SlipLive

On Wednesday I had a musical experience of Slip-like transendence.

I had the priviledge (no other word will do) of seeing the Bill Frisell Trio (Tony Scherr on double bass and Kenny Wollesen on drums.)

Highlights of the setlist for which I have titles included Dylan's "Masters of War" and "Just Like a Woman", "When You Wish Upon a Star (which was absolutely STUNNING), Lucinda Williams' "Ocean of Love", "Shenendoah", and Brian Wilson's "Surfer Girl."

Highlights for which I have no titles or ability to describe are too numerous to count.

Kenny Wollesen is an intense, focused drummer. Tony Scherr is a guy who pretty much makes hot, sweaty monkey-love to his instrument throughout the set. The three musicians are telepathic, playing a completely improvised set that they are obviously enjoying immensely.

And then there's Frisell. I can't begin to describe how deeply I am affected by his musicianship, graciousness, creativity, and joy in playing. To see a musician who is so completely connected to his fellow players and equally as connected to his tools is mind-blowing.

For Frisell, those tools are his guitar and his pedals - primarily a Digitech PDS 8-second delay and a Line 6 DL4.

To watch Frisell be completely locked in and responsive to what his band mates were doing while at the same time using those two pedals to create looped textures that he would then "save" and introduce minutes later (where they would fit perfectly) was a revelation.

If you care about music and creativity and you have a chance to see this trio, DO IT!!!!

If nothing else, you'll get to see a musician who has been an enormous influence on the Slip. But if you pay attention, you will see oh so much more than that.

I love Bill Frisell, probably have seen him at least a dozen times and have most of his albums, at least the later ones, some of his 80's stuff is a little dissonant and dark for general listening. Kenny Wollesen is also a monster of a drummer and looks like a quirky unassuming guy. I've seen him with Sex Mob as well, do those guys still gig? And the Iron Horse! I haven't been there since the early 90's, what an awesome room!

he played the rochester jazz fest last weekend but i had to miss him sadly. im gonna go see if i cant catch him in nyc sometime. and the dark and dissonant albums are awesome! one of the last few albums he put out 'unspeakable' was very mediocre though. a lot of generic groove based wankery. he's capable of (and has done) so much more.

Man, I really like Unspeakable! Not his best for sure, my favorites are Gone, Just Like a Train, Nashville, Good Dog, Happy Man, The Willies & East/West to name a few. Lookout for Hope is one of the few 80's albums I have and it doesn't get a lot of play around here.

Allow me to recommend "Grace Under Pressure." It's a John Scofield album with the following lineup:

Sco and Frisell - guitars
Charlie Haden - bass
Joey Baron - drums

Lots of great stuff including a couple of tracks that go so far out that they sound like the scariest moments of a '72 Grateful Dead Playin' meltdown.

maaannn you have got to check out 'blues dream'. its so melancholy but so dignified. i love that album

and that fris/sco album sounds awesome!

I saw Frisell last tuesday in Burlington at the Higher Ground. He was freaking unreal. Probably the best show I've seen in the past few years.