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As of this writing it seems that I’ve seen Bill Frisell right around fourteen times; ten shows with any number of different backing musicians, one as a duo with Kevin Breit, one in which he appeared as a guest artist at a Neil Young tribute, one solo performance that doesn’t really count but actually counts extra, and one where he was playing as a sideman to drummer Paul Motian (1931-2011). But the show I saw him play in the late-nite tent at the Ottawa jazz festival on June 25th, 2014 was one of the more curious.
And of course it was fantastic.
I suppose another way to read that first paragraph is: “Todd really, really likes Bill Frisell and he goes to see him every chance he gets,” which would be nicely succinct and wholly accurate. Also implied is the fact that Bill comes to Ottawa an awful lot, which is also true. Only three of the aforementioned concerts took place outside of Ottawa, and as a matter of fact a full half of the Frisell shows I’ve seen have been appearances as part of my hometown jazz fest (so thanks for that, Ottawa jazz festival programmers). A further matter of fact: I had met Bill just the night before this after his jazzfest appearance in the National Arts Centre Studio. That was the one I mentioned that doesn’t/does count. I had missed his actual concert but I was thrilled to be an audience of one as Bill did a little guitar noodling during our private meeting after the show.
But like I say, this concert was a bit odd (in a very good way). Why? Because Bill and a trio of his accomplices were playing a reimagined soundtrack to Buster Keaton’s classic 1925 film Go West and they performed it live as the old silent film flickered on a large screen behind the band. And I say “in a very good way” because a) Buster Keaton was an astounding physical actor and his work is thrilling even to a first-time observer, and b) I was no first-time observer, not by a stretch. In my post-university days I had a VCR and no money so I checked videocassettes out of the public library all the time. I’ve seen my share of old movies and I love ‘em.
So here we had one of my favourite guitar players playing along to one of my favourite actors in a licensed late-nite beer tent, and there I was standing enthralled amongst a posse of my jazz-loving brethren. Like I say: ’twas fantastic.
As far as I could tell Bill hadn’t actually written much (if any) new music for his soundtrack. Rather, he’d edited together a bunch of his pre-existing material to coincide with the images and the final result was: I got the re-enjoy watching a celluloid Buster Keaton fall in love with a cow and lead her and a thousand others on a bovine stampede through Los Angeles whilst simultaneously re-enjoying a pile of fantastic music played by a live, in-person Bill Frisell.
And as if it couldn’t get much better, Bill’s keyboard player (Greg Leisz) had brought a pedal steel along with him, and if you know me at all then you know I loves me some pedal steel guitar! Ah, it was just a brilliant show top-to-bottom and I was really, really glad to have witnessed it.
So far this stands as my penultimate* Bill Frisell concert and though I hope that changes I’m not sure I see it happening anytime soon. I mean, sure, Bill still plays in Ottawa all the time (relatively) but I don’t live there anymore. And when I google “Bill Frisell Newfoundland” all I get is a blank page. I hope our roads cross again** but if not, well, I’ve already had a heck of a ride. Thanks Bill!
*It took more than forty years for me to learn that the word “ultimate” means last in a list. It was about twenty seconds later that I learned what “penultimate” means.
**In the gap between the writing and the proofreading*** of this story I did indeed see Bill Frisell again – or at least a bit of his concert – while I was in Ottawa gigging. So I guess that pushes this story from “penultimate” to…um…google, google, google…ah, yes: “antepenultimate”. As in:
“So far this stands as my antepenultimate Bill Frisell concert…”
***Yes, I proofread. Amazing, isn’t it?
Todd Man Out 