people play stuff over it I would never think of. It sounds cool that way and it brings things out of me that I wouldn't play otherwise.” That's especially true when the players know each other well. “The band has settled in to what it is now,” says Collins. And, having brought their own inimitable style to the last album, Frog Squad Plays Satie, these players are ready to read the most precise arrangements, yet with a bit of Memphis funk in all they do.

“I do like a certain looseness of things in music,” says Collins, “that feeling that things could fall apart. And that's something I see in Memphis music a lot. It makes it feel more genuine. The band definitely knows these songs, but there are a lot of improvised parts, and that's where things can get unraveled. I

If the magic of Memphis can be found in its confluence of carefully composed music with the creative
looseness of the city's players, no group captures those two elements better than Frog Squad. -Chad Fowler

frogsquadmusic.com