Bill Frisell - Guitar In The Space Age!

New, wonderful album of '50s/'60s instrumentals and pop songs w. Greg Leisz on pedal steel and guitars. "Surfer Girl", "Pipeline", "Rumble", "Cannonball Rag", and ... the most elegiac take in "Tired Of Waiting" I can imagine (and I imagine very well). All gorgeously done*, and more moving than I expected.


*I wish the production was a bit more Twin Peaks, but that's just me.

 

Really enjoying this one! Too bad no vinyl.

 

First I heard of it - will be getting ASAP. He was here in Philadelphia in a support role on Friday night, and I found out Saturday morning

 

He's touring this album upcoming.

Don't know the full dates, but I'm going to this one in January
http://www.sopacnow.org/552/BillFrisell

 

I listened to the Soundcloud samples. I wanted so much to love it. I really did. I've played in surf bands in the past, 60's instrumental/surf music is what really got me excited about electric guitar in the first place (48 years ago, but who's counting), and I think the Bill Frisell is one of the very few truly interesting modern jazz guitarists (John Scofield is another). I walked away feeling very underwhelmed and disappointed. For one thing, the tempos are absolutely somnambulant. I know that's kind of Bill's thing (slowish atmospheric grooves), but really at least some of those songs needed a kick in the pants of at least 20bpm.

Bill is coming to Portland in January. God willing, I hope to be there. I've never seen him live. Maybe hearing some of this material live will flip the switch for me. But as of this moment, I've decided to pass on this. It could have been so much better.

 

Well, there are plenty of bands out there doing surf instrumentals fast. I love Bill's atmospheric pace and feel for this material. The sympathetic ensemble really makes it.

 

I saw a video from Fretboard Journal of Bill doing Surfer Girl and I was hooked. Sure the tempos are pretty slow but that's one of the things that makes him interesting for me.

 

without a doubt, one of the most original and diverse players around...

 

I like it, but I am a little disappointed in the slower grooves, too. That approach seemed to work much better for his takes on John Lennon songs. That said, I'm still enjoying this. I haven't heard Telstar in ages and it was a blast hearing him do it.

 

It looks like Music On Vinyl is releasing this on vinyl. Amazon.com lists this at 55 minutes, which seems long on a single-LP, but I guess that's not unheard of...

http://musiconvinyl.com/catalog/bill-frisell/guitar-in-the-space-age#.VEmzQ76_0zI

 

I looked and see no amazon link for the vinyl... any way you can provide a direct link to the vinyl purchase that you mention..?

 

http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/jazz-beat-part-30.382776/page-41#post-11187930
See David Lynch I've seen him at least a dozen times in different iterations. I could do with more vibes and he's got one of the greatest contemporary "Jazz" vibraphonist's in Kenny Wolleson.

 

With respect to somnambulism, I agree, this album is not as lively as I would like, on first pass. But I have enough faith in Mr. Frisell that I will keep listening, in confidence that his choices will eventually make sense.

 

As boring as many others of his late albums. Sorry, I pass.

 

Concerning somnambulistic, I find it hard to think of some of the tracks such as Rebel Rouser being slowed much.

He did a few of the tracks at a Jazz Fest here last summer. From what I heard, I'm in for this album.

And someday I'll get a long version of Sleepwalk.

 

The Youtube clip made me recall Danny Gatton's reworking of Tragedy in the early '90s.

 

I am still yet to check it out. Although I wish he would drop Jenny Scheinmann and Greg Leisz for good. They only dilute the sound. His guitar is the one I am most interested in hearing.

 

Describes perfectly my feelings when I listened to the Lennon tribute...

 

Yes, absolutely agree. The Lennon record is pure genius. There's nothing like BF at his best. Unfortunately, like a lot of very prolific artists, a fair amount of his lesser works don't move the needle for me.

 

Try listening to his other newer recordings. The Gnostic Trio stuff is excellent IMO - Frisell, Carol Emanuel, and Kenny Wolleson. Their newest album, Testament of Solomon, was released in August.

There's also the brand new Transmigration of the Magus, with Frisell, Emanuel, Wolleson, John Medeski, Bridget Kibbey, and Al Lipowski. I haven't heard that one yet, but also sounds interesting.

 

how the hell have I missed these bands?? I am subscribed to Frisell's official news. Weird that there was not even a word. I will check this out. Definitely. I am interested in hearing (at least once) anything Frisell does.

 

Bill does so much that if you only listen to his recordings as a leader, you'll miss a bunch.

The Gnostic Trio stuff is labeled as John Zorn, as he is the composer & producer. But Zorn doesn't actually play any of the music on a number of his recordings. Zorn is a fascinating musician however. Frisell has a very long history with Zorn, dating back to the 80's with the Naked City albums.

Frisell is also on Stefano Bollani's 2014 album "Joy In Spite Of Everything", which I haven't heard yet either.

 

I love the three of 'em together.

 

Love his work with Rickie Lee Jones.