Technical difficulties delayed this week’s Music Video Monday until Tuesday, but we’ve got a special treat for you today. Memphis jazz ensemble Frog Squad recently played the Crosstown Arts Green Room. The group, which consists of saxophonists Chad Fowler, Hope Clayburn, Franko Coleman, and Aaron Phillips, keyboardist Cedrick Taylor, bassist Khari Wynn, drummer Jon Harrison, and the bandleader, guitarist David Collins, loves to reset the music of composers from across the ages to their psychedelic free jazz mood. For this performance, it was eccentric French composer Erik Satie. Memphis Flyer Music Editor Alex Greene said, “One might compare it to the finer instrumental work of Frank Zappa, or perhaps the wilder, latter day efforts by Gil Evans, but ultimately it was its own sound. There were even lighthearted moments, as when the horn section’s oom-pah-pah dynamics were amplified by all the players doing knee bends in time to their parts. And an intriguing bit of futurism was added by effects pedals that Clayburn and Phillips played through, not to mention some fine synth renderings by Taylor.”
Justin Thompson filmed the performance for Crosstown Arts, with music mix provided by engineer Daniel Lynn and mixer Shelby Edwards. You can see the entire performance here, or if you just want a beautiful 7-minute jazz respite from the world, you can watch “Gnossienne No. 3” below. Frog Squad are currently crowdfunding their first full-length studio album Special Noise, so if you like what you hear, drop a few coins in their Indiegogo.
If you would like to see your music video featured on Music Video Monday, email cmccoy@memphisflyer.com.
