Search - Bill Frisell, Ron Carter, Paul Motian :: Bill Frisell Ron Carter Paul Motian

Heartlandish

Jan P. Dennis | Monument, CO USA | 09/14/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Frisell, who with Pat Metheny invented what I call "heartland jazz," here presents his umpteenth excursion into such waters.



And stumbles slightly.



For me, things go wrong right at the start with his selection of bandmates, Paul Motian (drums) and Ron Carter (bass). In other settings, these are fine players, masters even. Here, they often seem like whales in Nebraska. Motian generally abandons his trademark minimalism, so brilliantly displayed, e.g., on I Have the Room Above Her, for what sounds almost like bombast, certainly not his usual MO. Ron Carter tries to incorporate lots of unusual harmonic and rhythmic moves that for me fall flat. Wouldn't it have been better to have someone like Matt Wilson in the drum chair? And what about Charlie Haden on bass?



To get the right heartland vibe, it either needs to be ironic or heartfelt. This music falls between those two stools, seemingly unable to make up its mind whether it wants the gimlet-eyed or straightforward approach. Don't get me wrong, there are lots of memorable moments. Frisell, admittedly, has perfected the way-out-West mournful guitar timbre, and it's fully, gloriously on display throughout. And the rhythm sections shines on the two Monk tunes ("Raise Four" and "Misterioso") and "On the Street Where You Live," much more typically up their alley than "You Are My Sunshine," "Pretty Polly," and "I'm So Lonesome, I Could Cry." Nevertheless, these pieces seem to have little relationship to the core Americana vibe. For a disc that absolutely nails the right heartland sensibility, check out Ghost of Electricity by Junk Genius.



I've come to prefer Frisell in either more adventurous world-jazzy settings (The Intercontinentals or Unspeakable), more heart-wrenching settings (Blues Dream), or more heartland-drenched outings (Good Dog, Happy Man, This Land, The Willies, and Lookout for Hope). I didn't particularly care for his trio outing with Elvin Jones and Dave Holland, though Gone, Like a Train worked well.



All that said, I have to admit this disc is growing on me. Motian's tune, "Introduction," has that eerie desert Southwest keening desolation all over it, and the folk-western tunes ring with authority, albeit a little skewed. And Frisell deserves kudos for entering into conversations with such a wide spectrum of players and styles, even if they're not all equally brilliant.



****1/2"

Fine teamwork with a little wry humor

Timothy G. Niland | New Jersey, USA | 09/20/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Eclectic guitarist Bill Frisell has long been one of my favorite musicians, his sense of humor and boundary-stretching big picture idea of what it is to play "jazz" appeals to me greatly. On this album, he has two other legendary musicians in tow, bassist Carter and drummer Motian and produces one of the "jazziest" albums of his eclectic career. Paul Motian has played with Frisell for years in a long running trio with saxophonist Joe Lovano, and Ron Carter has been the object of Frisell's admiration to the point of having a tune dedicated to him on Frisell's Blues Dream release. The music examines several different sub-genres. Two Thelonious Monk compositions, "Raise Four" and "Misterioso," give the trio a chance to stretch out interpreting the master's intricate compositions.



It wouldn't be a Bill Frisell album without a dose of Americana, in this case, covers of "You Are My Sunshine," Hank Williams "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" and the traditional "Pretty Polly." Polly, in particular, is fascinating as Frisell takes an almost painterly approach deftly adding some electronic enhancements and feedback to create an ominous sound tapestry. Carter's rock solid bass work and Motian's agile percussion (especially his superb brushwork) are spot-on throughout the entire disc. The album is rounded out by one original from each band member, most notably Carter's spry "Eighty-One." Fans who were looking for Frisell to step out and play something akin to the music he made with Joey Baron and John Zorn may be a little disappointed, but music fans who appreciate fine teamwork with a little wry humor will find this disc quite enjoyable."

Absolutely Beautiful

B. Rice | 10/17/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I think this album was poorly perceived by most that have written reviews. I had no expectations about what the sounds would be when I listened to it and that may be why I love this album. I'm very accustomed to all three players and I think they all show incredible musicianship. The arrangements are harmonically dense but ethereal. My friends that aren't even musicians have found this album to be very listenable.



Bill Frisell displays wonderful tones from his Telecaster and never makes me long for a hollow bodied sound, even on the tunes that originate in jazz.



Paul Motian's playing is very tasteful and he plays off the counterpoint of Frisell and Carter wonderfully. As always, his timbre and tone color are amazing.



Ron Carter is my favorite bassist and the work on this album is as good as ever. His harmonic substitutions and bends (matching Frisell) are flawless. In one review they said Charlie Haden would have been a better choice. I like Charlie Haden a lot but I think the outcome would have been more predictable and anyone wanting those sounds should check out his album with Pat Metheny "Beyond the Missouri Sky."



The trio on this recording plays so well together I don't know how anyone could not love this album unless they didn't listen to it. Many people approach recordings with such a bias, even (especially) when it's their favorite players. I think this diminishes their ability to truly listen to the album. Don't let that happen to you with this album. Listen to the timbres, textures, and tone colors."