This morning I spent some quality time in traffic on my way to a rehearsal. However, I arrived at the rehearsal in one of the best moods I’ve been in this year, because I was listening to Bill Frisell’s Good Dog Happy Man album during the drive, and the traffic made the trip long enough for me to make it through the whole record. I cannot overstate how much I love that album.

The great Jim Keltner plays on that record, and his performance is tear-evoking. After lamenting the fact that Keltner plays on only one other Frisell record (Gone Just Like A Train), I realized that Frisell’s records feature an INCREDIBLE list of sick drummers giving sick performances. Elvin Jones, Matt Chamblerlain, Joey Baron, the late Paul Motian… these are some of my absolute favorite drummers in all of history, and they all play on Frisell records!

Please immediately go purchase:

1. The above-mentioned Good Dog Happy Man
2. Floratone (featuring Matt Chamberlain’s crazy awesome tones and live looping/effects)
3. Frisell/Holland/Jones (featuring Elvin’s signature elastic time feel)
4. Frisell/Driscoll/Baron (featuring Joey Baron’s amazing ideas and pocket)
5. Frisell/Carter/Motian (featuring Paul Motian’s awesome broken feel and endlessly interesting ideas)

All of these albums are incredibly beautiful, but also quite different from each other. Ahh, Bill Frisell… I love you so much.

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