Customer Reviews

Bill Frisell, Ron Carter, Paul Motian

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Eclectic guitarist Bill Frisell has long been one of my favorite musicians, his sense of humor and boundary-stretching big picture idea of what it is to play "jazz" appeals to me greatly. On this album, he has two other legendary musicians in tow, bassist Carter and drummer Motian and produces one of the "jazziest" albums of his eclectic career. Paul Motian has played with Frisell for years in a long running trio with saxophonist Joe Lovano, and Ron Carter has been the object of Frisell's admiration to the point of having a tune dedicated to him on Frisell's Blues Dream release. The music examines several different sub-genres. Two Thelonious Monk compositions, "Raise Four" and "Misterioso," give the trio a chance to stretch out interpreting the master's intricate compositions.

It wouldn't be a Bill Frisell album without a dose of Americana, in this case, covers of "You Are My Sunshine," Hank Williams "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" and the traditional "Pretty Polly." Polly, in particular, is fascinating as Frisell takes an almost painterly approach deftly adding some electronic enhancements and feedback to create an ominous sound tapestry. Carter's rock solid bass work and Motian's agile percussion (especially his superb brushwork) are spot-on throughout the entire disc. The album is rounded out by one original from each band member, most notably Carter's spry "Eighty-One." Fans who were looking for Frisell to step out and play something akin to the music he made with Joey Baron and John Zorn may be a little disappointed, but music fans who appreciate fine teamwork with a little wry humor will find this disc quite enjoyable.

I think this album was poorly perceived by most that have written reviews. I had no expectations about what the sounds would be when I listened to it and that may be why I love this album. I'm very accustomed to all three players and I think they all show incredible musicianship. The arrangements are harmonically dense but ethereal. My friends that aren't even musicians have found this album to be very listenable.

Bill Frisell displays wonderful tones from his Telecaster and never makes me long for a hollow bodied sound, even on the tunes that originate in jazz.

Paul Motian's playing is very tasteful and he plays off the counterpoint of Frisell and Carter wonderfully. As always, his timbre and tone color are amazing.

Ron Carter is my favorite bassist and the work on this album is as good as ever. His harmonic substitutions and bends (matching Frisell) are flawless. In one review they said Charlie Haden would have been a better choice. I like Charlie Haden a lot but I think the outcome would have been more predictable and anyone wanting those sounds should check out his album with Pat Metheny "Beyond the Missouri Sky."

The trio on this recording plays so well together I don't know how anyone could not love this album unless they didn't listen to it. Many people approach recordings with such a bias, even (especially) when it's their favorite players. I think this diminishes their ability to truly listen to the album. Don't let that happen to you with this album. Listen to the timbres, textures, and tone colors.

Frisell, who with Pat Metheny invented what I call "heartland jazz," here presents his umpteenth excursion into such waters.

And stumbles slightly.

For me, things go wrong right at the start with his selection of bandmates, Paul Motian (drums) and Ron Carter (bass). In other settings, these are fine players, masters even. Here, they often seem like whales in Nebraska. Motian generally abandons his trademark minimalism, so brilliantly displayed, e.g., on I Have the Room Above Her, for what sounds almost like bombast, certainly not his usual MO. Ron Carter tries to incorporate lots of unusual harmonic and rhythmic moves that for me fall flat. Wouldn't it have been better to have someone like Matt Wilson in the drum chair? And what about Charlie Haden on bass?

To get the right heartland vibe, it either needs to be ironic or heartfelt. This music falls between those two stools, seemingly unable to make up its mind whether it wants the gimlet-eyed or straightforward approach. Don't get me wrong, there are lots of memorable moments. Frisell, admittedly, has perfected the way-out-West mournful guitar timbre, and it's fully, gloriously on display throughout. And the rhythm sections shines on the two Monk tunes ("Raise Four" and "Misterioso") and "On the Street Where You Live," much more typically up their alley than "You Are My Sunshine," "Pretty Polly," and "I'm So Lonesome, I Could Cry." Nevertheless, these pieces seem to have little relationship to the core Americana vibe. For a disc that absolutely nails the right heartland sensibility, check out Ghost of Electricity by Junk Genius.

I've come to prefer Frisell in either more adventurous world-jazzy settings (The Intercontinentals or Unspeakable), more heart-wrenching settings (Blues Dream), or more heartland-drenched outings (Good Dog, Happy Man, This Land, The Willies, and Lookout for Hope). I didn't particularly care for his trio outing with Elvin Jones and Dave Holland, though Gone, Like a Train worked well.

All that said, I have to admit this disc is growing on me. Motian's tune, "Introduction," has that eerie desert Southwest keening desolation all over it, and the folk-western tunes ring with authority, albeit a little skewed. And Frisell deserves kudos for entering into conversations with such a wide spectrum of players and styles, even if they're not all equally brilliant.

****1/2

I bought this CD after listening to some of its tracks at Borders. The musicianship and synergy between Bill Frisell, Ron Carter and Paul Motian really impressed me. The opening track -"Eighty-one," an old Miles Davis composition, is a nice hook and will entice listeners to experience the rest of the CD, which is excellent. My favorites, other than "Eighty-one" are "Pretty Polly," and "On the Street Where You Live." This is not to say that the other songs are bad--they are very good. I like the bluesy tinge that Frisell incorporates into the songs.

What struck me most about this album is how well the musicians blend their styles with each other. I immediately think of the synergy and musical understanding that Keith Jarrett, Jack DeJohnette, and Gary Peacock have when they play.

I was not familiar with Bill Frisell and based most of my jazz guitar experience on my encounters with Al DiMeola, John McLaughlin and Django Reinhart. But now, after listening to this CD, I am a fan. This is an example of how three instruments played by three excellent musicians can produce an extraordinary jazz experience. More instrumentation is not necessarily better.

This is a great CD for fans of Bill Frisell, Ron Carter and Paul Motian and to those new to jazz and to the work of these great musicians.

Wow - what a CD...! Minimalism. The comfort of Ron Carter's playing - weaving in and out between these two musical genius' is astounding...

Lovely album.

Guitarist Bill Frisell, bassist Ron Carter and drummer Paul Motian are obviously leaders in their respective fields and that definitely comes across on this CD. They also work well together as a trio. That said, the overall effect here is that of a very pleasant sounding CD but not a particularly exciting one, in my view. It sounds nice enough to not have me reaching for either the fast forward or eject buttons, but then there's nothing mind-blowing enough for me to want to press the review button either. There isn't a single song here that makes me go, 'ooh, I definitely need to hear THAT again!' (The last Nonesuch recordings to do that were the Pat Metheny Group's The Way Up, both the Pat Metheny/Brad Mehldau projects and Joshua Redman Elastic Band's Momentum. They're still doing it now).

Of particular interest though, were the Thelonious Monk tune "Raise Four", which sounded very, well, Monk-esque, even without the 'benefit' of keyboards and the Frisell-penned "Monroe". "Introduction", written by Motian is also quite nice. Maybe I need to spend more time listening but so far, the rest just sounds like background music to me. The songs are okay and all but they just don't seem to go anywhere.

I guess if one is planning any cocktail parties or barbecues this summer - and I say this with the utmost respect to the artistes - this CD is definitely one for the playlist. I think it'll go down a treat.

After a struggle I decided to give this CD four stars (I was thinking more like three and three quarters) but I admit - it is quite a pleasant four-star experience.

This is much more traditional jazz than what Frisell has made us used to. However it is very beautiful and the choice of sidemen is as allways fantastic. As somebody wrote it may not be the place to start exploring Frisell however.

The world doesn't really need another review of "Bill Frisell, Ron Carter, Paul Motian." Before me, there were plenty of other reviews that captured the essence of this recording. In the end, I have been so moved by this disc that I have to share my experience, out of a sense of musical therapy. First off, I have always loved Bill Frisell's Jazz stuff. "Going Back Home" and "Bill Frisell with Dave Holland and Elvin Jones" are two of my all-time favorites. With the addition of this release, I consider it to form a trilogy of sorts. Like the aforementioned albums, this release has a similar sensibility and sound. "Bill Frisell, Ron Carter, Paul Motian" has a dark, psychedelic and intellectual vision. Frisell's liquid guitar work dances with Carter's bass work and Motian's groove. While playing real Jazz, the project's hallucinatory effects will appeal to Rock listeners. If you're willing to accept the Frisellian premise that there may be a Jazz trilogy of sorts, I will write that this is probably the softest. While it has the same sound and vibe, it is slightly weaker. It's hard to say whether it's because the improvisation, selections or arrangements are slightly less compelling. In contrast, this project is lower-keyed and less ambitious. That written, it has some fantastic songs. 'You Are My Sunshine' and Hank's 'I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry' well represent the Americana. The retelling of 'Monroe' is fantastic provided that you haven't burned the tune out by listening to "Nashville" and the multiple versions on "History, Mystery." Thelonious Monk is well exhibited given 'Misterioso' and 'Raise Four.' While it may be the lightest of 'the trilogy,' it's the first Frisellian project to WOW me in some time. It's been a long time since I found any album that I could play several times a day for weeks on end. While you may have a similar experience, I ultimately have to apologize for the indulgence that is this review. To Bill, Ron and Paul, I thank you for reminding me of why I passionately love music.

If you can't get enough of this band, there's a little known EP out there by the same group. It contains four songs from the same recording session. The twenty minute disc is not available on Amazon, most likely due to title confusion. It's entitled "Bill Ron Paul" and the subtitle seems to be "A Frisell EP." To complicate matters, the cover is remarkably similar. (For curiosity sake, I put a picture of the cover into the image gallery for this product.) If you fall in love with the LP as I have, the EP is worth hunting down.

When I first bought this album, it was so radically different from anything I had ever heard that I was almost angry and certainly confused. I had never heard any of these three musicians, all of whom have very unique styles that blend better than a smoothie.

Now I can't stop listening to it. If you're looking for something up-beat and exciting, this isn't it. However, if you want something that is extremely fascinating, dark, and smooth, this album will exceed all of your expectations.

Paul Motian has totally changed the way I approach the drumset. His style is very conservative, which allows for, in this case, phrasing that really adds to the music.

If you haven't heard Bill Frisell before, this will give you a very sweet taste. Ron Carter throws out some great solos, and does his job as well as anybody I've heard.

One of my favorite albums.

This one inevitably gets compared to Frisell's ill-fated trio with Dave Holland & Elvin Jones, a disc which while it has some admirers is more often seen as a real disappointment (I'm in the latter camp). This one, fortunately, is considerably better, though that's of course largely explained by the greater amount of shared common ground & personal history among the players--aside from Frisell's longstanding membership in Paul Motian's groups, Frisell and Carter were both members of the Joey Baron group that recorded _Down Home_ and _We'll Soon Find Out_. The results are pleasantly easygoing in the latterday Frisell manner rather than especially surprising or invigorating, but it's still good to hear Frisell in more explicitly jazz-oriented territory for a change--Carter's inventively fractured countermelodies and firm walking bass-lines make a huge difference from, say, Tony Scherr & Viktor Krauss on _East/West_. That said, the guitarist's cuteness gets out of hand sometimes--I found his arch, bouncy take on "On the Street Where You Live" close to unbearable (& _way_ too long at nearly 10 minutes), in particular--and in general his playing has a curious tidiness about it by this stage. (It's been a long while since I've heard Frisell play something actually _moving_--and this is the man who could move me to tears with extraordinary performances like "After the Requiem" or the _Trio Live_ version of "Strange Meeting".) Still, it's an attractive album, perhaps at its best on the opening reading of Carter's classic blues line "Eighty-One". Monk's "Raise Four" and "Misterioso" both star off with large doses of Frisellian whimsy, but both manage to shake these off for some enjoyable music. "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" is prettified, a far cry from the pain of the Hank Williams original, but the moody echo-laden reading of the traditional "Pretty Polly", with Frisell's electronics twisting and turning beneath his solo, is very effective. If you want a taste of Frisell's solo work at full strength, though, I'd suggest checking out his recent duo album with John DeJohnette, which (while uneven) contains some of his most exciting and involving recent playing on its longest tracks.