Sound

Bill Frisell

Born 1951-03-18 · Baltimore, Maryland, USA

William Richard Frisell is an American jazz guitarist. He first came to prominence at ECM Records in the 1980s, as both a session player and a leader. He went on to work in a variety of contexts, notably as a participant in the Downtown Scene in New York City, where he formed a long working relationship with composer and saxophonist John Zorn. He was also a longtime member of veteran drummer Paul Motian's groups from the early 1980s until Motian's death in 2011. Since the late 1990s, Frisell's output as a bandleader has also integrated prominent elements of folk, country, rock ‘n’ roll and Americana. He has six Grammy nominations and one win.

Acting credits

Inside Scofield poster
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Inside Scofield is a feature documentary about master guitarist and touring musician John Scofield.

Inside Scofield

2022

Motian in Motion poster
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Motian In Motion is a documentary film about iconic jazz drummer Paul Motian, with rare footage of Paul playing and recording at the world renowned Village Vanguard, Birdland and other venues.

Motian in Motion

2020

AngelHeaded Hipster: The Songs of Marc Bolan & T. Rex poster
7.6

The complex and revolutionary music and lyrics of Marc Bolan and T. Rex, the glam rock powerhouse behind “Bang a Gong (Get it On)” and other iconic songs. Featuring archival performances and interviews with Elton John, Ringo Starr, and David Bowie, plus filmed musical interpretations by artists such as Nick Cave, John Cameron Mitchell, Joan Jett, Macy Gray, U2, and Father John Misty.

AngelHeaded Hipster: The Songs of Marc Bolan & T. Rex

2023

Music for Black Pigeons poster
6.8

Music for Black Pigeons is the first collaboration between Jørgen Leth and Andreas Koefoed. The film poses existential questions to influential jazz players such as Bill Frisell, Lee Konitz, Midori Takada and many others: How does it feel to play, and what does it mean to listen? What is it like to be a human being and spending your whole life trying to express something through sounds? The characters wake up, rehearse, record, perform and talk about music. In some moments they are on the edge, the edge of existence, constantly challenging themselves. They listen. They devote themselves to finding a space to create a connection to something bigger than themselves. Something that will outlast all of us.

Music for Black Pigeons

2023

Carmine Street Guitars poster
7.2

Five days in the life of fabled Greenwich Village guitar store Carmine Street Guitars.

Carmine Street Guitars

2018

McCoy Tyner - Guitars poster
7.0

No synopsis available yet.

McCoy Tyner - Guitars

2008

Cinema of Decay: The Films of Bill Morrison poster
7.0

This documentary focuses on the artistry of director Bill Morrison, who leverages decaying film stock from years past to tell new stories that are relevant to today's audiences. The decaying film lends brilliant visuals which add to Morrison's concept of storytelling.

Cinema of Decay: The Films of Bill Morrison

2017

Homeland: The Story of the Lark poster
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A distilled, up-to-the-minute portrait of our agitated nation, its politics, its economics, its delusions and its dreams. Laurie Anderson's tone is less outraged than elegiac, mourning for lives lost, ideals misplaced. The music is dramatically stripped down to a handful of players, centered around Anderson's haunting violin and voice, frequent Bill Frisell band-mate Eyvind Kang's viola and Peter Scherer's keyboards.

Homeland: The Story of the Lark

2010

A Bookshelf on Top of the Sky: 12 Stories About John Zorn poster
6.8

A rare peek into the working methods of John Zorn. Filmed over a ten year period, this documentary includes live footage of Masada, Naked City, Cobra, as well as improvisations, his classical work and rare interviews. A prize winner at European festivals, this film documents Heuermann's very personal, fifteen year odyssey with the music of John Zorn.

A Bookshelf on Top of the Sky: 12 Stories About John Zorn

2002

Even Hell Has Its Heroes poster
6.0

Seattle’s swampy rivers and wild forests set an atmospheric scene for the tale of Earth – the slowest metal band on earth – which created the drone metal genre, was an inspiration to the grunge rock scene and had an unfortunate hand in Kurt Cobain’s death.

Even Hell Has Its Heroes

2023

No artwork available
NR

John Zorn: alto sax, vocals Bill Frisell: guitar Wayne Horvitz: keyboards, piano Fred Frith: bass Joey Baron: drums

John Zorn's Naked City: Montreux Jazz Festival 1990

No artwork available
6.5

No synopsis available yet.

Bill Frisell - Guitar In The Space Age - Maison de la Culture 2014

2014

No artwork available
6.5

No synopsis available yet.

Bill Frisell - Guitar In The Space Age - Maison de la Culture 2014

2014

No artwork available
NR

No synopsis available yet.

Bill Frisell: Live In Montreal

2002

Bill Frisell: A Portrait poster
5.8

An intimate, behind-the-music portrait of one of the most unassuming yet influential creative artists of our time, guitarist Bill Frisell. Frisell said of the film, “It’s like the inside of my brain!”

Bill Frisell: A Portrait

2017

Bill Frisell plays John Lennon La Villete Jazz Festival poster
6.0

No synopsis available yet.

Bill Frisell plays John Lennon La Villete Jazz Festival

2012

No artwork available
7.0

No synopsis available yet.

Bill Frisell Big Sur Sextet - Festival Jazz Vitoria-Gasteiz

2013

Bill Frisell Trio - Melbourne Jazz Festival 2017 poster
7.0

No synopsis available yet.

Bill Frisell Trio - Melbourne Jazz Festival 2017

2017

No artwork available
7.0

No synopsis available yet.

Bill Frisell - Solos - The Jazz Sessions

2010