exystence club

How wonderful to see The Westerlies honouring Bill Frisell, not as a guitarist but as a writer. Trumpeter Riley Mulherkar’s contention that “Bill’s singular mastery of his instrument means he isn’t adequately considered as a composer” is astute, though to be clear it’s not that the quality of his writing isn’t appreciated but that the sound and style of his guitar playing has been so game-changing it tends to overshadow everything else. A quick scan of his many recordings reveals a wealth of classic compositions that carry his voice as distinctly as his playing. However, this set of Frisell material doesn’t draw from that voluminous archive; instead, eleven new pieces created (with one exception) during the pandemic were created by Bill and given to the group to…

Paradise, the exceptional new recording by The Westerlies brass quartet, comes at a perfect time in history. The music — sublime, precise and deeply spiritual — serves as a balm for the soul during a worrisome era. While the headlines scream of the starving of Palestinians in Gaza, the killing of Jews in Washington, D.C., the upheaval of international trade wars and the persistent sowing of divisiveness, The Westerlies turn their mighty clarion sound to the Sacred Harp music of the American South dating back to the mid-1800s. They have reshaped, recast and elevated this choral music — named for The Sacred Harp, a shape-note songbook from 1844 — into something that’s beautifully soothing and timeless. Let’s start with two stellar guest spots on this…