feature photo: Paul Moore
It’s the assemblage of a dream band for the living guitar icon Bill Frisell, playing music inspired by a dream he had a long, long time ago that shaped how he thinks about music, his guitar and instrumentation. As the master approaches his 75th birthday, In My Dreams (February 27, 2026 Blue Note Records) will be perhaps the fullest embodiment of that signature Americana/chamber/jazz he fashioned in the late 80s and early 90s. Frisell would return to this style time and time again — 2013’s Big Sur being a notable example — but In My Dreams he’s even more all-in in bringing out his uniquely sweetly, haunting sentimental sound.
The commitment is signaled by the marshaling of resources for this project. Frisell has often complemented his guitar with the folk-jazz strings from a trio of virtuosos: Jenny Scheinman (violin), Eyvind Kang (viola) and Hank Roberts on cello go back decades with the guitarist, you can find at least one of them appearing on his records going back to his second album Lookout For Hope (1987). Drummer Rudy Royston developed a lasting relationship with Frisell in the late 90s through their shared association with the late trumpeter Ron Miles and has been a steady presence on Bill’s records since 2010. Bassist Thomas Morgan came on board around 2016 to form with Royston Frisell’s go-to rhythm section.
But none of these six players have all appeared to together on record (the aforementioned Big Sur was missing only Morgan), until now.
Eight of these twelve selections are recorded live but Lee Townsend’s spotless production all but strips away the crowd noise so you can be forgiven if you thought they’re studio tracks. Frisell tossed in three aged covers he makes his own to go along with nine of his own songs.
Armed with a vastly capable string trio, Frisell lets them rule on the sweet “Small Hands,” his finger picked notes providing accompaniment and melodic markers. Frisell turns to Morgan, however, to handle the lead part for “Never Too Late,” who nimbly dances around the strings with the pastoral grace of Charlie Haden.
The illusory “In My Dreams” comes to life when the strings enter the room, the leader content to let the Roberts/Scheinman/Kang line carry out the dreamy aura of the song. The long form original “Curtis (a year and a day)” is where Frisell puts his extended composition abilities to work; Kang’s viola takes charge with Royston providing power from behind. “Again” touches on Frisell’s rock side — if just a little — but with modern creative twists.
Frisell’s choice of covers are always compelling in both the choice and his treatment of them. “Home On The Range” starts off with Frisell free-jazz noodling on his electric guitar but that’s a head fake. The whole band enters (with Frisell’ acoustic rhythm guitar organically sampled/looped in) and for a while the song is played exactly how you’d imagine it would be played seventy or eighty years ago. But Frisell tacks on a loop-imbued coda to it that’s dissonant and dark.
Ellington and Strayhorn’s “Isfahan” points up the fact that Frisell looks for time-honored gorgeous melodies without any regard for the genre or time period they fall into. His guitar does its level best to bring out that gorgeousness and the Morgan/Royston rhythm section’s gentle swing is steady and assuring. Reaching back to the 19th century, Stephen Foster’s “Hard Times” is just Frisell with the string section, led by Scheinman and beautifully accompanied by a fragile, twinkly guitar.
The easygoing, classic country & western sway of “When We Go” could trick some into believing this is another one of Frisell’s nostalgic selections of a century-old song plucked from obscurity, but his original nonetheless captures the feel for melody that meets of the standard of that time. And “Give Me A Home” is a nifty Frisell reharmonization of “Home On The Range”
Bill Frisell is in the rarefied category of being so inimitable and so diverse at the same time; he is comfortable in any setting and yet he’s very much himself in every one of them. But In My Dreams feels like his home base, the most ‘Frisell’ of Bill Frisell albums. It’s a perfect reminder of why he’s one of the most important figures of American music, always connecting the majesty of the past with a vision for taking it into the future. A vision inspired by a dream.
| Album Cover | Artist | Title | Format | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Bill Frisell | In My Dreams | CD | Purchase Here |
| Bill Frisell | In My Dreams | Vinyl | Purchase Here |
 | Bill Frisell | Big Sur | CD | Purchase Here |
 | Bill Frisell | Richter 858 | CD | Purchase Here |
 | Bill Frisell | Lookout For Hope | CD | Click Here |
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