Bill Frisell - Before We Were Born

Before We Were Born es un excelente punto de partida para conocer la música de uno de los guitarristas más personales que ha dado el jazz (en téminos amplios).
Presenta material con distintas agrupaciones: tres temas acompañado por intérpretes de la escena avant-garde/art-rock neoyorquina: Arto Lindsay y Peter Scherer (Before We Were Born, The Lone Ranger, Steady Girl); una composición que consta de cuatro partes llamada Some Song and Dance, junto a su cuarteto regular por entonces: Hank Roberts, chelo; Kermit Driscoll, bajo; Joey Baron, batería; aumentado por tres saxofonistas: Julius Hemphill en alto; Billy Drewes, alto y Doug Wieselman, barítono (los aires de marcha en Freddy's Step; el intrigante blues Love Motel; la delirante Pip, Squeak; y un cierto dejo a tango en Goodbye); finalmente, con su referida banda y arreglada por John Zorn, la caótica Hard Plains Drifter, donde conviven free jazz, rock, country y todo lo que se pueda imaginar. ***1/2

1.Before We Were Born (6:51)
2.Some Song and Dance: Freddy's Step (3:06)
3.Some Song and Dance: Love Motel (6:49)
4.Some Song and Dance: Pip, Squeak (5:28)
5.Some Song and Dance: Goodbye (1:43)
6.Hard Plains Drifter [or As I Take My Last Breath and the Noose Grows Tight, the Incredible Events of The Past Three Days Flash Before My Eyes] (13:24)
7.The Lone Ranger (7:34)
8.Steady Girl (2:10)

Bill Frisell, acoustic & electric guitars, banjo
Hank Roberts, vocals, cello
Arto Lindsay, vocals, electric guitar
Julius Hemphill, alto saxophone (soloist)
Billy Drewes, alto saxophone
Doug Wieselman, baritone saxophone
Peter Scherer, keyboards, programming
Kermit Driscoll, electric bass
Joey Baron, drums, percussion
Cyro Baptista, shaker

Recorded at Skyline Studios, Platinum Island, Creative Audio Recording, Power Station and Sound On Sound, New York, New York in August & September 1988.

Elektra 60843-2 [1989]