Unspeakable (album)

Unspeakable is the seventeenth album by Bill Frisell to be released on the Elektra Nonesuch label. It was released in 2004 and features performances by Frisell, Hal Willner, Tony Scherr, Kenny Wollesen, Don Alias, Steven Bernstein, Briggan Krauss, Curtis Fowlkes, Adam Dorn, Jenny Scheinman, Eyvind Kang, and Hank Roberts. It won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Jazz Album in 2005.^[1]

Reception

The Allmusic review by Sean Westergaard awarded the album 4.5 stars stating "It's all quite accessible, but fans with delicate ears may be put off by some of the noisier moments on the album, like the keyboard sound on "Stringbean" or the guitar solo on "Old Sugar Bear." Other fans will be delighted to hear such a glorious din on a Bill Frisell record again. After so much of a similar thing, it's just great to hear Frisell being pushed in a new direction (and quite a fun one, at that). Recommended. ".^[2]

Track listing

1. "1968" - 4:35
2. "White Fang" (Frisell, Willner) - 5:39
3. "Sundust" (Willner) - 2:36
4. "Del Close" (Frisell, Liljestrand, Willner) - 5:03
5. "Gregory C." (Frisell, Willner) - 5:38
6. "Stringbean" (Frisell, Liljestrand, Willner) - 5:57
7. "Hymn for Ginsberg" - 2:24
8. "Alias" (Frisell, Liljestrand, Willner) - 7:56
9. "Who Was That Girl?" - 4:50
10. "D. Sharpe" - 4:10
11. "Fields of Alfalfa" (Frisell, Bernstein, Liljestrand, Walter, Willner) - 3:38
12. "Tony" (Frisell, Scherr, Wollesen) - 3:37
13. "Old Sugar Bear" (Grant, Liljestrand, Willner) - 7:10
14. "Goodbye Goodbye Goodbye" (Frisell, Lasry, Willner) - 8:58

All compositions by Bill Frisell except as indicated

Personnel

• Bill Frisell - guitars
• Hal Willner - turntables, samples
• Tony Scherr - bass, guitar
• Kenny Wollesen - drums
• Don Alias - percussion
• Steven Bernstein - trumpet
• Briggan Krauss - baritone sax
• Curtis Fowlkes - trombone
• Adam Dorn - synth
• Jenny Scheinman - violin
• Eyvind Kang - viola
• Hank Roberts - cello

References