Frisell was born in Baltimore, Maryland, but spent most of his youth in the Denver, Colorado, area. He studied clarinet with Richard Joiner of the Denver Symphony Orchestra as a youth, graduated from Denver East High School, and went to the University of Northern Colorado to study music.
His original guitar teacher in the Denver-Aurora metropolitan area was Dale Bruning, with whom Frisell released the 2000 duo album Reunion. After graduating from Northern Colorado, where he studied with Johnny Smith, Frisell went to the Berklee College of Music in Boston, where he studied with Jon Damian and Jim Hall.
Frisell's major break came when guitarist Pat Metheny was unable to make a recording session, and recommended Frisell to Paul Motian who was recording Psalm (1982) for ECM Records. Frisell became ECM's in-house guitar player, and worked on several albums, most notably Jan Garbarek's 1981 Paths, Prints. Frisell's first solo release was In Line featured solo guitar and duets with bassist Arild Andersen.
Frisell's first group to receive much acclaim was a quartet with Kermit Driscoll on bass, Joey Baron on drums, and Hank Roberts on cello (later slimmed down to a trio when Roberts left). Many other albums with larger ensembles were recorded with this group as the core.
In the 1980s Frisell lived in New York City and was an active participant in the city's music scene. He forged an early partnership with John Zorn—including as a member of quick-change band Naked City—and performed or recorded with many others. He also became known for his work in drummer Paul Motian's trio, along with saxophonist Joe Lovano.
In 1988 Frisell left New York City and moved to Seattle, Washington. In the early 1990s Frisell made two of his best-reviewed albums: first, Have a Little Faith, an ambitious survey of Americana of all stripes, from Charles Ives and Aaron Copland (the entirety of Billy the Kid) to John Hiatt (the title song), Bob Dylan ("Just Like a Woman") and Madonna (a lengthy, psychedelic rock-tinged version of "Live to Tell"); and second, This Land, a complementary set of originals. During this time he performed with many musicians, including the more up and coming, such as Douglas September on album 10 Bulls. He also branched out by performing soundtracks to silent films of Buster Keaton with his trio, and contributed to Ryuichi Sakamoto's album Heartbeat.
In the mid-1990s, Frisell disbanded his trio. He continued the trend marked by Have a Little Faith by more explicitly incorporating elements of bluegrass and country music into his music. His friendship with Gary Larson led him to provide music for the TV version of The Far Side (released on the album Quartet along with music written for Keaton's Convict 13). Since 2000, Frisell has lived on Bainbridge Island, Washington, near Seattle.
Several of Frisell's songs, including his recording of "Over the Rainbow" and "Coffaro's Theme", were featured in the movie Finding Forrester (2000).
In 1999, Frisell was commissioned by the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota to compose Blues Dream, which he premiered on November 15, 1999. He later recorded the work for a 2001 release on Nonesuch.
Also in 1999, he released The Sweetest Punch which featured a seven-piece jazz ensemble reworking the tunes written and recorded by Elvis Costello and Burt Bacharach on Painted from Memory.
Between 2003 and 2005 Frisell acted as musical director for Century of Song, a series of concerts at the German arts festival RuhrTriennale (produced by Lee Townsend). Frisell invited artists including Rickie Lee Jones, Elvis Costello, Suzanne Vega, Arto Lindsay, Loudon Wainwright III, Vic Chesnutt, Van Dyke Parks, Buddy Miller, Ron Sexsmith and Chip Taylor to perform their favorite songs in new arrangements.
In 2003, Frisell's The Intercontinentals was nominated for a Grammy award; he won the 2005 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Jazz Album for his album Unspeakable. His 2008 album, History, Mystery was nominated for a 2009 Grammy award for Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual or Group. Frisell was also a judge for the 6th annual Independent Music Awards to support independent artists' careers.
Frisell has united with Matt Chamberlain, Tucker Martine, and Lee Townsend in the Floratone band, and they have released an album on Blue Note (2007), featuring guest performance of Viktor Krauss, Ron Miles, Eyvind Kang.
In 2008, Frisell performed as a featured guest on Earth's album The Bees Made Honey in the Lion's Skull.
In 2009, Frisell featured in a duet rendition of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" with singer-songwriter, Sam Shrieve. The recording was released on Shrieve's debut album Bittersweet Lullabies.
In 2010, Frisell started working with the Savoy Jazz label and released Beautiful Dreamers in August 2010, then a second release of Sign of Life in April 2011. Also, on January 25, 2011, Bill Frisell and Vinicius Cantuária released Lágrimas Mexicanas on the E1 label.
In June, 2011, Frisell, Lee Townsend, and their frequent collaborator, Vinicius Cantuaria, participated in TEDx GoldenGateED's program, "Teaching Compassion" in Oakland, California. Frisell and Cantuaria performed separately, and Townsend assisted with technical aspects of the event.
In September 2011, Frisell released All We Are Saying, a full-length offering of his interpretations of John Lennon's music. Frisell's quintet includes violinist Jenny Scheinman, pedal steel and acoustic guitarist Greg Leisz, bassist Tony Scherr, and drummer Kenny Wollesen.
Deep Dead Blue
Bill Frisell Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That I invite
Bringing on
Disguise of night
Turn the whole Kaleidoscope
Deep dead blue
Deep dead blue
That nightly shade
Most unlikely escapades
As the lights that frighten fade
'Til the dawn drags into view
I'm lost in deep dead blue
Deep dead blue
I'd rather stay
Far from the cruel colored day
Leave me in my monochrome
'Til I find a finer hue
Beyond the deep dead blue
In "Deep Dead Blue," Bill Frisell captures a mood of deep melancholy and longing, using the color blue as a metaphorical representation of emotional darkness and solitude. The lyrics portray a desire to retreat from the harshness of the outside world into a state of introspection and introspective contemplation. The opening lines, "Deep dead blue, that I invite, bringing on disguise of night," suggest a deliberate and intentional invitation to this state of emotional vulnerability and introspection.
The second verse continues to delve into the emotional landscape, describing the "nightly shade" as a place where unlikely experiences and adventures occur. The lights that "frighten" fade, implying a turning away from external distractions and a focus on inner thoughts and feelings. The chorus, repeated twice, emphasizes the depth of this emotional state, expressing a sense of being lost within the "deep dead blue."
The final verse expresses a preference for remaining in this state of emotional retreat, far from the realities of the "cruel colored day." The lyrics speak to a longing to find a "finer hue" beyond the deep blue, suggesting a desire for a more vibrant and fulfilling emotional state. "Deep Dead Blue" ultimately captures the complexities and vulnerabilities of human emotions, inviting the listener to reflect on their own introspective experiences.
Line by Line Meaning
Deep dead blue
Profoundly melancholic and lifeless
That I invite
That I willingly embrace
Bringing on
Inducing
Disguise of night
The illusion of darkness
Turn the whole Kaleidoscope
Transform everything into a vibrant array
Deep dead blue
Profoundly melancholic and lifeless
Deep dead blue
Profoundly melancholic and lifeless
That nightly shade
The darkness that covers me each night
Most unlikely escapades
Unusual and unexpected adventures
As the lights that frighten fade
As the fearsome lights disappear
'Til the dawn drags into view
Until the morning reluctantly appears
I'm lost in deep dead blue
I am engulfed in profound melancholy
Deep dead blue
Profoundly melancholic and lifeless
I'd rather stay
I prefer to remain
Far from the cruel colored day
Away from the harsh and vivid daylight
Leave me in my monochrome
Let me be in my grayscale existence
'Til I find a finer hue
Until I discover a more beautiful shade
Beyond the deep dead blue
Outside the realm of profound melancholy
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Bill Frisell, Elvis Costello
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jonathan R. Zeko
It is so refreshing to observe musicians who actually listen to one another and make on the fly adjustments for the good of the song and the performance. Great musicians are interested in the FIDELITY of the musical experience, not showing off. These folks are wonderful.
Ciro Nicholas
I think you just articulated something I've been trying to put in words for a long time. That's exactly what it is, Fidelity. One day I hope to have enough discipline to be this kind of musician instead of a noodler.
Joshua Polak
Composition!!! Tone, taste, timing ... sonic bliss!!!
Norbert Varga
Painfully beautiful... Amazing work! I can’t help thinking Bill’s playing often resembles Gabor Szabo, especially in this tune.
Bob McMichael
Petra got her dad's phenomenally subtle time and lyrical inflection. Staggering.
S Bingham
This whole album is really really good.
roberto andreucci
it's always a great emotion
listen to bill frisell's music
extraordinary musician,
who is always three steps behind the music he plays,
the music remains the musicians pass,
and he expresses this concept in a sublime way.
Udo Matthias drums
love it!!
Flavio Gominho
Great song. Sounds like a James Bond movie song. Bill is really a fine guitar player, the Mark Twain of Jazz guitar, as he is a travelog of Americana! Love Petra Haden's voice; her father would be mighty proud of her effort here!
Rod Parsons
Which Bond song. You got me in a "tip of the tongue" state. It's a modal thing.