Live: Bill Frisell EAST/WEST

Did I ever tell you how awesome Bill Frisell is? I thought I did but was not quite sure. He has done so much for music and created hybrids of genres and styles then anyone I know. I could see him one week playing solo guitar and it would sound like a beautiful ambient landscape and the next night have a six piece band that sounds like controlled chaos. He can do so much with any kind of group or ensemble and make it sound perfect and most of all his own. When he performers live he could put a band together of awesome musicians who never recorded together and make them feel they have worked for twenty years. He is quirky in his compositions and even more quirky on stage. When he talks between songs it's like he is taking effective speaking class and is afraid of his audience even though they know him all too well. When his own material is unique his cover songs of other artists are even more unique and he makes it sound like he wrote the piece himself. I have seen him ten times and each time is different and fun.

My Bill Frisell music started in high school where as a lonely little librarian I got a copy of John Zorn's Naked City and a warning to ingest slowly and carefully because the music should be takin in small doses. I was also told to pay careful attention to the guitar player. His playing is like nothing you ever heard the person handing me the cassette of the album said. I was more amazed with how many songs were on it and the artwork. It's an album I will feature in a future blog.

There has been a ton of Bill Frisell material that has been put out and I can't even count how many times he has been on other people's projects. He has a live archive series on his web site, and he has only a small handful of official live albums. Once you think a group he works with on an album of material you would think he would have a live recording of them, but no; he moves on. He does have two sidemen he keeps busy with and if not them two at least one is represented in a Frisell project or two.

Bill's music is comical, serious, adventurous, Americana, Jazz, Folk, Blues, Avant-Garde, Country, and anything else I can't think of. I like everything he does. His music is always engaging and when you seem him live you have no idea what to expect. I went to one show where he described his life on the road. He was in Europe and saw a large group of as he put it "rednecks, hicks" going through the airport. He was going to heckle them until his drummer stopped him and told him that it was Willie Nelson and Family. He told us the audience that he felt like a fool if said anything. That really describes Bill Frisell pretty well. He is funny, and shy, but a great storyteller either through his music or him speaking between songs.

Kenny Wollesen on drums and Tony Scherr on bass Bill's most popular backup band

Bill music should and will be explored later in this blog.  I love most of his music that he as released. On this live album he covers all the genres and styles and then some.  He makes every song unique.  He covers array of many tunes ranging from Bob Dylan Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Gershwin, Ledbetter and a lengthy and fun version of "I Heard It Through The Grape Vine" which you hear a bit of the melody scattered throughout eight minute piece of music.  My favorite is the almost twelve minute version of Bob Dylan's "A Hard's Rain"s A-Gonna Fall."  This is all on Disc One recorded in the West venue of Yoshi's where he swaps out Tony Scherr for Viktor Krauss (Alison Krauss's brother).  Disc two gems include Willie Nelson's "Crazy" and Henry Mancini's beautiful piece of music "The Day of Wine and Roses" that is quite memorable at the East venue The Village Vanguard. All of it is very good.

Well if you need a modern Jazz live Jazz album and you like guitar, this is a no brainier,  If you have known Bill's music for years like myself this is a great breath of fresh air.  If you are like me waiting to hear a show you saw and the Bill did almost the same material and you want to have an audio snapshot, then this is for you.  Bill continues to make amazing music and this double live album sure see's Bill in the finest form he has ever in his career and wanting more and more.  Enjoy!

P.S There is a digital download floating around called Further East/Further West that has a second set of each East and West shows for even better and adventurous music.  All total is about seventy-eight minutes of music.  Check it out if you can find it.