History Frogg Café

Frogg Café is a 6 piece jazz-rock (fusion) / progressive rock band from the New York. Frogg Café’s music is also peppered with an appealing variety of other flavors including latin music, bluegrass, modern chamber music and avant-garde/experimental. Their energetic live shows feature extended flights of group improvisation that would draw grins from any hardcore jam-band fan.

The members of this unique group are Bill Ayasse (electric violin, mandolin, vocals), James Guarnieri (drums), James Mullen (keyboards, saxophone), Steve Uh (guitars, violin, vocals), Andrew Sussman (bass, cello, vocals) and many times the band is joined by John Lieto (trombone). Frogg Café studio albums also exploit the considerable talents of a regular supporting cast of guest musicians, who supply trombone, marimba, flute, and additional percussion to their colorful and highly textured arrangements.

Following up on the successes of their 2001 self-titled debut Frogg Cafe (currently available as a remastered edition with a live bonus track) and the 2003 release, Creatures, Frogg Café has been promoting their third studio release, Fortunate Observer of Time (2005). This album features music that builds on the precedents set by the first two albums, taking it to the next level with a loosely conceptual album. Fortunate Observer of Time’s poetic lyrics explore existential attitudes and crises, ultimately arriving at a distinctly infernal ending! These songs redefine the unique Frogg Cafe sound, delivering the richly textured progressive fusion gumbo fans of the first two albums have been hoping and waiting for.

The real Frogg Cafe experience comes when you witness this band performing live! Frogg Café tours extensively throughout the Northeast year-round. In the past year they have performed at The Knitting Factory (NYC), Towne Crier (Pawling, NY), Lizard Lounge (Boston), Nectar’s (Burlington, VT) where Page McConnell of Phish sat in on keyboards for a tune, Orion Sound Studios (Baltimore, MD), NEARfest (Northeast Art Rock Festival, PA), Prog in the Park Festival (Rochester, NY), and the NJProghouse Series (NJ). In the summer of 2004, they toured Germany, Austria, and Belgium.

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