Jazz

The label Blue Note has welcomed so many pioneering, brilliant and revolutionary musicians over the years, so Bill Frisell’s arrival to the company that was founded in 1939 by Alfred Lion and Max Margulis hardly comes as a surprise. At 68 years old, the American is not only the most captivating guitarist of his generation but undoubtedly one of the most innovative and influential. In fact, over the past few years Frisell has been breaking down the stylistic boundaries that have confined him to the “jazz” section. His repertoire now combines traditional jazz and folk and he allows himself to venture into country and even rock. This first Blue Note album is a perfect reflection of Frisell’s indefinable style as he lets himself go wherever he desires. With his old friend and cellist Hank Roberts (his fellow student at Berklee College of Music in 1975), singer Petra Haden (Charlie Haden’s daughter with whom he has been collaborating since the early 2000s), and guitarist, bassist and singer Luke Bergman, Bill Frisell has revealed this Harmony as a unique combination of chamber music folk jazz and vocal harmonies. An atypical and intimate reading of classical American music symbolized by the presence of the traditional song Red River Valley and Billy Strayhorn’s standard Lush Life. © Marc Zisman/Qobuz