Bill Frisell - History Mystery 2008

A Jazz Times top 5 album for 2008.

Guitar maestro Bill Frisell outdoes himself in ambition and diversity on the two-disc HISTORY, MYSTERY. Performing with a rich string-laden octet, the artist threads together 30 tracks, some of which derive from his collaboration with cartoonist Woodring entitled "Mysterio Sympatico," and others drawn from the music Frisell composed for the NPR series STORIES FROM THE HEART OF THE LAND.

As always, Frisell's eclectic style freely blends genres together, mixing chamber music with free jazz, front porch Americana with high-minded atmospherics. Three covers-Thelonious Monk's "Jackie-ing," Sam Cooke's "A Change is Gonna Come," and Boubacar Traore's "Baba Drame" -complement Frisell's originals. By turns moody and celebratory, playful and soulful, challenging and eminently listenable, HISTORY, MYSTERY is another fine entry in this singular artist's excellent discography.

Please no requests for a lossless version. If you want that, then support Bill Frisell and buy the CD.

Bill Frisell - acoustic guitar, electric guitar, loops
Jenny Scheinman - violin
Kenny Wollesen - drums
Eyvind Kang - viola
Tony Scherr - bass instrument
Ron Miles - cornet
Greg Tardy - clarinet, tenor saxophone
Hank Roberts - cello


DISC 1

1 Imagination
2 Probability Cloud
3 Probability Cloud Part 2
4 Out of Body
5 Struggle
6 Momentary Suspension of Doubt, A
7 Onward
8 Baba Drame
9 What We Need
10 Change Is Gonna Come, A
11 Jackie-Ing
12 Show Me
13 Boo and Scout
14 Struggle Part 2
15 Heal
16 Another Momentary Suspension of Doubt
17 Probability Cloud

DISC 2

1 Monroe
2 Lazy Robinson
3 Question #1
4 Answer #1
5 Faces
6 Sub-Conscious Lee
7 Monroe Part 2
8 Question #2
9 Lazy Robinson Part 2
10 What We Need Part 2
11 Waltz For Baltimore
12 Answer #2
13 Monroe Part 3