Bill Frisell

world jazz // african // country celtic

It opens like a treasure box, curious colors squiriming around inside. Slowly, they transform into a steed mounting the orange horizon. The African moon rises slowly, placing you in a trance and absolving you into an addictive chant. Bill Frisell has been creating songs melding together an assortment of world flavors for years. This track, “Baba Drame” from his 2003 album, The Intercontinentals, amalgamates seemingly disparate world genres. An african rhythm guitar and percussion start off the song, however a country violin pairs with the guitar for a solid harmony that feels mistakably celtic.
A beatiful sample of the world’s sound in a palatable package.

Bill Frisell – Baba Drame
buy this cd

Posted by Paul Irish on Wednesday, January 26th, 2005 under global, jazz.

7 Responses to “Bill Frisell”

  1. Anonymous said on January 26th at 10:01 pm :

    That’s a nice track. Hard to get a handle on it – it doesn’t sound like anyone or anything else. maybe a little of Ali Farka Toure. An amalgamation of styles but miles above everyday cut-and-paste genre mash-ups. Is the rest of the album as good?

  2. Paul Irish said on January 26th at 10:14 pm :

    Wow. I totally forgot to mention that Boubacar Traoré of Mali wrote this song. So that’s why you’re hearing the Ali Farka Toure sound to it.
    The rest of the album is good. It’s all very chill like this track. It won’t blow you away, but it’s not trying to.

  3. Anonymous said on January 27th at 6:32 am :

    I saw Bill Frisell a few years ago in Montreal (jazz fest) doing a solo guitar set. It was amazing to say the least. I must give that album a listen to.

    Max

  4. Nick Francis said on January 27th at 10:06 am :

    Paul- Thanks for another beautiful track. I was so inspired by it, that I just posted another Frisell track on my blog. (And I included a tip of the hat to you too). Thanks again. Nick

  5. Jason said on January 27th at 12:01 pm :

    Paul – Thanks for the info re: Ali Farka Toure (That was me, I’m not Anonymous!) I’m going to have to pick this one up. Keep up the great posts. The best thing about blogs is learning something new – thanks.

  6. Anonymous said on January 30th at 7:06 am :

    If you like this song, all i can advise you to do is to go and discover this wonderful Malian bluesman “Boubacar Traore”. With his voice, a guitar and an empty calabash for the percussion the guy does miracles !

    Baba Drame is the name of a friend of Boubacar that plays calabash. More information on him:
    http://mali-music.com/Cat/CatK/KarKar.htm#an

    LeK
    http://www.blogotheque.net

  7. Alexander said on February 3rd at 11:58 am :

    very nice indeed. it also reminds me of ali farka toure. actually i only know his great collaboration with ry cooder called talking timbuktu. an example of world music that works.

«
»