“Cosa Brava” is Fred Frith’s latest group.
Four musicians, four cameras. The musicians are both highly concentrated (the music is written) and highly in tune with each other (the influence of rock and importance of improvised sequences in the compositions). The style is difficult to describe, shaped by popular and traditional English music (which the violin does incredible justice to), rock (the musicians’ powerfully engaged playing) and the beautiful sweepingly arhythmic melodies that are Fred Frith’s trademark. A very rich, contrapuntic composition: an invitation to embark on a journey, an absolute pleasure of music and language, a genuine presence of the musicians who offer this music to the public. Generosity as essence of musical production.
The shooting of the concert aims to reproduce this rigor and diversity of influences by using the resources of excellent cameramen whose specific instructions nonetheless leave them a lot of room for their own personal touch. One cameraman for each musician.
The sensitivity of everyone involved is put to the test, and the overall success of the project depends largely on it.
In my film, I have attempted to find an equivalent to the tools Fred Frith uses to conceive and play his music.