BIll Frisell, photo by Michael WIlson

"When I was 16, I was listening to a lot of surfing music, a lot of English rock. Then I saw Wes Montgomery and somehow that kind of turned me around. Later, Jim Hall made a big impression on me and I took some lessons with him. I suppose I play the kind of harmonic things Jim would play but with a sound that comes from Jimi Hendrix", Frisell told Wire. Bill also lists Paul Motian, Thelonious Monk, Aaron Copland, Bob Dylan, Miles Davis and his teacher, Dale Bruning, as musical influences.

Kenny Wollesen grew up in Santa Cruz, California, moved to San Francisco early in his career and has since lived and worked in New York City. He has performed regularly with Bill Frisell as a member of his trios, the New Quartet and his septet with which he appeared on the album Blues Dream. He has played with John Zorn, Marc Ribot, John Medeski, Tom Waits, John Scofield, Jesse Harris and the Ferdinandos, Sean Lennon, Mitchell Froom, Big John Patton, John Lurie, Jim Hall, Jessica Williams and Myra Melford. In addition to his live performances with Frisell, he currently tours with trumpeter Steven Bernstein's group Sex Mob, and occasionally with Zorn's Electric Masada. He also leads his own band, The Wollesens.