Valentine
1. Baba Drame (Written by Boubacar Traore)
2. Hour Glass (Written by Bill Frisell)
3. Valentine (Written by Bill Frisell)
4. Levees (Written by Bill Frisell)
5. Electricity (Written by Bill Frisell)
6. Wagon Wheels (Written by Billy Hill & Peter DeRose)
7. Aunt Mary (Written by Bill Frisell)
8. Winter Always Turns To Spring (Written by Bill Frisell)
9. Keep Your Eyes Open (Written by Bill Frisell)
10. A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing (Written by Billy Strayhorn)
11. What The World Needs Now Is Love (Written by Burt Bacharach & Hal David)
12. Where Do We Go? (Written by Bill Frisell)
13. We Shall Overcome (Traditional)
Released: 2020
Bill Frisell: Guitars
Thomas Morgan: Bass
Rudy Royston: Drums
Produced by Lee Townsend
Recorded by Tucker Martine & assisted by Cole Halverson at Flora Recording & Playback, Portland, OR
Mixed by Tucker Martine at Flora Recording & Playback, Portland, OR
Mastered by Greg Calbi at Sterling Sound, Edgewater, NJ
Cover art: Carole D'Inverno
Graphic Design by Luke Jacobs from Perfecto Creative
Photography by Monica Jane Frisell
Proudly presented by the Blue Note/Capitol Team: Don Was, Rachel Jones, Cem Kurosman, Justin Seltzer, Melissa Cohen, Alex Anastasi, Michael Cantor, Francisco Marmol & Jenna Vitolo.
Many Thanks to: Phyllis Oyama, Adam Blomberg, Kevin Lee, Claudia Engelhart, Carole d’Inverno, Monica Jane Frisell, J.W. Black Guitars, Jeff Callahan Pickups, The Village Vanguard, Michael Morris, Saudades Tourneen.
Thanks to all at Blue Note - Rachel, Cem, Justin, Melissa, Alex, Michael, Francisco and Jenna - for their support and fine work.
Special thanks to Don Was for going to bat for us.
Quotes
“Valentine showcases the limitless creativity, the artful spontaneity, and the intuition and trust with which Frisell,
Morgan, and Royston perform their tunes. The album delivers a love letter to the tunes, to the listeners, and to the trio itself.”
—No Depression
“On Valentine, they consistently and strikingly play as one, voices intertwined, completing phrases as if sharing a single thought… Even though the selections on Valentine hail from a range of styles the performances represent jazz playing at its most sublime.”
—DownBeat (5-star “Masterpiece” rating)
“The trio is the most mysterious and clarifying format in jazz... a great jazz trio perfectly balances foreground and background. It is at once intimate and communal. Leading a trio with force and grace requires both a sturdy identity and the open-mindedness of a true collaborator. Guitarist Bill Frisell... [possesses] these qualities... Mr. Frisell as an auteur, his trio mates the perfect ensemble cast... three musicians in lockstep, moving as one.”
—Wall Street Journal
“a Frisellian mix of down-home and moody, abstract and endearingly direct… the album draws to a spirited close with touching renditions of ‘What the World Needs Now Is Love’ and ‘We Shall Overcome’.”
—JazzTimes
“Guitar great Bill Frisell explores the creative freedom of the trio format on his new album, Valentine, alongside his longtime trio compadres bassist Thomas Morgan and drummer Rudy Royston... this trio performs a wide-ranging program of Frisell compositions old and new as well as classics and standards, showcasing the profound musical relationship they have formed in their years of touring together.”
—JAZZIZ
“With Valentine, Frisell, Royston and Morgan revel in the tight but loose interplay that is a hallmark of the best groups, plying a course as deeply lyrical as it is adventurous. Feels like the beginning of a great adventure.”
—AllAboutJazz
“[‘We Shall Overcome’ is] about as beautiful an instrumental as you’ll ever hear. Frisell’s leads are nothing short of a work of art, letting the powerful melody take up as much space as it needs, all the while wrapping it in silky-smooth jazz touches that’ll leave you shaking your head in wonder.”
—Guitar World