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About Bill Frisell

362

Extended Analysis

Bill Frisell: Sign of Life - Music for 858 Quartet

by John Kelman
April 25, 2011

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: ...

529

Interview

Bill Frisell: Ramping It Up

by John Kelman
April 25, 2011

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 ...

372

Album Review

Vinicius Cantuária / Bill Frisell: Lagrimas Mexicanas

Read "Lagrimas Mexicanas" reviewed by Mark F. Turner

by Mark F. Turner
February 8, 2011

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 ...

440

Live Review

Bill Frisell At The Stone

by AAJ Staff
September 18, 2010

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 ...

368

Album Review

Bill Frisell: Beautiful Dreamers

Read "Beautiful Dreamers" reviewed by Troy Collins

by Troy Collins
August 25, 2010

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 ...

333

Album Review

Bill Frisell: Beautiful Dreamers

Read "Beautiful Dreamers" reviewed by John Kelman

by John Kelman
August 24, 2010

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 ...

178

Album Review

John Zorn / George Lewis / Bill Frisell: More News For Lulu

Read "More News For Lulu" reviewed by Glenn Astarita

by Glenn Astarita
July 8, 2010

More News For Lulu was this trio's second album and, despite being recorded in 1989 and originally released on hatOLOGY Records (the father label to HatHut Records) in 1992, its crisp attack and buoyant execution holds up rather immaculately with this overdue reissue. A hybrid studio/live program, the artists effortlessly work through bop, and swing motifs with slight nods to abstract expressionism in choice spots. And the overall dynamic is abetted by the record label's pristine audio processing. ...