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Bill
Frisell Recorded Live At Yoshi's EAST Recorded Live At The Village
Vanguard 'West' recorded live direct to 2-track by Claudia Engelhart mastering by Greg Calbi at Sterling Sound, New York City design by Barbara DeWilde
Song List:
Disc Two EAST
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REVIEWS Bill Frisell is unquestionably one of the major figures in jazz today, and a revolutionary guitarist who has genuinely changed the way people play and think about the instrument.... One thing that has remained consistent is Frisell's brilliance as a live performer, particularly in a trio setting... Finally we have "East/West," two discs of live trio recording, "East" with bassist Tony Scherr, "West" with bassist Victor Krauss, and both with drummer Kenny Wolleson. And it was worth the wait: This is the most satisfying record he's released since 1999's "Good Dog, Happy Man," and one of the best of his career. The two trios are vastly different. In general terms, the Krauss trio works by accumulation, presenting a monolithic block with Frisell using delay and loops to build up layers of sound, and aims to mesmerize, while the Scherr trio, which operates much closer to traditional jazz, works by disruption, refusing to entirely cohere, dislocating phrases mid-thought. Wolleson, essentially a groove player in the Krauss trio (and a monstrously good one), becomes an interactive, improvising presence in the Scherr trio. In both settings Frisell is a wonder, but if I had to
pick a single track that shows the possibilities of what he's capable
of these days in a trio setting, it would be the 14-minute "Ron
Carter" off of "East." The piece begins with phasing,
minimalist textures, and ends with an even more explicitly Steve Reich-ian
passage, but in between Frisell lets loose with his full arsenal of
sounds. There are plenty of great note improvisers and plenty of great
sound improvisers, but very few, like Frisell, have a true mastery of
both, and it can be awe-inspiring to hear him manipulating his sound
with such creativity while simultaneously playing a solo that Jim Hall
would be proud to have formulated. For any skeptics of modern jazz,
this should be required listening. - Thomas Barlett, Salon.com |
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