Whenever The Shedd can book a concert with Bill Frisell, we will book him.
Bill returns to the Jaqua Concert Hall Saturday, January 23rd with longtime colleagues Tony Scherr & Kenny Wollesen for a foray into classic film music. Frisell Trio takes on Keaton, Woodring & Morrison will consist of original compositions offered in conjunction with a fantastic and eclectic collection of short films: the classic slapstick of Buster Keaton, the surrealist animations of Jim Woodring, and Bill Morrison's hallucinatory reconstituting of the 1926 film The Mesmerist. Always developing new material -- who knows what surprises may be in store? -- Frisell and his group add a wonderful live musical score that creates a not-to-be-missed magical event.
"Bill Frisell has become one of the most easily recognizable guitarists in jazz, and it's not without an effort to incorporate himself into as many styles as one person could in a lifetime. Few guitarists in any genre could pull off the feat of having played in nearly every style imaginable - metal, ambient, acoustic, country, bluegrass, and even traditional jazz guitar - but to do so and retain the characteristics that make your sound uniquely and utterly unmistakeable is unparalleled....
"What really makes him so unique is a sense of adventure. When many musicians are happy to have their own niche and style, Frisell sets out to conquer something new. Whether it's skronky death-surf-spaghetti-western jazz via John Zorn's Naked City or an album of unabashedly country tunes such as Nashville, Frisell takes it all on with the glee of a child. And that's what makes it all work so well - you can hear the fun Frisell is having, you can hear the smile on his face as he plays. That's not to say he takes on his endeavors as if they are silly larks - each new turn is a serious venture, and each result is worthy of serious contemplation." - Tom Johnson, BC