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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate NEWS NOW Beach bacteria thresholds may tighten ... Our View: Who politicized the UCC shootings? Not Obama ... View from 100,000 feet ... Beach bacteria thresholds may tighten ... Our View: Who politicized the UCC shootings? Not Obama ... View from 100,000 feet ... MUSIC Bill Frisell turns tunes into art forms The guitarist and his band will play music from their "Guitar in the Space Age" Bill Frisell’s career as a guitarist and composer has spanned more than 35 years and many celebrated recordings. Comment MailTribune.com Writer Posted Jan. 26, 2015 at 9:00 AM Posted Jan. 26, 2015 at 9:00 AM » Social News Bill Frisell’s career as a guitarist and composer has spanned more than 35 years and many celebrated recordings. His catalog has been cited by Downbeat as “the best recorded output of the decade,” including his albums for Savoy Jazz: "Sign of Life" with his 858 string quartet, "Beautiful Dreamers" with Eyvind Kang and Rudy Royston, "All We Are Saying," a collection of John Lennon interpretations, and "Big Sur," his debut release for OKeh/Sony Masterworks, featuring music commissioned by the Monterey Jazz Festival. Always on the lookout for opportunities to "dig around for where I'm coming from," Frisell’s "Guitar in the Space Age," released in October, is an homage to the inspirational pop music of his formative years made in the wake of the Fender Telecaster guitar. First manufactured in 1951 — the same year Frisell was born — it became the instrument of his choice. Frisell and his band mates explore material associated with The Beach Boys, Junior Wells, Pete Seeger, The Byrds, Duane Eddy, The Ventures, The Kinks, Chet Atkins, Link Wray, Speedy West and others, along with a couple of Frisell originals. Frisell — with steel guitarist Greg Leisz, bassist Tony Scherr and drummer Kenny Wollesen — will perform at 8 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 29, at the Historic Ashland Armory, 208 Oak St. Tickets cost $25 in advance and can be purchased at Music Coop, 268 E. Main St., or online at liveatthearmory.com . Tickets cost $30 the day of the show. Students with valid identification pay $25. A full bar and food will be available at the venue. Frisell has collaborated with a range of artists, filmmakers and musicians, but it is his work as a leader that's garnered increasing attention and firmly established him as a visionary presence in American music. "It's hard to find a more fruitful meditation on American music than in the compositions of guitarist Bill Frisell," wrote the The New York Times. "Mixing rock and country with jazz and blues, he's found what connects them: improvisation and a sense of play. Unlike other pastichists, who tend to duck passion, Frisell plays up the pleasure in the music and also takes on another often-avoided subject, tenderness." Of "Guitar in the Space Age," music reviewer Peter Bacon at www.thejazzbreakfast.com wrote, "Frisell has turned playing the tune into an art form — he never does it the same way twice, and he pulls further riches from an apparently simple chord structure each time around. Right from the opening, resonating chord, 'Pipeline' has never sounded this lush, or this interesting. And there is a point in 'Turn, Turn, Turn' when celebratory is elevated to euphoric, helped in great part by the spirited drumming of Wollesen. There is so much joy in this track I couldn’t quite believe it only lasted two minutes and 40 seconds. Wah-wah articulation sits against wiry picking in Mel London’s 'Messin’ with the Kid,' and dreamy pedal steel suits 'Surfer Girl,' a polka-dot treat." Frisell’s Nonesuch Records span a range of musical expression from original Buster Keaton film scores to arrangements for horn and string ensembles, various collaborations, an album with Nashville musicians, a solo album, a collection of traditional American folk songs and originals inspired by them, and more. The newest, "Disfarmer," is inspired by the work of the mid-century rural Arkansas photographer Mike Disfarmer. MailTribune.com Writer Posted Jan. 26, 2015 at 9:00 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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