Just
when you think you've got guitarist-composer Bill Frisell all figured out,
confident in your expectations, this American original shakes things up with an
unexpected glimpse into those layers of consciousness which inform his rootsy,
inclusive, oh so personal style of musical outreach.
With his
new album, GUITAR IN THE SPACE AGE! (available October 7 on OKeh Records),
Frisell goes back to the music that first sparked his imagination.
"There's something about being the age I'm at now," reflects this
iconic guitar hero. "I turned 63 this past spring, and after playing for
more than 50 years, it just feels right to once again play some of the music
which shaped my consciousness during my formative years, even to play some of
it for the first time...and maybe get it right. GUITAR IN THE SPACE AGE! isn't
really an exercise in nostalgia, but about a re-commitment to keep learning, to
firm up the foundation.
"On
this album is some of the music I was hearing growing up in the '50s and early
'60s," notes Frisell. "There is so much history. Back and forth.
Before and after. It's impossible to pin things down. That's the beauty. We all
learn from each other. When I listen to Jimmy Bryant, I know he must have
listened to Charlie Christian, and The Ventures heard Chet Atkins, and Chet
Atkins listened to Johnny Smith. It's like a kaleidoscope. You look at one
piece of music, and it immediately shoots out into all these directions. All
these beams of light cut through whatever words are used to try to box it
in."
As a
baby boomer who came of age in the 50s and '60s, there is an undeniably
autobiographical element to the tenor and tone of the repertoire which Frisell
explores on GUITAR IN THE SPACE AGE! along with long-time collaborators Greg
Leisz (pedal steel & electric guitar), Tony Scherr (acoustic bass and
electric bass guitar) and Kenny Wolleson (drums and vibraphone).
"I've
known Kenny, Tony, and Greg for a long time now," recalls Frisell. "I
learn so much from them. They are my teachers. When I first heard Tony and
Kenny play together, they had their own 'sound.' They play together like
brothers. The first time I was introduced to Greg, I knew we'd be playing
together before we had played a note. Greg and I grew up during the same time.
The same generation. His first electric guitar was a Fender Mustang, as was
mine. Nothing needs to be said or discussed. There is understanding. He is my
guitar brother. My hope is that this band plays together like a family.
"I
hope people don't think this is a joke or nostalgia. It first comes from loving
this music and loving these guys. It's about learning and getting deeper into
the music, and researching where we come from. I've never been able to buy into
the idea of there being a hierarchy in music. Like... folk music is at the
bottom, then blues, rock, jazz and classical at the top... or whatever. As
though one music is higher or lower or more difficult than another. It's all
difficult. It's all beautiful. It's all one thing."
**Additional
Information Coming Soon!
GUITAR
IN THE SPACE AGE! Track Listing:
1.
Pipeline (Brian Carman/Bob Spickard)
2. Turn,
Turn, Turn (Pete Seeger)
3.
Messin' with the Kid (Mel London)
4.
Surfer Girl (Brian Wilson)
5.
Rumble (Milt Grant/Link Wray)
6.
Shortest Day (Bill Frisell)
7. Rebel
Rouser (Duane Eddy/Lee Hazlewood)
8. Baja
(Lee Hazlewood)
9.
Cannonball Rag (Merle Travis)
10.
Tired of Waiting for You (Ray Davis)
11.
Reflections from the Moon (Speedy West)
12.
Bryant's Boogie (Jimmy Bryant)
13. Lift
Off (Bill Frisell)
14.
Telstar (Joe Meek)
Bill
Frisell, electric guitar / Greg Leisz, pedal steel & electric guitar / Tony
Scherr, acoustic & electric bass / Kenny Wolleson, drums and vibraphone / Produced
by Lee Townsend
No comments:
Post a Comment