Search - Bill Frisell :: Intercontinentals

Highest order world jazz

Jan P. Dennis | Monument, CO USA | 04/25/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Bill Frisell makes music on the margins. Not that it is in any way marginal music. Quite the contrary. It is important precisely because it is on the margins but not marginal. What he excels at is taking folk-oriented musics and revivifying them through a process related to deconstruction but not entirely operating in that world; for example, it strikes me that there is little or no irony--the key component in deconstructionism--in his projects. Rather, there is genuine affection. But the way he organizes his projects, with authentic performers and musical textures, overlaid with a hip sensibility, resonates with post-modern approaches. But he couldn't be farther removed from someone like, e.g., John Zorn, who imbues everything he touches with an ironic overlay. For me, the Frisell approach is generally much more effective. Indeed, it seems more in sync with some of my favorite world jazz performers such as Yusef Lateef, Cyro Baptista (who, ironically, often collaborates with Zorn), Ry Cooder, and Egberto Gismonti..His latest project strikes me as really special. Apparently related to some of his earlier Americana explorations, it really uses those as a departure point, sailing (mainly) to points eastward, esp. Macedonia and Africa, but also downward (mapwise, at least) toward our other American neighbors to the south. There's a friendly exoticism all over this record that begins as esoteric and ends up as simply logical and beautiful. Take my favorite cut, "We Are Everywhere," with its strange affinity to many third- and fourth- world musics, its haunting melodicism, its eerie mix of pedal steel guitar, oud, bowed and pizzicato violin, and congas, all sounding perfectly natural. This is pure magic, at least to these ears. I thought I'd tire of this wildly eclectic approach, but this disc just grows deeper and more memorable with each listen.In the end, Frisell mysteriously reveals the underlying elements linking music as seemingly divergent as North American country, Eastern European, Hispanic, and West African. His genius makes it sound entirely natural, even inevitable."

One of Bill's very best.

Richard Thurston | Seattle, WA | 06/07/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I saw a version of this band at the Earshot Jazz Festival here in Seattle a couple of years back. A wonderful evening of music. The group grew out of a collaboration between Frisell and Boubocar Traore (sadly the two occasions they were to play together were postponed; first by the post 9-11 environment and secondly fallout surrounding the Iraq war).Anyway the CD adds Jenny Scheinman (violin) and Greg Liesz (pedal steel guitar to the mix and the result is a rich and incredibly satisfying blend of African, American, Macedonian, Brazilian etc. etc. influences creating a whole much much greater than the sum of its parts.Astonishingly beautiful music. Otherwordly and exotic. Without a conventional rhythm section the music sustains a pulse which gives a sense of floating, a string ensemble essentially, the group sound is nearly transparent yet still with a momentum which engages and delights.'We Are Everywhere' is a tremendous piece and 'Listen' is one of the most beautiful melodies Frisell has ever composed.Gorgeous."

Frisell in uncharted territory, again.

Adam Cutchin | Chesapeake, VA USA | 04/17/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A record with an american guitarist as bandleader, and a diverse group of musicians drawn from all over the world is often a formula for disaster. The most obvious fear that comes to mind is that the guitarist will trample over any authentic feel these musicians may bring with endless soloing and noodling. The other likely direction is that it will be ecclectic yet trite - something suitable in a movie soundtrack or bank commercial, but not a rewarding listening experience.But, of course, this is Bill Frisell. Usually Frisell's playing stays in the background, providing atmospherics through use of his trademark looping (which is heard more than in any Frisell record I can think of, though it's almost never prominent in the mix) or underscoring the melody, which is mostly provided by others.No matter what he plays, whether background, soloing or driving the melody for a piece, it works. You'll hear blues or country inspired flourishes in a Brazilian or Malian inspired composition, yet he makes it sound completely appropriate. Logically, your mind will tell you that Frisell is an outsider, but he can somehow fool you into believing for a moment that his distincively American, whimsical playing just belongs."