Bill Frisell Trio featuring Thomas Morgan and Rudy Royston at World Cafe Live Music Hall

Bill Frisell Trio
World Cafe Live Music Hall
Philadelphia, PA
July 29, 2023

The band took the stage at the intimate Music Hall at World Cafe Live on Walnut Street at about 8:15 for the 8 p.m. scheduled performance. Arranged in a tight semicircle with leader and guitarist Bill Frisell in the center, drummer Rudy Royston to his left and bassist Thomas Morgan to his right. Frisell introduced his two bandmates and they quickly launched into playing. They played for 45 minutes straight, melding one song into the next seamlessly, creating a sort of trancelike intensity. This was evidenced by the fact that the typical applause for individual performers solos, common at jazz concerts was largely absent, as the audience was in rapt silence, locked in a groove with the band. Morgan gets a huge sound from his upright bass, which he mostly played pizzicato, but also bowed, holding the overall sound together.

After taking a short pause to accept the applause, Royston in particular seemed to need to both shake off and warm up his hands, possibly from the length of the uninterrupted performance or more likely from the quite cold temperature in the room. Royston is an exuberant, uniquely expressive drummer, dynamic in the manner of Brian Blade. His enjoyment was reflected in his deft approach. He didn't so much attack the drums, but rather coaxed a myriad of rhythms and textures to punctuate the song at hand. Frisell and Royston exchanged numerous smiles with each other throughout the show.

They quickly resumed the set playing a few more numbers. Frisell leads the trio and they watch him and listen to him closely. He has so many textures and tones that he coaxes from his guitar and whatever pedals and effects he employs. The songs ranged from spacey, mellow, melodic and folk-like, to intense rock with an almost Hendrix- influenced ferocity.

The set concluded with a fabulous rendition of "You Only Live Twice,"John Barry's theme from the James Bond film of the same name and recorded by Frisell on his duo album with Morgan, Epistrophy (ECM Records, 2019). Here with drums added the song becomes a bit more rhythmic and less dreamy, yet the wonderful melody shone through. Frisell had part of the melody on a loop and then he soloed and punctuated on top of that to great effect. The standing ovation was graciously accepted and well-deserved.

The band returned for an encore, possibly a nod to performing in Philadelphia, the City of Brotherly Love. The pop hit "What The World Needs Now Is Love" was a fantastic cap to a well-played evening of guitar-driven jazz.

Comments