Fred Frith honoured
Although he was playing violin when an improvising session with fellow Cambridge student Tim Hodgkinson in May 1968 led to the formation of progressive rock group Henry Cow, Frith is best known for his work on electric guitar. His acclaimed 1974 album Guitar Solos featured unaccompanied improvisations on prepared instruments and in the mid-1970s he also lent his distinctive sound to the Robert Wyatt album Ruth is Stranger than Richard and Brian Eno’s Before and After Science.
In recent years Frith has worked as a composer, collaborating with the Arditti Quartet; he has scored film soundtracks and continues to improvise, both solo and with artists including John Zorn and Evelyn Glennie. He currently lives in the USA, where he teaches music at Mills College, Oakland, California and plays in the group Cosa Brava. He appeared at Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival in 2007 with edges ensemble.
Fred Frith’s website http://www.fredfrith.com
Playlist on Spotify: Dr Fred Frith
