Customer Reviews

Bill Frisell with Dave Holland and Elvin Jones

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

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.

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.

This cd has a certain vibe to it that I just can't get enough of. It's so unlike anything else I'm listening to. It's so laid back and cool. Kind of reminds me of Kenny Burrell's "Midnight Blue" (the vibe, not necessarily the music). The trio maneuver deftly to create sounds that are sometimes moody, other times beautiful but always wonderful to listen to. People may ask if you can really call this jazz, but to me it doesn't matter. Call it what you like, I call it a home run.

Dave Holland continues to amaze me. You can put him any situation and he always plays the right stuff. This cd is no exception. Frisell, Holland and Jones are all amazing musicians and they've created what I condsider to be an outstanding musical experience.

I never write reviews...but when I noticed the suspiciously low rating on this one, I had to do something about it. This is a great disc! No, it doesn't sound like a "traditional" jazz guitar trio album...thats not what Frisell is about. I admit, I wasn't expecting the album to sound like it does. However, I'm always HAPPY when an artist surprises me. Bill Frisell is one of only a handful of musicians that seems to be taking jazz to a different place and expanding its vocabulary...that is what he is doing here. When I bought this album, I brought it to my guitar teacher and said..."this is so cool...he's got elvin and holland on here...and he still made a bill frisell album!!!!" Sure, i'd love to hear this same group doing an album of standards, but this one pushed the boundaries ahead. To those that called this cd "boring" or a "failure"...i'd be willing to bet that none of these 3 players would release an album with their name on it at this stage of their careers if they felt it wasn't up to their own personal standards.

For those who like to hear Bill Frisell step out in the trio format, this record is for you. Ably backed by jazz legends Dave Holland and Elvin Jones, Frisell skims some of the best songs from his recent work and re-arranges them into the jazz trio. As with his earlier masterpiece "Gone, Just Like a Train," the trio format allows Frisell to step out of the ensemble and carry the melody. Toward that end, he uses more sustain, and his solo voice is well-heard. This record is full of energy, off-kilter yet memorable tunes, and innovation. Bravo, Bill.

I understand the criticisms people toss at this record--I personally felt the same way about it for awhile, and will likely listen to it far less than some other Frisell discs ("Where In The World? or This Land or even The Intercontinentals", for instance). However, I don't think anyone has really given it a fair evaluation. It is not a straightahead jazz record by any means, and is most certainly one of the strangest trio records I've heard. Holland is probably the quietest voice in this set. Jones, however, sounds instantly like Jones, but in the context of Frisell's leadership, he sounds significantly weirder. Those odd, polyrhythmic snare ghosts that are one of his most identifiable idiosyncracies here sound even quirkier and more unusual. Ultimately, this record is important in the way it puts the intent of Frisell's post-"This Land" output in a context that can be analyzed or judged using a traditional jazz vocabulary, rather than seeming from a different world altogether. Listen again. Listen to the parts of Elvin's vocabulary that stand out so strongly on this record. Listen to the quietly crazy abandon with which Frisell plays and overdubs on this record. It may not be the Jarrett standards trio or Metheny's last trio, but it's got something very different and specific to say, and it's certainly not boring.

Not Frisell's most inovative set, but as always-solid as a rock. I guess I expected Elvin to still sound like his classic quartet days, but he actually "rocks" at times here though mostly he "swings". Holland, like Frisell, never disappoints.

I have a feeling that, over time this may become one of my favorite Frisell records but I do lean towards his sets with "stranger" instrumentation.

For most people though, I suspect this will be THE FRISELL album!

Two Weeks Later- (i like this edit function)- I was right- this one grew on me fast-His Best! As for Elvin and Holland's roles, They are just wonderful if subtle. Make no mistake though, this is Frisell's album!

I think this is the single best Bill Frisell album. I call it a Bill Frisell album because it is his musical sensibilities that dominate the feel of the album as a whole. Not surprisingly the playing by Dave Holland and Elvin Jones is fantastic; it doesn't specially feel like their other work, though. It has much more the spacy, moody feel of Frisell. I would recommend this as one of the 10 or so most important albums for someone trying to get a sense for the directions of modern jazz music. This is not jazz in any traditional sense, but it is music made by players deeply embedded in the jazz tradition, coupled with the pursuit of originality that has characterized jazz music from its inception. This is one of my favourite albums, and I especially appreciate its demonstration of the incredible musical power that can be mustered by a trio; (not unlike, in that sense, the album "Question and Answer," by Pat Metheny, Dave Holland and Roy Haynes).

Although I listened to plenty of Bill Frisell tunes, this is the first Frisell CD I actually bought. That's not to say I don't like Frisell's style or am afraid to try something new. It's just that there are MANY Frisell CDs I would like to own, and I need to make sure I don't go crazy on a shopping spree. The reason I decided to go for this particular CD is because I have tremendous respect for Dave Holland. He would not make music that isn't in good taste or in some way original, creative, and stimulating.

And this is indeed the case here: the trio does some really fine work together and appear to have excellent chemistry. Alvin Jones and Dave Holland are absolutely flawless in providing the right rhythmic underpinnings for Frisell to be able to work his magic. Many people rag on Frisell for being too subtle and providing only partial melodies, but it is this subtlety that keeps things interesting, unpredictable, and avoids musical cliches. Bill is immediately recognizable for his tone and style, and this is exactly what this CD provides: the dreamy, creative, flowing, floating, weaving ambiance that is unmistakably a form of jazz. The fact that Frisell is a fine player cannot be disputed. If anything, this record reaffirms how fine a player he is and what attention to the most minute details of a song he has when he crafts it. Bill is definitely a perfectionist, and this is why he's in such a good company here.

Bill weaves several guitar tones throughout his music, which have been very thoughtfully overlayed. You can hear the sounds of acoustic, electric, and steel guitars - whether he actually plays steel here I cannot vouch, but the way some of the chords are played, they sound just like steel. This work certainly harkens back to "Gone, Just like a Train", with some of the similar electric guitar stylings making an appearance - weaving the elements of the more gentle country style with an occasional tinge of progressive rock, all built on top of a jazz rhythm section. To me, it is remarkable how this all comes together, but Frisell is the real genius to see this kind of sound through and be able to strike such a perfect balance with a little bit of everything without wandering off to any extreme in particular.

Overall, the music is just superb: very pleasant listening, top of the line professionalism and technique from all players, and inspired, well-connected interplay. Frisell makes you want to listen to these songs and gives you a generous helping of each, at the same time knowing just when to quit without wearing out to welcome. This is a music for people who can connect to their emotions and open their minds to something new and enjoy being surprised.

This album is really extraordinary. There are a wealth of guitar licks that are used in very innovative ways, and just when Frisell seems like he is bordering on cheesy he'll show you that it was all a part of his plan. Holland and Jones do a great job not only as a supporting cast but as an integral part of the music. That said, it took me a couple of listens before I started to realize just how cool this was. Give it a chance... you probably didn't like A Love Supreme the first time you heard it.