Bill Frisell
has long been one of the most unique guitarists around. Able to switch on a moment's notice from sounding like a Nashville studio player to
heavy metal
, several styles of
jazz
, and just pure noise,
Frisell
can get a remarkable variety of sounds and tones out of his instrument. This set features
in a quintet with
Don Byron
(on clarinet and bass clarinet),
Guy Klucevsek
on accordion, bassist
Kermit Driscoll
, and drummer
Joey Baron
. To call the repertoire wide-ranging would be an understatement. In addition to eight melodies from
Aaron Copland
's
Billy the Kid
,
and company explore (and often reinvent) pieces written by
Charles Ives
Bob Dylan
Muddy Waters
Madonna
Sonny Rollins
Stephen Foster
, and
John Phillip Sousa
. This is one of the most inventive recordings of the 1990s and should delight most listeners from any genre. ~ Scott Yanow