It’s become somewhat of an inside joke among the members of the supergroup EZRA that they’ve recorded more albums than they’ve played actual shows. Considering the ensemble formed in 2023, the amount of recorded output they have is pretty remarkable. Their first two albums were released several months apart from each other in 2024. Last year, the group released their third project, Froggy’s Demise, and not even a year later released Whippersnap, both of which are on Adhyâropa Records. While both projects demonstrate the group’s incredible versatility and compositional strength, they each come at it from slightly different angles.
Froggy’s Demise zeroes in on EZRA’s core members, consisting of Jesse Jones on guitar, Max Allard on banjo, Jacob Jolliff on mandolin, and Craig Butterfield on bass. The opening track, Waldeinsamkeit by Allard, takes its title from a German word that roughly translates to “a sublime feeling of being in the woods by oneself.” As explained in the album’s liner notes, this tune was heavily inspired by the playing of Jens Kruger.
The title track, Froggy’s Demise by Jesse Jones, provides us a strong combination of a traditional fiddle tune elements combined with jazz intricacies. Jacob Joliff particularly shines on this piece. Another Jesse Jones piece, Narny, has a strong Celtic feel.
Following the release of Froggy’s Demise, EZRA released Whippersnap, which pairs the quartet with pianist Xak Bjerken, with whom they previously collaborated on their sophomore effort, Earth to EZRA. With the addition of this extra instrumentalist, it adds an even greater sense of adventure to what EZRA is already doing. This is certainly the case with the opening track, Milk on Tap by Max Allard, a tune that might remind listeners of some of Béla Fleck and Edgar Meyer’s compositions. My Point eXAKtly by Jacob Joliff also has a similar feel.
The title track Whippersnap is without question the most captivating piece on the entire project. Written by Jesse Jones, this tune has an incredible swing groove. It’s one of those cuts where every single musician brings 110% to their performance of this piece.
While Froggy’s Demise and Whippersnap each have their musical differences, there’s no question that each shows the incredible flexibility that EZRA possesses as instrumentalists and composers. Both are equally exciting efforts.
