Around 2004, I began to lose touch with a lot of the great '80s music I love so much. When I finally got back into the swing of things in 2005, I was deeply saddened to discover that Enuff Z' Nuff guitarist Derek Frigo had died in '04 of an alleged drug overdose. When Enuff Z'Nuff hit MTV in 1989, I immediately dug the band's psychedelic glam shtick.
I don't know if it's too widely known, but Derek Frigo's father, Johnny, is a legendary jazz musician who spent most of his career playing bass but is equally adept at violin. I recently came across the elder Frigo's 1994 album, Debut of a Legend. The disc has some touching liner notes in it, including this message from father to son: "Special thanks to . . . my young rock guitar whiz son, Derek, for putting my mind at ease with his (at last) remarkable, positive maturation."
Obviously very poignant and ironic words in light of the events of 2004.
While I wouldn't go so far as to say that Debut of a Legend deserves a place in any Enuff Z'Nuff fan's collection, I will say the stringwork on this disc is stellar. You can see why Derek emerged as such a formidable fretman after hearing his father play.
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3 comments:
that's a good suggestion, i didn't know about his father even being a musician. i'll check him out, it sounds like something i would like.
Johnny actually made his debut as leader on a violin album in the '50s called I Love John Frigo . . . He Swings. Love the title! Check out the cover art if you get a chance. It's really kitschy looking in that classic '50s way.
If only I could, even just for one day. I would go back to 1984 which I consider to be the golden year for metal. Almost everyone put out a good album that year.
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