Search - Bill Frisell, Elvin Jones, Dave Holland :: Bill Frisell with Dave Holland and Elvin Jones

Frisell's best since "Gone, Just Like a Train"

Kristopher Bell | Seattle, WA | 10/18/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Mmmm...yummy. I believe this is Frisell's best since "Gone, Just Like a Train," which may not be saying much, given the breadth of Frisell's musical adventures and the wide disagreement amongst his fans as to the "best" Frisell period. Whatever your opinion of Frisell's body of work, however, "Bill Frisell with Dave Holland and Elvin Jones" ranks right up there with the best of Frisell's works, and will, I believe, endure to become one of his most popular. Which isn't too say this album is highly original (in the world of Frisell, that is--in the jazz world, everything Frisell does is original). On the contrary, most of the themes explored on this album have been visited before. However, with Elvin Jones and Dave Holland assisting Frisell, the familiar compositions often reveal themselves differently, especially with the swing Elvin Jones brings to the rhythm section (when was the last time you heard Bill Frisell swing?) Many tunes (especially "Twenty Years," "Convict Thirteen," and "Smilin' Jones") seem to float and move more than they have in the past, which is nice, and something I always wanted more of from Bill Frisell (no offense to Joey Baron, but his drumming sometimes feels a bit clunky, and can occasionally bog a piece down).In short, this album is worth the 15 bones. It's sweet, beautiful, and bucolic; the tunes are memorable, and Dave Holland and Elvin Jones, as always, are exceptional. Bill Frisell really breaks loose at times on this album, and rips some breathtaking lines. America never sounded so great."

Another earthy gem unearthed

Zach | MURORAN-SHI, HOKKAIDO Japan | 02/25/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"What really astounds me about Frisell's playing is the way he can pull the listener in with just a few perfectly placed plucks on his instrument. This economy of technique is note-worthy in a musical domain that constantly demands guitarists to break the speed of sound with their smoking six-strings. No doubt, Frisell can hang with the best of these blazers. Yet he doesn't.Perhaps it's this severity of musical means that make Bill's music so endlessly enticing. It's like poetry versus prose: by limiting the form and compressing the language, poetry focusses attention on the individual words and the sounds they make. Prose, on the other hand, is more about the super-structure of the whole work - how themes, symbols, and dramatic shapes hold together, not so much how they sound individually. Like Miles, Bill Frisell has the sublime ability to elicit any shade of emotional coloration with the few notes he plays and the spaces he employs to offset his sparse sound. It almost feels as if his playing is a duet with silence. Like wonderful poetry, Bill Frisell's guitar pulls you into the folds of an intensely quiet, lullingly beautiful place. This album is an excellent introduction to Frisell's unique philosophy. You'll find some heart-breakingly poignant melodies on this disc, some soulful and utterly naked songwriting that emphasizes stillness and peaceful inertia over forward moving drama. He tells a story with few words; but every sound he makes speaks volumes.Much has been said of Frisell's approach to the guitar, and I think it goes without saying that he's a true innovator. His elastic tone lies somewhere between Tennesee and those strangely vivid dreams you have right before the alarm goes off. One the the qualities that sum up Frisell's recent style is his big-hearted, gentle warmth. This is a tough quality to really pin-down: something in this music reminds me of a warm blanket on a cold night, or a piping hot cup of tea on a rainy day. There's a generosity of spirit in this music that defies description. It's a difficult qualification to make with jazz, but try listening to this album from your gut, not with your mind, as finely tuned with jazz arcana as it may be. The real pleasures of Frisell's music are sensuous, not intellectual. An oft mentioned criticism of this album is Frisell's under-reliance on Jones and Holland. It's true, you don't get much characteristic Jones bombast or Holland funkiness here. I think that sort of stuff would be entirely out of context on this session, however. Frisell could have employed a number of musicians to fill the time out on these charts, and if you're looking at this album to hear bass and drums, you will be disappointed. This project is 100% Bill Frisell, and the creativity here results from his singular talent, not from the synergy of three phenomenal musicians interacting in a studio. Get this one for Frisell, not the supporting cast."

Loose and funky

S. Hawkins | New York, NY | 11/15/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Okay, I'm not going to argue over whether or not the album is boring. It's a laid-back album in which pyrotechnics are avoided at all costs, and the three musicians function in a laid-back manner. The songs are all low key and are performed with a very contemplative style. For some, this is boring. For others, this is one amazing chill CD.My problem is with the complaint that the musicians sound as though they don't know what they're doing. This is just plain ridiculous. Frisell's sound is as we'd expect - the understated, "minimal," thoughtful playing that I've always loved. With respect to Holland and Jones, I feel they match their playing to suit Frisell...which seems to me to be the mark of good ensemble work. This is not the Elvin Jones of "A Love Supreme," nor should it be: he's not playing with Coltrane here.Perhaps what some people gripe over is that nobody stands out, so to speak. Again, perhaps this is a matter of taste, perhaps not. I think it's wonderful to hear three jazz giants blend together like this with the ultimate group sound in mind, rather than individual goals. They sound like a band, not like three guys playing together. It's loose and relaxed in sound, yes, but not sloppy."