The Rake Magazine

Tag: Bill Frisell

  • Bill Frisell Trio

    Bill Frisell’sloping, laconic guitar phrases are as implacably beautiful and subtlyshape-shifting as a prairie landscape, a perfect soundtrack forcompelling visuals. Indeed, two of the cooler items in his quilteddiscography were created to accompany the photographs of Walker Evans (This Land) and the films of Buster Keaton (Go West). Now the Walker has co-commissioned Frisell to provide the atmosphere on the photos of Mike Disfarmer, who made Evans-like images of the Arkansas poor in the ’40s. But unlike the horn-oriented ensemble for This Land, Frisell will be joined by violinist Jenny Scheinman and lap-steel guitarist Greg Leisz.

    Walker Art Center, 1750 Hennepin Ave. S., Minneapolis; 612-375-7600.

  • Bill Frisell's New Quartet

    The music by this experimental jazz guitarist is so phenomenally prodigious that we’d be sick of it by now, if Frisell didn’t keep reinventing himself. He’s played with John Zorn’s jazz punk band Naked City, recorded a series of meditations on American folk standards, paid homage to Malian blues, and covered pop and rock artists ranging from Madonna to Neil Young to John Hiatt. He’s also collaborated with many of the greatest living jazz and classical musicians, and even appeared on the soundtrack to Walk the Line. He also brings innovation to the normally straight-up practice of touring, shaking up both the mix of music and musicians—a quintet, an orchestra, a trio—depending on the city. Here he appears with his New Quartet, which features Greg Leisz on steel guitars, David Piltch on bass, and Kenny Wollesen on drums. 416 Cedar Ave. S., Minneapolis; 612-338-2674; www.thecedar.org

  • Nordic Roots Festival

    In a herculaean feat involving customs negotiations, visas, and all sorts of other international red tape, the Cedar manages to import a couple dozen Scandinavian musicians each year for its Nordic Roots Festival. The music itself is even more amazing. This year’s lineup includes traditional players like Norway’s Knut Hamre (a master of the lovely and lugubrious Hardanger fiddle) and modern stylists like Sweden’s Hoven Droven, a groovy, giddy bunch of rambunctious folk-stomp-rockers. This year’s highlight, however, may be the collaboration between Swedish fiddler Ellika and Senegalese kora player Solo, who will be joined by Bill Frisell on guitar and Bruce Molsky on guitar. Obviously, this isn’t the festival’s most chilly, purist Nordic experience, but it should be a fantastic border-crossing experience. 612-338-2674; www.thecedar.org