French Frith Kaiser Thompson - Live, Love, Larf & Loaf (Reissue) (1988)

This all-star quartet came together for two albums -- Live, Love, Larf & Loaf (1987) and Invisible Means (1990) -- that cover a variety of genres, from folk and R&B to avant-garde and comic opera. Guitarist Henry Kaiser and drummer John French (of Captain Beefheart's band) were collaborating, then brought aboard two renowned British guitarists, Fred Frith, who plays bass in this group, and Richard Thompson. The first album by French Frith Kaiser Thompson is Live, Love, Larf & Loaf, recorded in March 1987 in San Francisco. This acclaimed record includes not only originals by each of the members, but also covers of songs by Willie Dixon, Chuck Berry, and Kina Shoukichi. The four musicians reconvened in San Francisco a few years later to record the 1990 album Invisible Means, which included all originals but for one traditional tune, "Loch Lamond." Originally issued on Windham Hill, the follow-up was reissued in the mid-'90s by Demon Fiend. To celebrate its initial release, French Frith Kaiser Thompson performed a 1990 concert in Berkeley.