Bill Frisell + Hal Wilner = an Unspeakable Orchestra | Tix

"...So the news that Bill Frisell was collaborating with producer Hal Wilner and engineer Eric Liljestrand raised my expectations. But Unspeakable is both more than I hoped for and a little less. It will move no asses, that's for sure—anything that did would be hopelessly out of character for the introspective Frisell. Although this is his most "contemporary" album by virtue of Liljestrand's manipulations and Wilner's sampling of ethnic and sound-library recordings, it opens deliberately recherché, with Frisell's octave voicings and darting string arrangement honoring Wes Montgomery and Don Sebesky—the title "1968" presumably refers to the year of Montgomery's death. (Beats me why a bouncier but otherwise very similar number that comes later on is named for the obscure beatnik comedian Del Close.) Frisell's inventive writing for a three-piece string section featuring Jenny Scheinman's violin, Eyvind Kang's viola, and Hank Roberts's cello—most effectively employed on a eulogy for the drummer D. Sharpe—reveals a talent for orchestration dormant since The Sweetest Punch, his 1998 album of Burt Bacharach and Elvis Costello covers...." [The Village Voice]

Bill Frisell and Hal Wilner are playing four shows at Tonic in NYC on September 20 & 21. Tickets are on sale.

MP3s and info on the Unspeakable album at Jenny's website.

The legendary Bill Frisell plays a lot. Check out all his tour dates.

Get Bill CDs at Amazon.