Customer Reviews

History, Mystery

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Trying to pigeonhole Bill Frisell is a bit similar to abstract algebra or dwarf-tossing: it's not quite as easy as you might think. Even though the guy is obviously rooted in jazz, there's so much more his music encompasses.
If you had to pick one musician from the past 20 years who has really made a difference to the way we perceive sound, the guitarist Bill Frisell would surely come close to the top of the list. His unmistakeable electric guitar technique, in which ambient colour-wash effects are used to create dreamy soundscapes, often set to the contrastingly edgy, off-kilter, rhythms associated with the New York jazz avant-garde, would alone be sufficient to ensure a place in the history books.
Bill Frisell became one of the most influential guitarists ever for a style that initially sounded like a cross between a twangy '50s rocker, Jimi Hendrix, Ry Cooder and a tape-recording playing backwards.
Those might be distinctive qualities, but beneath all that, Frisell can be a resourceful, more or less straightahead jazz guitarist, and a full-on blues player, or a fastidious chamber-music explorer.
They're standard components of any Frisell project, history and mystery. Here they're presented as a subject rather than as a given. It's a two-CD job, featuring an octet incorporating strings, horns and reeds alongside the familiar rhythm section of Kenny Wollesen and Tony Scherr.
Plus, much of the material arose from collaborations with Seattle artist Jim Woodring.
This is the Bill Frisell who makes great soundtrack music; the one who rejoices in sieving the Hot Club de Paris out of Thelonious Monk. Essential for established Frisell's fan. Not a bad place to develop the taste.
"Bill Frisell with strings" might sound like a fantasy combination, but here the guitarist is performing with an octet containing violin, cello and viola. And in a spectral, oddball way, the results are often beautiful.
As is frequently the case with Frisell, the music here is a mélange of numerous idioms, from hillbilly to modern classical, with overall a wistful, elegiac mood (which is also typical of him).
It all seems to come to life on Thelonious Monk's "Jackie-ing", on which this strange but likeable band swing along like be-boppers from Mars
"Though guitarist Bill Frisell can seem indecisive in person, he has the surest touch as a musician. That is true for his playing, where he can invest a single note with meaning, and it's true in the way he organises his music and musicians. That slow response denotes a genuine thoughtfulness. And Frisell has rethought his ensemble lineup - a kind of roots-jazz-classical chamber hybrid, though with none of the hang-ups that might imply. The octet, recorded mainly live here, are particularly good at ultra-slow tempos on numbers such as Sam Cooke's smouldering "A Change Is Gonna Come", and the drawling groove of "Struggle", which foregrounds the string trio of Hank Roberts (cello), Jenny Scheinman (violin) and Eyvind Kang (viola).
The 30-track, double CD is studded with gems such as "Baba Drame" (by Boubacar Traoré), "Waltz for Baltimore" and "Monroe", appropriately reminiscent of Ornette Coleman's "Lonely Woman".. ".Guardian
Artist Bill Frisell : guitar (with Eybind Kang - viola; Ron Miles - cornet; Hank Roberts - cello; Jenny Scheinman - violin; Tony Scherr - bass; Greg Tardy - clarinet / tenor sax; Kenny Wollesen - drums)

Miles Davis once said that the secret to playing jazz was capturing the feel of children's rhymes like "Patty Cake." Bill Frisell captures it perfectly, and his music is simple, playful, and fun. It's also serious and complex. No contemporary jazz artist (other Keith Jarrett) puts me in touch with the poignancy of life the way Bill does, with the sweetness of being alive, with delight in what's transient and beautiful in the face of great loss and inevitable death. Bill (like Keith) understands how important it is to keep jazz connected to its roots in blues and American popular song. ("All Blues" would be a good title for Bill's entire oeuvre.) I think this is why I resonate more to his music than to trickier cutting edge jazz, which sometimes sounds like an unfun puzzle. History, Mystery has the kind of artistic scope of Blues Dream, but it's even larger, more natural, and more satisfying. It contains echoes of The Intercontinentals, but sounds deeper, less concepty, and more settled. The pairing of guitar and violin has an illustrious history: Rheinhardt and Grapelli, McLaughlin and Goodman, McLaughlin and Shankar, Abercrombie and Feldman. Add Frisell and Scheinman to that list.

Bill Frisell leads an octet over the 30 mostly short songs that make up "History, Mystery". He has a very good group -- Ron Miles on trumpet, Greg Hardy on sax, Jenny Schienman, Eyvind Kang & Hank Roberts on strings, Tony Scherr on bass, and Kenny Wollesen drumming. The songs generally have a creative dreaminess about them. The closest touchstone to this CD is Frisell's "Have A Little Faith". One thing contributing to dreaminess is that many of the songs show up more than once, so there's 40 seconds of "Answer #1" then later 110 seconds of "Answer #2". For all of the interesting miniatures, the longer songs with longer solos stand out -- "Baba Drame", "A Change Is Gonna Come", "Struggle", and "Waltz For Baltimore". Greg Hardy's solo in "A Change Is Gonna Come" is a highlight of the CD. Given that this CD has more players, Frisell's guitar is downplayed and he also doesn't step on his distortion pedal. It's more about Frisell the bandleader and composer and not the guitar hero. At 90 minutes, it's a long CD, but it doesn't seem long, which is a compliment. Bill Frisell fans should absolutely pick this one up. Anyone curious about Frisell would find this a good starting place as well.

This holds together much better then one might think, 30 tracks from different sources. There is a very nice flow to it. I like this more then East/West, less guitar histrionics (but there is a bit). It most reminds me of his "The Intercontinental", probably my favorite Frisell recording.
His version of "A Change is Gonna Come" on here is gorgeous!

Overview:
In History, Mystery Bill Frisell combines elements of the many different styles and genres he has dabbled with over the years into one cohesive story telling album. You can hear elements of Appalachia (ala The Willies), string orchestrations (ala Unspeakable), ambient soundscapes (ala Floratone), great horn lines (Blues Dream), African jazz (ala the Intercontinentals) and quirky odd Friselldoms (ala The Rambler). Basically Bill has gone into his bag of tricks and combined the many magical things he can do into one dreamy CD. At first listen it's a bit much to take in and for fans who are not wild about violins, the string orchestrations might seem a bit too far from jazz. However, after several listens the clever crafting of the songs and the great interactions between the musicians reveal themselves. The overall mood of the album is somber, tragic, intense and dramatic.

Performers: Bill Frisell (electric & acoustic guitars & electronics), Ron Miles Cornet, Greg Tardy (tenor sax, clarinet), Jenny Scheinman (violin), Eyvind Kang (viola), Hank Roberts (cello), Tony Scherr (bass), Kenny Wolleson (drums)

Song Highlights:
Probability Cloud - This song reminds me a lot of Miles Davis' performance of Manuel de Falla's "Will O Wisp" from Sketches from Spain. It has a bit of Spanish tango feel to it. The combined orchestration of strings and horns in the main melody line is beautifully done.

Struggle - Just a killer bass line melody with backing strings. This is perhaps the catchiest song on the CD. Frisell's harmonics over the time are perfectly placed to. Not too much, just a touch here, a note there, plenty of space to let it breath.

Baba Drame - Better than the original Frisell version from Intercontinentals. It sounds like the song was meant for a string section.

Struggle Part 2 - Completely different version of Struggle. Same song, different mood. This version is great because Frisell really lets loose and rocks out a killer guitar solo.

Waltz for Baltimore - Featrues lengthy passionate sax solo by Greg Tardy. Greg really gets all his frustrations out in this brilliant solo.

This might be remembered as Frisell's greatest album. I'm not ready to say it's my favorite, but its really growing on me, and I feel there's a lot of subtle things left for me to discover here.

Another fantastic release from Mr. Frisell. I recommend this to people who are already very familiar with Bill Frisell's work and enjoy it. History, Mystery is a wonderful mix of the familiar with the unfamiliar. I can't wait to see what Bill creates next.

Thoroughly interesting, eminently entertaining, highly recommended!

The description that this album seems like a soundtrack to an unseen play is apt. Perfect for close "headphones" listening, or for a long thoughtful drive in the car.

Let your mind wander... Great CD!

I have been listening to Bill for years now and he has always had an impact on my artistic vision. Being a musician myself, I have enjoyed a rich appreciation for Frisell's music, both inspiring and listenable. It isn't very often that an artist is able to revamp a style, yet here he has done it once again. Combining orchestral instruments in a jazz context is nearly impossible without sounding forced. As you know if you enjoy Bill's music, he rarely if ever forces anything and this record is perfect! Every time I hear a new recording I think it's my favorite, but "History" is special in that the song order creates a unique flow lost in the digital world. Remember, "Gone, Just Like a Train", it's that good... Enjoy!

This was a gift and it arrived early for the Christmas season. My friend is really enjoying it.

The pieces of music on this album were done by a professional bunch of folk who for some time have been going on in a certain direction. It's the first Frisell album I ever bought, so I can't say much about the guy's past. Anyawy, most pieces on this album are sad. Some of them are repetitive and boring. Few have interesting compositions. All in all it's a pleasant affair. It's the kind of music some people would want to listen to sitting in an old rocking chair and looking at the post-sunsent with a glass of fine Cognac on the side, thinking about nothing in particular.