Bill Frisell: Blues Dream

For the past several years, Bill Frisell has been on an Americana kick, trading much of his singular flash for a more mature take on country, folk, and bluegrass far removed from his jagged jazz start. Predictably, while Frisell's refined, purposely restrained playing may not turn as many heads these days—although his trademark grace and lyricism remains intact, if subdued—his compositions have grown richer and more resonant almost by necessity. Blues Dream, Frisell's best collection since 1995's breakthrough Nashville, frequently incorporates blues as the base for a strong batch of evocative arrangements, though fans know he rarely settles for one style when a hybrid will do. Frisell leads his new sextet (pedal-steel player Greg Leisz, bassist David Piltch, trumpeter Ron Miles, saxophonist Billy Drewes, trombonist Curtis Fowlkes, and drummer Kenny Wollesen) through 18 beautiful elegies and creative vamps, letting the small details of each piece shine where they might have been buried amid ornate playing. The material benefits significantly from the horn players, all of whom have worked with Frisell in the past and whose synchronized blasts and subtle solos lend the album its soulful quality. In company this strong, Frisell seems willing to regularly surrender the spotlight: "Pretty Flowers Were Made For Blooming" sounds like a cross between Impressions-era Curtis Mayfield's "People Get Ready" and "Amazing Grace," with Leisz's weeping guitar gliding gracefully through the other players' embellishments, while Frisell's spectral effects blur the song right into the upbeat twang-anthem "Pretty Stars Were Made To Shine." "Ron Carter," "Where Do We Go," and "Things Will Never Be The Same" find the band riding a groove, leaving ample room for Frisell to drop enjoyable little leads that show he hasn't lost his recognizable touch. The best moments, like "What Do We Do" and the two parts of "Like Dreamers Do," stick in the Mayfield vein, showing that for all his genre exercises and ongoing country fixation, Frisell may be a soul man at heart.