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.
I Heard It Through the Grapevine
Bill Frisell Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
'Bout your plans to make me blue
With some other guy you knew before
Between the two of us guys
You know I loved you more
It took me by surprise I must say
When I found out yesterday
Don't you know that I heard it through the grapevine
Oh I heard it through the grapevine
Oh I'm just about to lose my mind
Honey, honey yeah.
I heard it through the grapevine
Not much longer would you be mine baby
I know a man ain't supposed to cry
But these tears I can't hold inside
Losin' you would end my life you see
'Cause you mean that much to me
You could have told me yourself
That you loved some one else
Instead I heard it through the grapevine
Not much longer would you be mine
Oh, I heard it through the grapevine
And I'm just about to lose my mind
Honey, honey yeah
I heard it through the grapevine
Not much longer would you be mine, baby
People say believe half of what you see
Son and none of what you hear
But I can't help but be confused
If it's true please tell me dear
Do you plan to let me go
For the other guy you loved before?
Don't you know I heard it through the grapevine
Not much longer would you be mine, baby yeah
I heard it through the grapevine
I'm just about to love my mind
Honey, honey, yeah
I heard it through the grapevine,
Not much longer would you be mine, baby yeah
The lyrics of Bill Frisell's cover of "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" describe a man who learns through gossip that his partner plans on leaving him for another man. The singer is heartbroken and incapable of holding back his tears. He admits that he loved her more than the other man, but she never disclosed her feelings to him, and he had to hear the news through rumors. The lyrics imply that the singer and his partner belong to a small community where rumors spread easily, and that's how he came to know of her plans to leave him for another man.
The lyrics of "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" reflect the struggles of a man who feels powerless and betrayed, having lost the woman he loved. The song's title "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" is a metaphor derived from the telegraph system used in the early 1900s. It was called "the grapevine telegraph" because people passed on information like a grapevine spreading across a trellis. The song is an example of early Motown Soul and was written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong. It had previously been a hit for Marvin Gaye before Bill Frisell covered it.
Moreover, "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" has been covered numerous times, with the most famous version being Marvin Gaye's 1968 hit. The song's popularity has also led to its use in various films and television shows, including The Big Chill, Platoon, and The Simpsons. In 2018, it was entered into the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress, recognizing its cultural significance.
Line by Line Meaning
I bet you're wonderin' how I knew
You may be curious about how I came to know
'Bout your plans to make me blue
About your intention of making me sad
With some other guy you knew before
With a person you were previously acquainted with
Between the two of us guys
Between you and me
You know I loved you more
You should be aware of my deeper affection for you
It took me by surprise I must say
I must admit that it was unexpected
When I found out yesterday
When I discovered this information yesterday
Don't you know that I heard it through the grapevine
Are you not aware that I received this information through word of mouth
Not much longer would you be mine
Our relationship would soon come to an end
Oh I heard it through the grapevine
Oh, I learned about this through gossip
Oh I'm just about to lose my mind
I am on the verge of going crazy
Honey, honey yeah.
A term of endearment used to address the person being spoken to
I know a man ain't supposed to cry
A man is typically not encouraged to express his emotions through tears
But these tears I can't hold inside
However, I cannot suppress these tears
Losin' you would end my life you see
Losing you would be devastating
'Cause you mean that much to me
Because you hold such a significant place in my heart
You could have told me yourself
You could have informed me personally
That you loved some one else
That you had developed romantic feelings for another person
Instead I heard it through the grapevine
Instead, I received this news through hearsay
People say believe half of what you see
There is a saying that advises to only believe some of what you witness
Son and none of what you hear
And to not believe anything you hear
But I can't help but be confused
However, I cannot help but feel bewildered
If it's true please tell me dear
If this is true, please inform me, my dear
Do you plan to let me go
Are you intending to end our relationship
For the other guy you loved before?
In favor of the person you were previously in love with?
Not much longer would you be mine, baby
Our relationship would not continue much longer, my love
I'm just about to love my mind
I am nearly losing my sanity
Honey, honey, yeah
A term of endearment used to address the person being spoken to
I heard it through the grapevine,
I learned about this through gossip
Not much longer would you be mine, baby yeah
Our relationship would not continue much longer, my love
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Tratore, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Norman Whitfield, Barrett Strong
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind