Nick Lieto:
Nick started playing Trumpet in the fourth grade and got his first gigs playing and singing in Rock and Funk bands as a teenager. Having always felt lucky to be taking part in music, an eclectic array of music helped to influence him at an early age. Nick enjoyed the variety of Rock and Radio music that the mid-late 70's and early 80's had to offer. "The Police", "Journey", "Earth Wind and Fire", "Yes" Stevie Wonder and Gino Vannelli, were among the many to have an early musical impact. As Nick went on to study Music in High School and College, Jazz and Classical music helped to shape him as a musician and composer. As a Music educator, Nick is thankful to able to share with students the music that continues to inspire him. Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Lee Morgan, Clifford Brown, Michael Brecker, Joni Mitchell, Igor Stravinsky, Maurice Ravel and Aaron Copland just to name a few continue to be important influences. As a musician, Nick is even more excited to be playing in a progressive band that is dedicated to creating music that is fresh and totally different than anything else out there. "Music is life!!"
Steven Uh:
Steve attributes much of his musical development to his parents not getting another TV set after the tube blew when he was 3. Instead of watching Brady reruns, Steve began studying the violin and the piano at a very early age. Steve did his undergraduate degree at SUNY Potsdam, where he first met Frogg Café members Bill, Frank, and Andrew. Steve graduated with a Masters in Violin Performance from Temple University, and has performed with orchestras in music festivals in Europe and the U.S., including the Spoleto USA Festival (Charleston, SC). A self taught guitarist, Steve's six string influences include Eddie Van Halen, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Trey Anastasio, Wayne Krantz, and Pat Metheny. Steve now has DIRECTV with about 400 channels.
Bill Ayasse:
Bill Ayasse started playing the violin in 4th grade and was always trying to break out of the "normal" violinist mold. He began exploring new musical styles very early with his friends in Junior High School. With influences such as Ponty, Grappelli, Noel Pointer, Mark O'Conner and Zappa he soon realized that there was much more to the violin than Mozart. After receiving his Bachlor of Music in Music Education from the Crane School Of Music he attended the University of Northern Colorado and recieved his Master of Music degree. Bill moved back from Colorado and began Jammin' with his friends from Crane - Frank Camiola was such a huge Zappa fan and also played great guitar - “Lumpy Gravy” was born! (mostly out of the need to hear great music performed on Long Island). Now a couple of years later Bill had the desire to play original music with an ear for the unusual and that is how “Frogg Café” was born!
Andrew Sussman:
Andrew Sussman's main instrument is cello, but enjoys playing electric bass and acoustic guitar in Frogg Cafe. He has a degree in Music Education from the Crane School of Music at SUNY POTSDAM and a Masters in Cello Performance from Hunter College in NYC where he learned how to play, and more importantly teach all orchestral instruments, specializing in strings. His influences range from Zappa and Yes to Pink Floyd, early Van Halen, Joni Mitchell,Rush, ELP and King Crimson.
Jim Guarnieri:
Jim started playing his first gigs at the age of 16, playing standard jazz style music for dancing. After completing high school, he attended N.Texas State U. where he studied music and got heavily into jazz. He was strongly influenced by artists like Miles Davis and John Coltrane as well as the great jazz drummers such as Tony Williams, Elvin Jones, Roy Haynes and Jack DeJohnette. Jimi Hendrix and the Beatles were also among in influential. While at North Texas, Jim continued to broaden his musical experiences. He was a member of the school symphony orchestra, percussion and mallet ensemble and big bands. He also played for a semi-professional orchestra called The Dallas Civic Symphony. He traveled throughout the area on weekends playing various gigs with several big bands in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, playing in nightclubs, backing up singers or playing in country-western bands, and southern-style rock groups. After 4 years at NTU Jim decided to leave and pursue a career as a performing musician. He started playing 6 nights a week with a top 40 group which traveled around the east coast and was privileged to play with a group backing up the singing group The Chiffons. As he continued to travel one of the groups led him back to Dallas where he lived and had an opportunity to play with the great jazz pianist Red Garland. Moving back to the NYC area in 1974, Jim continued to work as a musician doing some studio work, playing club dates and playing with original and pop jazz groups such as Odyssey, Bermuda Triangle and Unity. At the same time, he pursued a teaching career and received a Masters degree from LIU in Music Education and is presently a teacher of instrumental music. Over the past 10 years, Jim has continued to study his instrument and is presently studying with Sam Ulano. He is performing in various musical settings and is excited to bring his many musical experiences into the music of Frogg Café.
John Lieto:
John started playing Trombone as a 5th grader. He became seriously interested in music during junior high school after hearing the High School Jazz band play at an assembly program.
During John's High School years, he performed with the Symphonic Band and as a soloist with the Jazz Band. John attributes his development in music to studying privately and the experience of playing in groups outside of high school such as the Wagner College Jazz Band and the Staten Island Community Jazz Band. John's early musical inspiration came from listening to the jazz/rock band Chicago.
John was accepted as a performance/education major at the Manhattan School of Music but choose to attend the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam. After graduating, John held several teaching positions, levels K-12. During this tenure John regularly performed with several local Jazz ensembles and Long Island Wedding Bands.
In the early 1990's, John became interested in technology and eventually left music education to pursue a career in technology and business.
These days, John enjoys both the business/tech and music professions.
His musical development has been influenced by artists from every musical discipline, including the music of: Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Stravinsky, Ravel, Copeland, J.J. Johnson, Steve Turre, Steve Davis, Michael Brecker, Chicago Yellowjackets, Jazz Crusaders, Maynard Ferguson and Nick Lieto.
John enjoys the love and support of his wife Diane, son Michael and daughter Jaclyn, who play Trombone and Violin respectively.
Influences
Frank Zappa, Trey Anastasio, others... and random fat guys.
Frogg Café is a 6 piece band from the New York metropolitan area making music that incorporates elements of Zappa-esque progressive rock, pop melodicism and fusion jazz. 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 Nick Lieto (lead vocals, keyboards, trumpet, flugelhorn), Steve Uh (guitars, violin, vocals), Bill Ayasse (violin, mandolin, vocals, percussion), Andrew Sussman (bass, cello, vocals), James Guarnieri (drums and percussion), and John Lieto (trombone). Frogg Café studio albums also exploit the considerable talents of a regular supporting cast of guest musicians, who supply marimba, flute, and additional percussion to their colorful and highly textured arrangements.
All of the members of Frogg Café are university trained in music composition and performance, and this education and experience is quite evident in their mature compositions, prowess on multiple instruments, and wildly entertaining live performances. Frogg Café started out life in 1998 as a band called Lumpy Gravy, performing the music of their hero, Frank Zappa. In 2000, the band changed its name to Frogg Café and started to write and perform original music.
Following up on the successes of their 2001 self-titled debut Frogg Café (currently available as a remastered edition with a live bonus track) and the 2003 release, Creatures, Frogg Café and their label, California-based ProgRock records, are proud to promote the release of their third studio album, Fortunate Observer of Time (June 2005). This new 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 Café sound, delivering the richly textured progressive fusion gumbo fans of the first two albums have been hoping and waiting for. Building upon Fortunate Observer of Time, Frogg Café has debuted many new tunes at gigs this fall and has enough material to hit the studio for their fourth album.
The real Frogg Café experience comes when you witness this band perform live! Frogg Café tours extensively throughout the Northeast year-round. In the past year they have performed at The Knitting Factory (NYC), Nectar’s (VT), The Rites of Spring Festival (PA), the Prog in the Park Festival (Rochester, NY), the NewEARS Series (MA), several gigs for the NJProghouse series (NJ), and twice at the Lion D’or (Montreal). They toured Germany, Austria, and Belgium during the summer of ‘04. Frogg Café was honored to have performed at the world’s premier progressive rock festival, NEARFEST (Northeast Art Rock Festival) July 2005 at the Zoellner Arts Center in Bethlehem, PA.
Frogg Café has performed with noteworthy progressive rock acts including Caravan, Happy the Man, The Flower Kings, and Proto Kaw featuring Kerry Livgren of Kansas. Legendary ex-Zappa percussionist Ed Mann took up the mallets with Frogg Café for the 2004 Zappanale Festival in Germany.
