Marc Ribot discussed this in an interview he did with Bill - "every guitarist who has ever heard Frisell has wondered how he managed to get his guitar to produce notes that swelled in volume as they sustained, like a violinist or horn player, instead of steadily fading, like the notes on everyone else’s guitar. There was talk by the bar of a clever use of compression, echo, or volume pedals. I believed this until I heard him produce the same effect on an acoustic guitar, at which point I gave up trying to understand." Bill's a magician.
His tone is simply expressive beyond words. (Fwiw, I’m a trumpet player and am absolutely stunned by his playing and this wonderful collaboration with Julian Lage makes me want to work on my tone!)
@@michaelfoxbrass yes whenever I noticed, I found myself in his world when I listened to him. I had a chance to briefly talk to him after the concert years ago. He was such a humble gentleman. True legend
I was "counting with him" in the intro, and there are some points where he does seem to "ignore time" lose the count, lose the bar, whatever. Mostly not, but sometimes he does. Very much like older blues music. When Julian comes in, yes they keep a common time.
Julian is doing great playing with Bill. Bill always has the most unexpected moves and Julian's ears are HUGE to compliment Bill so brilliantly and heart felt..
All those things you imagine could be possible on a guitar, Julian imagines and plays them right there. He's so free and imaginative melodically, it's completly astonishing
The additional hours needed to practice deliberately consistent atonal runs, intervals, arpeggios in that wild detour, on top of all the other mastery, is jaw dropping.
I saw Bill Frisell at the Musical Instruments Museum in Phoenix. 3 20 minute improvisations and a 15 improvised encore. I can't tell you why I liked it....but I loved it.....I'd love to know what this man hears.
I love it when the conversation is so fruitful; so beautiful. These compliment each other sooooo well. Oh man ... wowie! I bet Hank is humming along somewhere.
If the rest of us could communicate this well we might just pull it off 🎸🎸 Bill is one of the most interesting guitar players if you think of his covers it's all about guitar music he is gift
It’s hard to imagine dinner and a duo like these two and yet, there they are. I’d love to go to a show with these two anywhere but the restaurant is a nice idea. Encore? Somewhere, sometime? Please tell me if anyone hears of such a delightful thing like this happening again.
I could have paid 1000$ to be in that room, and that kid just sleeps on the table! Life ain’t fair. Love the look on Bills face when Julian takes over the melody!
While this is an extraordinary performance I think if I had not read the title I would not have recognized the tune. After enjoying this you might try looking for the album of Hank Williams songs played by Roy Clark and Joe Pass. It is stylistically quite different than this performance but just as wonderful.
@ericsanders just checked Spotify and the Joe-Roy album is there. It takes a conventional approach, no outside stuff/you’re never guessing which song they’re playing. Always a treat hearing Joe do his special, musical thing to a 3 or 4 chord Hank tune …& Roy’s no slouch :-) It was recorded near the very end of Joe’s life and might have seemed an odd pairing on paper, but not on that fun recording. I absolutely love what Bill and Julian do in this video; all the clips from this evening are magical.
I’m glad folks are getting to hear Joe and Roy. Obviously it is a very different approach but variety is the spice of life and good music is good music regardless of the style
Hank Williams was playing a show with a sub guitar player one night. Apparently they got to the end of the first tune and Hank said "what the HELL are you playing there boy?" The sub replied, "Oh just a few 2 chords in front of the 5". Hank was livid..."well, I wrote the song, and I'm pretty sure I didn't put any goddam minor chords in it"
Why not release a CD from that performance? Both of them seem to me to be better live than in studio. My only regret is that, although he plays wonderfully and in a unique way, Bill is not as bold now as he was some decades ago. Or, some may say, it's another kind of bolderness, but Julian is often the one to break the veil.
I don’t think Bill is playing a Lage signature is he? Isn’t that his Collings I-35 LC Deluxe that he’s had for a long time (earlier days without a Bigsby)? Julian is playing his signature Collings 470 JL which is an interpretation of a 50s Gretsch Jet with dyna sonic pickups.
I wonder how much they rehearsed, and how? The muse is fresh; I'm sure with talent like this, it could well be spontaneous creation on a well known theme, but they didn't just call it in the hallway?
@@zakkjones After further listen, you are likely correct. It is upon us to recognize genious sometimes. I just wish I could have given them some snare swishes.
Frisell an Lage share a compunction for clear warm note selection (with occasional and intentional dissonances) separate by undeniable control of sonic spaces. Many find this mix compelling. I have tried but still find it wearying and manipulative. I prefer to skate along top of the music rather than being harnessed to attend while being allowed nothing better to do than contemplate. Music which invites and does not compel is far more satisfying, long term. It's 'as though I'm being restrained and there is no hope of release to the point that I must turn it off before it ends.
Gave it all I could = but ended up annoyed. Had to go listen to Pat Metheny play "And I Love Her" just to decompress. There's no hope here. Not sure I even heard some love. Simply not acceptable that this is all that could come out of such talented hands.
