Bill Frisell
Guitar in the Space Age!

Due to a lack of passion for jazz and blues from a dear friend of mine who is more inclined to post-'80s rock, this little disc by Bill Frisell fell into my hands, fresh as can be, about a month and a half ago, one of the latest record releases of 2014.
I know the American guitarist by reputation, even though I've never delved into any of his works in particular.
In “Guitar in the Space Age!”, the artist pays homage to what is, for him, a sort of genesis and inspiration of his musical journey, twelve more or less seminal tracks of folk, country, blues, and rock ‘n roll origin recorded between the late fifties and the early sixties which left a tangible mark on Bill's pubescent/adolescent phase, fundamental periods when the “six-string” started becoming the instrument of early genuine experimentation and traced the evolutionary and cultural path of the various facets of rock.
Honestly, I don't really know jack about guitars since I've been dabbling with something entirely different for over twenty years, but as an audiophile, it doesn't take a genius to understand who knows how to play and who doesn't. Nevertheless, I won’t be dissecting each piece, but the feeling that this CD evoked in me is certainly more than satisfying.

The reimaginings obviously dress the tracks anew without altering or denaturing them, and the skill with which psychedelic effects, swing, and jazz are introduced in small doses is remarkable.
Among the most fortunate episodes, the western style reminiscent of Morricone in "Pipeline" by the Chantays opens the dance, followed in sequence by "Turn, Turn, Turn" by Pete Seeger, "Messin’ With the Kid" by Mel London, “Surfer Girl” by the Beach Boys, and the edgy blues of “Rumble” by Milt Grant.
Frisell himself breaks the cover-climate by proposing in the middle and towards the conclusion of the album “The Shortest Day” and “Lift Off”, two unreleased tracks with a rarefied and hypnotic atmosphere, an atmosphere reconfirmed in "Reflections From the Moon" by Speedy West.
Alternating in the second part are other notably interesting passages of the album's predominant genres, from the more “light” surf “Rebel Rouser” by Duane Eddy and “Baja” by Lee Hazlewood, the swing rhythm of “Bryant Boogie‘s” by Jimmy Bryant, the country of “Cannonball Rag” by Merle Travis, and the delicate psychedelic backdrop in “Tired of Waiting for You” by Ray Davies and “Telstar” by Joe Meek which closes the 55 minutes of “Guitar in the Space Age!”
The sumptuous rhythmic section entrusted to the bass lines of Tony Scherr and the percussion of Kenny Wollesen and the never overbearing guitar incursions, used in all forms and starring at the forefront, where besides Frisell, in the solo game, often joyously revels the colleague Greg Leisz, leaves no room for negative criticism.

So for those who wish to briefly relive that "iuessei" climate, get this delightful strictly instrumental CD. Just remember that you won't find yourself under the Oklahoma sun on Route 66 aboard a Pontiac Convertible on a carefree sunny afternoon of 1965, but more likely on a foggy Italian highway full of potholes with poplar trees lining the roadside just outside the shoulder. So turn up the volume and work your imagination.