Fred Frith has been an inspiration for musicians and listeners alike for decades. From the breadth of Fred’s musical output, it is clear that he is more interested in ideas and processes than he is in fixing an aesthetic identity for himself. Fans of Art Bears and Skeleton Crew patiently awaited his next song-based band, and Cosa Brava finally arrived to fill the void. It’s a wonderful vehicle for his intuitive yet elusive melodies, intricate yet transparent rhythms, and wildly satisfying anthems. Both of their CDs — Ragged Atlas and The Letter — were released on the Swiss label Intakt. There are still distant whisperings of a third on the horizon…