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Bill Frisell: The ECM Years
by John Kelman
Nothing trumps right place, right time. Sure, most artists pay plenty of dues-- sometimes in the public eye, oftentimes not--but for some, there's that serendipitous event that leads to greater visibility. Bill Frisell, surely one of the most important and influential guitarists of his generation, undoubtedly deserves all the accolades and artistic freedom he's achieved in a career now in its fourth decade, but there's little doubt about the impact that one recording had for the guitarist, on a label ...
Continue ReadingBill Frisell: Sign of Life - Music for 858 Quartet
by John Kelman
Bill FrisellSign of Life: Music for 858 QuartetSavoy Jazz2011 Bill Frisell fans attending the 2010 Ottawa International Jazz Festival were given a rare opportunity to catch two groups, for whom the guitarist was planning releases in the coming months: his new Beautiful Dreamers trio, a couple months before the release of its eponymous debut; and his more longstanding 858 Quartet, a full ten months before the release of Sign of Life: ...
Continue ReadingBill Frisell: Ramping It Up
by John Kelman
It's always been a not-so-hidden truth, especially in the jazz world, that fans only get a small window into what their favorite artists are about. Artists' commercial releases--usually no more than one per year--rarely document the entirety of the various projects with which they're involved in the course of those 12 months. And when you're someone like guitarist Bill Frisell, who seems to be almost endlessly on the road with various permutations and combinations of the expanding cadre of musicians ...
Continue ReadingVinicius Cantuária / Bill Frisell: Lagrimas Mexicanas
by Mark F. Turner
The fruit of Lagrimas Mexicanas is one born of mutual respect and collaboration between two distinct music icons. Bill Frisell's trajectory has spanned the paths of jazz and Americana, becoming one of the most respected guitarists in the business. A fine guitarist in his own right, but more noted for his heartthrob vocals, Brazilian singer-songwriter Vinicius Cantuária has released a number of popular recordings and worked with names ranging from Marc Ribot to Ryuichi Sakamoto. Influenced by New ...
Continue ReadingBill Frisell At The Stone
by AAJ Staff
Bill FrisellThe StoneNew York CitySeptember 7, 2010 Bill Frisell has captured the imagination of music fans of many types, since his first records in the 1980s. He is the world's favorite alternative take on guitar. Yet, he may be, instead, the next step in guitar rather than another side of the very popular instrument. Arguably, very little music of originality has come forth since the beginning of the '80s, but Frisell is one beacon ...
Continue ReadingBill Frisell: Beautiful Dreamers
by Troy Collins
Heralded as a sonic innovator since his seminal work for ECM Records in the mid-eighties, Grammy winning, perennial Best Jazz Guitarist award recipient Bill Frisell has developed a rich body of work over the past two decades, guaranteeing him a place in the history books alongside his heroes Jim Hall and Jimi Hendrix. Fastidiously documented by Elektra/Nonesuch since the early nineties, Frisell's twenty plus releases for the label encompass everything from soundtracks for silent films to genre-straddling collaborations with Nashville ...
Continue ReadingBill Frisell: Beautiful Dreamers
by John Kelman
Most people slow down as they get older but, in the case of musicians, there are those who seem to actually step up the pace. Bill Frisell may be approaching 60, but he's busier than ever--so much so, in fact, that the intrepid guitarist has left his record label of over twenty years (Nonesuch), because it was unprepared to keep up with his need to release more than one album per year. Beautiful Dreamers is Frisell's first Savoy Jazz release ...
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