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Last week, I fell down a rabbit hole. It happens from time to time when I’m on the air. A listener emailed to request a cut from the new Brad Mehldau album, his solo tribute to The Beatles. Fair enough; it’s a nice album. Happy to play it.
As is often the case, when one’s on-air studio is outside a library of several thousand CDs, it can lead to an idea. In this particular case, how about playing a handful of Beatles covers?
This can lead to selection overload, not unlike trying to decide which breakfast cereal you want from the local supermarket. Just entering “Beatles Jazz” into a Spotify search brings up, by my very quick count, well over fifty unique playlists, to say nothing of broader descriptions like “Jazz Covers of Rock Classics.”
So, while thinning this down to something manageable can seem like trying to boil the ocean, if you’re lucky, you remember an album you once heard and bookmarked in your brain for just such an occasion. Which brings me to Bill Frisell.
Frisell first came to the attention of jazz audiences in the 1980’s, both as a band leader and as a first call session player in New York. Filling in for the unavailable Pat Metheny on a date with Paul Motian, Frissell became the ECM go-to guitarist and worked with as wide a variety of musicians (John Zorn, Joe Lovano, Jan Gabarek, among many others) as anyone during that time.
Although primarily known for jazz, Frisell is comfortable with country, folk and Americana music. He is a prolific recording artist and tours frequently in all manner of venues. During the early stages of the Covid pandemic, his outdoor concerts in New York were beloved by neighbors and have been uploaded to YouTube.
Which brings me to his 2011 release, All We Are Saying… his tribute to John Lennon.
The beauty of Frisell’s playing on this album is among the best illustrations of the “less is more” doctrine. Take “In My Life” for example. This is a no-fuss arrangement that could easily go very maudlin. Accompanied by violinist Jenny Scheinman, pedal steel guitarist Greg Leisz, bassist Tony Scherr and percussionist Kenny Wollesen, the band makes the difficult sound very easy and instinctive.
The crowning achievement of the album is “You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away”.
Beginning with single notes and simple chords, Frisell wastes no time inviting the band into the tune. Scheinman takes over the melody, with Frisell darting in and out, as though encouraging her to continue exploring. It isn’t long before the entire band has entered and one can easily envision the musicians gathered in the studio, dispatching visual cues as the intensity ramps. How could they have not been grinning as the song builds?
The album concludes with “Give Peace a Chance”. At times during this tune, Frissel’s electric guitar reminds me of Jimi Hendrix’s evocation of the Star Spangled Banner at Woodstock. And yet, despite the intensity, it seems not only joyful but also thunderous. I’m not privy to what studio effects may (or may not) have been employed, but five musicians make this symphonic.
John Kelman of All About Jazz put it best in the conclusion of his review of the album.1
Is releasing three back-to-back albums in the space of thirteen months a good thing? It is when you’ve Frissell’s restless desire to explore the broadest possible musical spectrum. Once a jazzer but now beyond simple categorization, All We are Saying… may be Frissell’s closest thing to a rock record but, informed by years of improvisational experimentation — melodically, harmonically and texturally — it’s an album that simply couldn’t have been made by anyone else.
Extended Solo
Rumors of nefarious activities in and around the Denver International Airport are nothing new. In fact, this article from the New York Times is late to the party. But, in an era where flying has lost whatever charm it may have had, arriving at an airport with a Sr Illuminati Spokesman, a talking gargoyle named Greg and a plan to celebrate its 20th anniversary with crop circles isn’t a bad way to go.
Bill Frisell: All We Are Saying... album review @ All About Jazz
What a magical place! I am surprised you emerged with enough time to write an article:)