LINCOLN CENTER

Appel Room
Bill Frisell: The Electric Guitar in America

"Bill Frisell is joined by fellow guitar master Greg Leisz and trio partners bassist Tony Scherr and drummer Kenny Wollesen. Together they will explore the music of the electric guitar in the space age including Speedy West, Jimmy Bryant, country icons Merle Travis and Chet Atkins, and groups like The Ventures, The Astronauts, The Wrecking Crew, and more."

Bill Frisell is one of the most shy people I've ever seen.  His music is also quite shy but, at the same time, thoughtful and interesting.  He had with him a drummer and xylophonist, bass, and guitar and slide guitar group.  All were really, really good.

Bill was clearly the leader of the group because the bass and the other guitar player fixed their eyes on his eyes as they played.  They followed and played off of him.  Watching the dynamic of creativity among really good musicians was a treat.

When we arrived at the lobby of Appel Hall were heard a really loud, really good "big band."  The lobby was pretty full because Wynton Marsalis was playing in a big band performance in the adjoining Rose Hall for an Ellington program.

As an unexpected treat we saw a bunch of "kids" playing big band in the lobby to both halls.  One of their fathers told us they are chosen from around the region and are known as the Lincoln Center Youth Big Band.

Listen to them and see how good they are.  The bass player is playing on a smaller bass since he's not through puberty and fully grown.  Listen to the piano and remember that he's a high school kid!

We then again entered one of the unique performance venus in the world, the Appel Room at Jazz at Lincoln Center in the Time Warner Building.  It is wonderful.



Bill Frisell's latest Jazz at Lincoln Center feature really a sneak-preview of new CD

BY WAYNE LOCKWOOD 

 

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

 

Saturday, June 7, 2014, 3:01 PM

BILL FRISELLGuitarist Bill Frisell returns to Jazz at Lincoln Center again Saturday in his curatorial role.

The electric guitar, the space age and Bill Frisell all came in at the same time, something the versatile guitarist is quick to point out.

So it’s no surprise that he’s turned to both as the subject of his latest curatorial Jazz at Lincoln Center show, “The Electric Guitar and America.”

 What is a surprise is that the performances are an unusually early sneak preview of his October OKeh album, “Guitar and the Space Age.”

Frisell gathered his longtime trio of bass player Tony Scherr(doubling on doghouse and an old Hofner electric) and drummer Kenny Wollensen(doubling up on drums and vibes) to run through a selection of early surf and rock tunes that first caught his young ear before he was ultimately bewitched by Wes Montgomery and set on the jazz path.

“When I was a kid I sorta played through these songs,” Frisell said, “but I moved through music so fast. I mean, I heard The Beatles then within three years I was hearing Wes Montgomery and Miles Davis. At this point now, it’s sort of  a research project going back and figuring out where I came from. All of this is music that made me want to play.”

One guitar isn’t enough for this kind of thing, so Frisell also brought Greg Leisz into the fold  to double up with his trademark Telecaster on a Fender Jazzmaster, as well as on pedal steel for authentic run-throughs of Jimmy Bryant and Speedy West standards.

All rare treats to hear in the confines of the Appel Room.

“I kinda have to pinch myself,” Frisell said. “Is this for real? They’re letting me do this? They’ve given me this chance to go further outside my comfort zone a bit and explore these things, at the same time stretching what they’d normally do by trusting me.”