Bill Frisell©Andrea Canter

"All We Are Saying... may be Frisell's closest thing to a rock record but, informed by years of improvisational experimentation--melodically, harmonically and texturally--it's an album that simply couldn't have been made by anyone else." - John Kelman (All About Jazz)

Known for his many eclectic projects, Grammy-winning guitarist/composer Bill Frisell returns to the Twin Cities with “All We Are Saying: The Music of John Lennon.” Touring in support of the CD of the same title, Frisell teams with four of his bandmates from the recording (pedal steel artist Greg Leisz, bassist Tony Scherr and drummer Kenny Wollesen), missing only violinist Jenny Scheinman. The ensemble will perform two sets each night at the Dakota Jazz Club in downtown Minneapolis, July 1-2.

One of the working legends of modern jazz guitar, Bill Frisell is steeped in country, blues, and rock. Known for using a wide range of special effects to create unique sounds, he’s performed or recorded with Kenny Wheeler, Paul Motian, Dave Holland, Elvin Jones, Don Byron, Fred Hersch, and Jim Hall, among many others. The Baltimore native mostly grew up in Colorado, where he played clarinet as well as guitar. After studying music at the University of Northern Colorado where he studied with Johnny Smith, he went on to Berklee in Boston where he studied with the great Jim Hall. His big break came when he recorded for ECM in the early 1980s with Paul Motian, Jan Gabarek and Arild Andersen. Living in New York, he partnered with Motian, John Zorn and Joe Lovano, among others. Relocating to Seattle in 1988, Frisell began working on silent film soundtracks and adding elements of country and bluegrass. For the past 20 years, his work has expanded across a wide range of musical influences; he has received Grammy awards and nominations; and has issued a long string of notable recordings, including work with Paul Motian and Joe Lovano. He’s been touring with the “Beautiful Dreamers” trio (with Eyvind Kang and Rudy Royston) as well as his All We Are Saying Ensemble.

All We Are Saying, released in 2011 on Savoy Jazz, is “Sixteen radio-length tracks that include a gorgeous, ethereal version of ‘Across the Universe’ whose somber violin and country twang could bring on tears; a honky-tonk take of ‘Revolution’ that makes you want to square-dance; a sleepy, dreamy redo of ‘Imagine’ in which Frisell takes considerable care to pick just the right notes, not only when he plays the melody but when he improvises; a folk cover of ‘Julia’ that contains not an ounce of cynicism; and an almost ambient sketch of ‘Give Peace a Chance’ that dares the listener to find the original melody buried deep within” (Steve Greenlee, Boston Globe).

Pedal steel /guitarist Greg Leisz has an enviable resume with the likes of Joni Mitchell, Sheryl Crow, Paul Westerberg, Me'Shell NdegeOcello, Joe Cocker, k.d. lang, Wilco, Lucinda Williams, Bruce Cockburn, Shawn Colvin, Paula Cole, Beck, the Smashing Pumpkins, and Brian Wilson. He’s also worked as a producer for Rosie Flores, Dave Alvin, Tom Russell, and Lisa Mednick. A native of New Haven, CT, bassist Tony Scherr has been prominent on the New York scene since the late-1980s. In addition to his long-standing collaboration with Bill Frisell, Scherr ahs worked with John Scofield, Norah Jones and Ana Egge, and has played with the Lounge Lizards, Sex Mob, Jesse Harris and Chris Brown. He also runs his own recording studio and has produced for many artists. Drummer Kenny Wollesen has played with Tom Waits, Sean Lennon, Norah Jones, Myra Melford, Steve Bernstein and John Zorn, in addition to his years colloabrating with Bill Frisell. He is a founding member of the New Klezmer Trio and a member of Sex Mob.

The Dakota is located at 1010 Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis. For tickets, contact the Dakota at 612-332-5299 or www.dakotacooks.com

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