By: Vince Lewis
Fred Fried and Core - Encore
Fred Fried is a very interesting guitar player. His extended harmonies and use of a nylon 8-string guitar are a strong indication of his forward musical thinking. The New York born musician now resides in Cape Cod, MA and splits his time between teaching and mostly local gigs.
Joined by band mates Michael Lavoie (bass) and Miki Matsuki (drums) Fried provides many solid musical moments. The opening track on Encore, “The Gathering Storm,” begins with the bass stating the melody. All three players are totally in sync and seem to be able to anticipate each other’s musical moves perfectly. “Karenina” is a full lush ballad initially played beautifully on his guitar alone, then followed by a solid bass solo.
Fried has a clean and clear sound, and his technique is exceptional. His compositions are well-crafted and easy to digest. His process of creating music with fairly simple melodies and more modern and complex harmonies makes for very interesting listening. Other great tunes on Encore are “Three Fall,” “Currents Above, Currents Below,” “Spring Overture” and “The Circus Left Town.”
Fred Fried is an excellent example of a solidly based player who began with traditional jazz guitar influences, which clearly come out in his writing and improvisational approach. He is creative and modern while still maintaining a sense of direction that is pleasing to the less sophisticated audience. It is refreshing to hear a musician that is developing his musical direction while still being respectful of those that came before.
