Bill Frisell, Beautiful Dreamer - by Philip Watson

Book Synopsis

Over a period of forty-five years, Bill Frisell has established himself as one of the most innovative musicians at work today.

A quietly revolutionary guitar hero for our genre-blurring times, he has synthesised many disparate musical elements - from jazz to pop, folk to film music, ambient to avant-garde, country to classical - into one compellingly singular sound. Described as 'the favourite guitarist of many people who agree on little else in music', Frisell connects to a diverse range of artists and admirers, including Paul Simon, Elvis Costello, Lucinda Williams, and Bon Iver.

Everybody loves Bill Frisell. Through unprecedented access, and interviews with his close family, friends and collaborators, Philip Watson tells the story of why.

Review Quotes

"The biography is stuffed with musical encounters, so many that every couple of pages there's an unheard Frisell recording for the reader to chase down." -- New Yorker

"Warm-hearted, collaborative, and discreet to the point of being almost ambient, Beautiful Dreamer manages to be the perfect companion-piece to the music of its subject." -- MOJO

"[Watson's] writing balances unbridled passion and dispassionate research nearly as deftly as Mr. Frisell's playing does sound and silence . . . compelling." -- Wall Street Journal

" A brilliant book about a brilliant musician. If music was a religion Bill Frisell would be a Saint." -- JOHN ZORN

"The most thorough, exhaustively researched biography that I have ever read about a living jazz musician." --Jazziz

"A revelatory, roots and branches portrait of one of America's greatest synthesisers of musical ideas." -- All About Jazz

"Looks set to become the definitive document of one of North America's living guitar legends . . . beautifully written and addictively constructed - we suspect the only reason fans will want to put it down is to pick up their guitars." -- Guitar World

"One of America's most unique musicians . . . one of the great American voices." -- ELVIS COSTELLO

"[Frisell is] the best living contemporary guitar player." -- LUCINDA WILLIAMS

"Frisell plays guitar like Miles Davis played trumpet." -- New Yorker