By turns somber and humorous, his intricate music was the perfect vehicle for the free flights of fancy undertaken by the other musicians. Yet McLean soon went back to more traditional bop, Moncur disappeared from the scene, and other practitioners went on to different things. The band, which draws its members from a diverse range of groups including Tom Waits' band and Club Foot Orchestra, is remarkably faithful to the original tunes even as it imbues them with its own style. Drummer Andrew Borger creates an almost unbearable tension with deft strokes that feather around the beat, while bassist George Cremaschi expertly handles the complex rhythms. Bruce Ackley rips it up on saxophones, impeccably dancing his way through the melodies.
Themes are built up, a mood is set, and solos never deviate completely from that theme and mood.
Rather than dissolve into separate skronking, Frankenstein seems intent on exploring those contrapuntal intricacies together, which is what makes its performances so unique.