Album: Bill Frisell, Disfarmer (Nonesuch)

Andy Gill
Thursday 16 July 2009 19:00 EDT
Comments

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Even Damon Albarn and Jack White have some distance to go to equal the genre-bending achievements of Bill Frisell, not just the outstanding jazz guitarist of his era but also the most diversely prolific, equally at home providing accompaniment to Buster Keaton movies as he is collaborating with Elvis Costello.

Following February's sublime compilation of folk-song interpretations, and just a few weeks after appearing at the Meltdown festival as part of Ornette Coleman's band, comes Disfarmer, a series of instrumentals inspired by the life and photographs of Arkansas photographer Michael Disfarmer, who documented the lives of pre-war rural southerners in vividly atmospheric portraits and vistas."Disfarmer Theme" sets the tone, a limpid waltz of gentle, unhurried pace, with Frisell's characteristically glistening guitar lines accompanied by violin and glints of pedal steel guitar. Alongside his own compositions such as "Peter Miller's Discovery", a methodical two-step of warmth and subtlety, Frisell also offers a few period covers, with "Lovesick Blues" a relaxed dance of guitar and pedal steel, and "That's Alright, Mama" treated as slinky Western Swing, with touches of intriguing mandolin/guitar interplay adding an astringent edge to the smooth flow.

Download this: 'Disfarmer Theme', 'Peter Miller's Discovery', 'That's Alright, Mama', 'I Am Not a Farmer'

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in