Product Description

The late Michael Disfarmer was an odd, curmudgeonly character in the rural community of Heber Springs, Arkansas, who, despite his anti-social character, chose to record the stark images of his fellow townspeople, during the 1940's and 50's, in cheap black-and-white photographic portraits. Decades after the photographer's passing, a cache of work made by this solitary and oft-reviled man was rediscovered, and he has come to be regarded as an important outsider artist. Among the many drawn to his plain yet deeply evocative pictures was Chuck Helm, Director of the Performing Arts at the Wexner Center in Columbus, Ohio, who introduced guitarist and composer Bill Frisell to Disfarmer's oeuvre on the hunch that Frisell might be inspired by it.
Says Helm, the catalyst for Disfarmer, 'To me, Bill Frisell is a uniquely American artist with a distinctive and singular musical voice, like that of Thelonious Monk or Aaron Copland. In his probing yet atmospheric evocations of American vistas I could hear parallels to the emotional truths of Disfarmer's compelling photographs.'
As Helm suspected, Disfarmer's work resonated with Frisell and led to the creation of a touring multimedia work, Disfarmer Project - featuring Frisell, lap steel guitar player Greg Leisz and violinist Jenny Scheinman, plus slides of Disfarmer's photos, displayed on screens. The piece premiered on March 3, 2007 at the Wexner Center, on the campus of Ohio State University. The score was subsequently recorded in Seattle and Nashville, produced by Frisell's longtime collaborator Lee Townsend and also featuring Viktor Krauss on bass. Along with the Frisell's original compositions, he interpolates versions of such tunes as Arthur Crudup's 'That's Alright Mama' and Hank Williams Sr.'s 'I Can't Help It (If I'm Still in Love with You)' into this subtly yet stunningly beautiful set.

Track Listing

1. Disfarmer Theme
2. Lonely Man
3. Lost, Night
4. Farmer
5. Focus
6. Peter Miller's Discovery
7. That's Alright, Mama
8. Little Girl
9. Little Boy
10. No One Gets In
11. Lovesick Blues
12. I Can't Help It (If I'm Still In Love With You)
13. Shutter, Dream
14. Exposed
15. The Wizard
16. Think
17. Drink
18. Play
19. I Am Not A Farmer
20. Small Town
21. Arkansas (Part 1)
22. Arkansas (Part 2)
23. Arkansas (Part 3)
24. Lost Again, Dark
25. Natural Light
26. Did You See Him?

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4021 in Music
• Brand: FRISELL,BILL
• Released on: 2009-07-21
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Soundtrack
• Dimensions: .26 pounds

Customer Reviews

American Masterpiece
I had the pleasure of seeing this work performed live last April in San Francisco, accompanied by a slide show of Disfarmer's photographs. The live show, which was stunning, featured Frisell playing entirely electric guitar, and the studio version is more acoustic. Consequently, this recording is more layered, subtle and nuanced. While Frisell and this remarkable group of musicians have been mining this particular hybrid of American roots and jazz for several years, to my ears, this work stands alone in depth and beauty. I have only one criticism and that is the next to last cut, which here is nearly three minutes, but live was about ten minutes and just kept building with layer upon layer of solos and loops until I could not stop crying with wonder and joy. My family is originally from the part of the country where the photos were taken and it's difficult for me to describe how deeply I am affected by the marriage of this music with those photos. I've been a huge Frisell fan for many years now, but this is my favorite work. It is as timeless as the photos; yet at the same time, entirely new and completely inspired.

Evocative and inspired.
The veteran avant-jazz guitarist Bill Frisell continues his exploration of Americana with a series of instrumentals inspired by the life and photographs of Depression-era Arkansas chronicler/photographer Michael Disfarmer, who documented the lives of pre-war rural southerners in vividly atmospheric portraits and vistas
With a band consisting of stand-up bass, steel guitar and fiddle, for the most part Frisell plays it pretty straight. He has recruited some fine country players - like bassist Victor Krauss and steel guitarist Greg Leisz - for the project.
Most of the pieces are plangent, haunting and fragmentary, as Frisell's delicately shimmering strings accentuate the psychological dread of Disfarmer's images.
The best tracks, such as "Little Gir", have a ragged edge to them, coming over like a genteel, dinner party-friendly version of "The Dirty Three".
He also throws in covers of Hank Williams's "Lovesick Blues" and Elvis's "That's All Right Mama".
A version of "I Can't Help It (If I'm Still In Love With You)" is mysterious and lovely, and only the lightly rollicking "Arkansas Pt 1" interrupts the elegaic and lorn mood.
My favourite tracks: "Little Girl", the gentle waltz "Disfarmer Theme", the warm and subtle "Peter Miller's Discovery", the relaxed dance "That's Alright, Mama", treated treated as slinky Western Swing, with touches of intriguing mandolin/guitar interplay and the beautiful "I Am Not a Farmer".

Outstanding
I'll echo the reviewer that said Disfarmer is an American masterpiece. When I heard it for the first time while looking at Disfarmer's fotos in the liner notes, the music immediately resonated with me. I'm originally from the West Texas plains and was moved by the poignant starkness and humbleness of the people in the fotos. Frissell and the other musicians conveyed this sense of time and place masterfully. Also, there is indeed something very meditative about the music. If I do nothing but sit still and just listen with my eyes closed, these plaintive tunes take me to another level, one of beauty and sweetness and peace.

I highly recommend this outstanding CD.