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Wednesday, December 05, 2007

Interview: Jazz Guitarist Bill Frisell

The Art of the (Frisell) Trio
Tonight marks the first time Bill Frisell, Ron Carter and Paul Motian will perform together as a trio in a live setting. All three are widely regarded as masters of their craft, with Carter’s resume including names like Dolphy, Miles, Hancock, Shorter and Montgomery on the list, while Motian has been “hittin’ the skins” with luminaries such as Keith Jarrett, Paul Bley, Charlie Haden and Marilyn Crispell for decades.

To get those two in the same room together was what Bill Frisell implied, a dream come true. Frisell has a very calculated, yet soft, humble way of speaking. But above all, he’s unabashedly a music fan, who loves playing. Yet for all the accolades he throws towards his bandmates, he himself has developed one of the most distinct sounds in the jazz world. There’s an unpronounced airiness to his playing, where it’s easy on the ears, but simultaneously complex. He bends and twists notes effortlessly, even when riffing on standards such as “You Are My Sunshine.”

SOTC caught up with Frisell via phone at his current home of Seattle last week to discuss New York, his latest trio work, and getting to play with a few of his idols for the first time.

Interview By Michael D. Ayers
Read the entire "Sound Of The City" interview at villagevoice.com

Find more Bill Frisell CDs at amazon.com
Find more Ron Carter CDs at amazon.com
Find more Paul Motian CDs at amazon.com
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