Frogtown by Anthony Wilson
“Frogtown,” a new album of original instrumental and vocal songs, is guitarist Anthony Wilson’s widest-ranging work to date, and his debut as a vocalist.
Wilson enlisted Grammy-winning producer/bassist Mike Elizondo (Gary Clark Jr., Kimbra, Ry Cooder), a longtime friend and musical colleague, to help him realize this collection of layered and personal sonic stories.
Featuring a cast of renowned musicians — drummers Jim Keltner and Matt Chamberlain, violinist Petra Haden, and keyboardists Patrick Warren and Josh Nelson — each song on “Frogtown” evokes a distinct feeling and landscape, and takes the listener someplace new.
Virtuosic guitar and ensemble work, well-made songs and detailed arrangements, and intimate vocals are the driving forces of the album.
An album highlight is the song “Your Footprints” — written by Wilson with songwriter Dan Wilson (Adele, Taylor Swift, Semisonic) — featuring a special guest appearance from iconic jazz saxophonist Charles Lloyd.
The collaboration with Lloyd alludes to Wilson’s deep jazz roots, and evokes memories of his father, the late, great composer/bandleader Gerald Wilson.
Other songs summon varied musical influences — FM radio of the 1970’s, Ry Cooder’s diverse body of work, children’s rhymes, guitar styles from the 1920’s to the present day.
“Frogtown” travels into, through, and beyond genres; the album's melodies and lyrics guide the listener through tender and complex emotional landscapes.
Anthony Wilson steps confidently into the center of the frame for this musical and personal portrait.
Tracklist
| 1. | She Won't Look Back | 5:41 |
| 2. | Frogtown | 4:01 |
| 3. | Your Footprints | 6:37 |
| 4. | Occhi di Bambola | 3:56 |
| 5. | Silver and Flint | 4:17 |
| 6. | Our Affair | 5:44 |
| 7. | The Cares of a Family Man | 4:44 |
| 8. | Mopeds | 1:54 |
| 9. | Arcadia | 5:04 |
| 10. | The Geranium | 6:29 |
| 11. | Shabby Bird | 3:31 |
| 12. | I Saw It Through The Skylight | 3:21 |
| 13. | Downtown Abbey | 4:13 |
Credits
FROGTOWN
Anthony Wilson — all guitars, vocals
Petra Haden — violin, bird whistle
Mike Elizondo — bass, synth bass
Patrick Warren — piano, organ, pump organ, autoharp,
keyboards & samples
Jim Keltner — drums & percussion (tracks 1, 2, 5, 9, 10, 12)
Matt Chamberlain — drums & percussion (tracks 3 — 8, 11)
Charles Lloyd — tenor saxophone on “Your Footprints”
Jesse Harris — harmonica (track 9)
Josh Nelson — piano (tracks 5 & 10)
Daniel Rosenboom — trumpet
Bob Reynolds — tenor saxophone
Adam Schroeder — baritone saxophone, bass clarinet
Produced by Mike Elizondo
Recorded at Can-Am Recorders
Engineered and mixed by Adam Hawkins
Assistant engineers — Brent Arrowood, Robert Rossman, Alonzo Lazaro
Mastered by Bernie Grundman
Audio consultation by Joe Harley
Designed by Aamp Studio
Portrait Photograph by Jesse Harris
Printed by Stumptown Printers
All songs by Anthony Wilson, © Goat Hill Music, BMI
except
“Your Footprints” by Dan Wilson (BMG Gold Songs/Songs of Big Deal/Sugar Lake Music*, ASCAP) and Anthony Wilson
“Occhi di Bambola,” Traditional, arranged by Anthony Wilson
* All Rights Administered by BMG Rights Management (US) LLC
License
All rights reserved.Tags
Born in Los Angeles in 1968, guitarist and composer Anthony Wilson is known for a body of work that moves fluidly across genres.
The son of legendary jazz trumpeter and bandleader Gerald Wilson, his musical lineage has deeply influenced his creative trajectory, compositional choices, instrumental groupings, and the wide-ranging twelve album discography that blooms out of them.