Bill Frisell, Beautiful Dreamer, Philip Watson
Bill Frisell, Beautiful Dreamer, Philip Watson
List: $29.99 | Sale: $21.00
Club: $14.99

Bill Frisell, Beautiful Dreamer
The Guitarist Who Changed the Sound of American Music

Author: Philip Watson

Narrator: Sam Amidon

Unabridged: 16 hr 15 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 03/28/2023


Synopsis

The definitive biography of guitar icon and Grammy Award-winning artist, Bill Frisell.

Over a period of forty-five years, Bill Frisell has established himself as one of the most innovative and influential musicians at work today.

Growing up playing clarinet in orchestras and marching bands, Frisell has progressed through a remarkable range of musical personas—from devotee of jazz master Jim Hall to 'house guitarist' of estimable German label ECM, from edgy New York downtown experimentalist to plaintive country and bluegrass picker. He has been a pioneering bandleader and collaborator, a prolific composer and arranger, and a celebrated Grammy Award winner.

A quietly revolutionary guitar hero who has synthesized many disparate musical elements into one compellingly singular sound, Frisell connects to a diverse range of artists and admirers, including Paul Simon, Elvis Costello, Lucinda Williams, Gus Van Sant, Marianne Faithfull, and Justin Vernon, many of whom feature in this book.

Through unprecedented access to the guitarist and interviews with his close family, friends, and associates, Philip Watson tells Frisell's story for the first time.

About Philip Watson

Philip Watson was deputy editor at GQ and editor-at-large at Esquire, and has appeared on radio and television in the UK and Ireland. His in-depth features have appeared in the Telegraph magazine, Guardian, Sunday Times, Observer, Irish Times, London Evening Standard, and the Wire, and he has interviewed icons such as Nick Cave, Gil Scott-Heron, Elvis Costello, D'Angelo, and many others. Bill Frisell, Beautiful Dreamer is his first book.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Scott

This reads like the sort of hyperbolic biography that politicians have written for themselves to convince the voting public that they’re wonderful people. But you can see that coming from the ludicrous subtitle. A better subtitle would have been Everybody Digs Bill Frisell. The parts about Frisell’s......more

Detailed account of Bill Frisell's life and career (so far). It gets a bit samey; Bill is a nice, talented man and everybody likes him.......more

Goodreads review by Colin

A nice (luke-warm) companion piece for fans. Fun avenue for discovering some albums or collaborations I wasn’t aware of, and a long form opportunity for Frisell speak about other artists he’s worked with extensively, like Paul Motian. I thought the listening sessions were the most engaging sections,......more