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.
On the Street Where You Live
Bill Frisell Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Down the street before,
But the pavement always
Stayed beneath my feet before.
All at once am i
Several stories high,
Knowing I?m on the street where you live.
In the heart of town?
Can you hear a lark in any other part of town?
Does enchantment pour
Out of every door?
No, it?s just on the street where you live.
And oh, the towering feeling
Just to know somehow you are near
The overpowering feeling
That any second you may suddenly appear.
People stop and stare
They don?t bother me,
For there?s no where else on earth
That I would rather be.
Let the time go by,
I won?t care if i
Can be here on the street where you live.
People stop and stare
They don?t bother me,
For there?s no where else on earth
That I would rather be.
Let the time go by
I won?t care if i
Can be here on the street where you live,
Let me be on the street where you live.
In Bill Frisell's version of the classic song "On the Street Where You Live," he creates a mellow and gentle rendition that invokes feelings of longing and affection. The lyrics themselves express the sense of being in love and utterly consumed by it, as the singer describes feeling elevated and transported by the very place where their beloved lives. Even the mundane details of the street take on a magical quality in their eyes because of the overwhelming emotions they feel when they are near the person they love.
The first verse sets the scene, with the singer observing that they've walked down this street before but it's never felt like this. They suddenly feel like they are soaring high above the street, as if the love they feel for their beloved has lifted them off the ground. The second verse, starting with the question about lilac trees, is a bit more whimsical in tone. It's as if the singer is trying to discover if this street is really as magical as they think it is, wondering if there are aspects of it that only exist in their own imagination. But ultimately, they conclude that the street really is enchanting because their beloved is there, and that's all that matters.
The final verse repeats the sentiment that the singer would rather be on this street than anywhere else in the world. There's a sort of contented acceptance in this line, as though the singer knows that being near their beloved is enough to make them feel happy and fulfilled. The line "let the time go by" is particularly poignant, as it speaks to the idea that the singer is willing to wait as long as they need to if it means they can be near the person they love.
Overall, "On the Street Where You Live" is a beautiful love song that captures the feeling of being totally consumed by one's feelings for another person. Frisell's interpretation brings out the sweetness and tender nature of the lyrics, making it a lovely addition to any romantic playlist.
Line by Line Meaning
I have often walked
I've walked on this street a lot.
Down the street before,
I've walked on this street before.
But the pavement always
The ground has never failed me.
Stayed beneath my feet before.
The ground has always been there for me to walk on.
All at once am i
Suddenly I'm
Several stories high,
Feeling very high up.
Knowing I?m on the street where you live.
Realizing that I'm on the same street where you reside.
Are there lilac trees
Do they grow lilac trees around here?
In the heart of town?
Right in the center of town?
Can you hear a lark in any other part of town?
Is there anywhere else in town where you can hear birds singing?
Does enchantment pour
Is there magic flowing
Out of every door?
From every building's entrance?
No, it?s just on the street where you live.
Actually, it's only here on your street.
And oh, the towering feeling
Oh, how grand it is to
Just to know somehow you are near
Simply knowing that you are nearby
The overpowering feeling
The overwhelming feeling
That any second you may suddenly appear.
That at any moment you might come around the bend.
People stop and stare
Strangers look at me curiously
They don?t bother me,
But I don't mind
For there?s no where else on earth
Because nowhere else is there
That I would rather be.
That I prefer to be.
Let the time go by,
Time can pass
I won?t care if i
I wouldn't be upset if
Can be here on the street where you live.
I could stay on this street where you reside.
Let me be on the street where you live.
Please, let me stay on your street.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ALAN JAY LERNER, FREDERICK LOEWE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Dedhedted71
Bill always plays the sweetest guitars.
@petershaw512
Sweet........
@robertoandreucci
I got myself this magnificent record as a gift (I still like to call them that)
for my 52nd birthday on October 19th...
and on car trips alone or with my wife.
I can't stop listening to him.
@2ChukBuk
Well, that made my Saturday morning quite a bit brighter.
@EamonnSeoigh
I think my blood pressure dropped 20 points......beautiful.
@michaelschaefer7962
Not my parents' version of this tune (which they played endlessly from the original soundtrack), but so stunningly beautiful that I think they would have approved. Just fantastic.
@Joenix22
Oh man holy shit ... thats so lovely... thanks
@pwitte777
Petra is an incredible singer, wow.
@kleberveridianogoncalvesde6293
Beautiful !
@inmacarlosjarquesocias2722
esto es explicar y hablarse musicalmente .No es habitual oir este nivel de entendimiento y expresión musical.Gracias a los artistas