Jazz Articles about Bill Frisell

Norah Jones: Come Away With Me

by Bobby Dodd
May 1, 2002

One can't help being curious about the contents of Norah Jones' music collection after listening to her debut, “Come Away With Me". They would probably not be far off in assuming she grew up singing into various makeshift microphones around her household alongside the vocals of Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Joni Mitchell, and Sarah Mclachlan. Despite the album's various jazz standards, one should not be so naïve to classify Norah Jones as a jazz singer. Hardcore jazz ...

Norah Jones: Come Away With Me

by Jim Santella
April 12, 2002

Convincing in her storytellin' role, Norah Jones sings popular ballads with an emphasis on the blues. Her delicate voice sparkles gently alongside the band's twangy guitar chorus and straightforward rhythm section. She accompanies on piano. The title song, resembling a spiritual, beckons the listener to waltz away with her to a place where life will be better: better than the tension-filled surroundings we face all too often. Her original, the song belies Jones' fragile persona and warm soul. Country ballads ...

Norah Jones: Come Away With Me

by Jim Santella
March 1, 2002

Convincing in her storytellin' role, Norah Jones sings popular ballads with an emphasis on the blues. Her delicate voice sparkles gently alongside the band's twangy guitar chorus and straightforward rhythm section. She accompanies on piano. The title song, resembling a spiritual, beckons the listener to waltz away with her to a place where life will be better: better than the tension-filled surroundings we face all too often. Her original, the song belies Jones' fragile persona and warm soul. Country ballads ...

Bill Frisell: Ghost Town

by Mark Corroto
April 1, 2000

Bill Frisell has settled into a sound he is comfortable with. The guitarist was known in the eighties for an eclectic mix of sounds. He thrashed with John Zorn's Naked City and Powertools, played bebop with Joe Lovano and Paul Motian, and generally mixed it up with New York's Downtown crowd. Since relocating to Seattle in 1989, the Denver-raised, Berklee schooled guitarist has concentrated on an Americana sound, composing tunes with Aaron Copeland and Woody Guthrie in mind. This trend, ...

Gary Peacock & Bill Frisell: Just So Happens

by Glenn Astarita
September 1, 1999

In the early 90’s, the folks at “Postcards” consistently produced some of the finest jazz recordings to hit the stores while featuring artists such as Alan Pasqua, Reggie Workman and here, the teaming of guitarist Bill Frisell and bassist Gary Peacock. Thankfully, Arkadia records have taken ownership of the catalogue and from all appearances, retain the original artwork and packaging.

The pairing of Bill Frisell and Gary Peacock is sheer delight as their respective careers in jazz and beyond are ...

Bill Frisell: Good Dog, Happy Man

by Douglas Payne
July 1, 1999

Every note Bill Frisell plays - or suggests - offers an impressionistic soundtrack of the American vernacular. It is jazz only in the way improvisation is a reflection of sensibilities. But Frisell's music is really not just jazz. It swings over a wide swath of American musical forms: jazz, rock, grunge, blues, country, folk, bluegrass, even commercial orchestration. Call it a sort of 'sound Americana': peculiar, individual and unusually compelling. Good Dog Happy Man ideally documents another ...

David Sanborn: Inside

by Ian Nicolson
May 1, 1999

Since the days when he left his hometown St Louis to play for the Butterfield Blues Band during the sixties Blues boom in California, Sanborn has worked hard at staying top dog among the LA studio sessioneers - and succeeded.He has also commuted effortlessly between sophisticated Jazzpop solo albums stressing his distinctive alto tone and R'n'B roots, and the occasional full-ahead Jazz outing - like 1990's Another Hand, or Upfront a year or two later. This time he's ...