Floratone Floratone (Blue Note)

The band is called Floratone, but given the fact that Bill Frisell is the guitarist, it's sort of impossible to leave that out of the title of this week's NRT. Frisell's history in the guitar world is long and impressive, and this collaboration with drummer Matt Chamberlain (a notable musician in his own right, having performed with everyone from Pearl Jam to Neil Finn) is another beautiful addition to his innovative take on the creation and direction of music.

Frisell studied music at Berklee in Boston under the tutelage of Jim Hall -- a former New York Jazz Critics Circle Award winner for Best Jazz Composer/Arranger and Bill Evans collaborator -- and got his first big break when Pat Metheny recommended him to Paul Motian. It wasn't long before Frisell was considered the studio jazz guitarist, and his first solo release of original material came in 1983. The album, In Line, was almost entirely solo guitar work and and it cemented his reputation on the frontlines of experimental jazz.

Frisell's work is watermarked by his dedication to perfect tone and innovative equipment. He adores his Fender Telecaster, and makes use of delay, distortion, reverb, octave shifters and more whenever he performs. His work on Floratone is no exception to this rule. Born out of studio jazz sessions with Chamberlain, the songs on Floratone became subjects of the producers' (Lee Townsend and Tucker Martine) insight and digital prowess before being returned to Frisell and Chamberlain to tinker with. Townsend and Tucker took the raw session material and shaped it into individual songs, using a variety of editing, looping, and processing techniques. After the songs were crafted, Frisell and Chamberlain went back to the studio with a couple of friends and perfected what they had. The process earned Townsend and Tucker co-composer credits on the album.

Townsend calls the Floratone sound "futuristic roots" music, but it's also full of really ambient moments and a kind of slowly shaped softness that motivates artists like Amiina and Colleen. Frisell leads the charge, no matter what the definitive sound is, with his easily recognizable tone and ability to stylistically soar beyond the expectations of the listener. There are elements that tend to sit stagnant, however, and they're easy to spot within the context of the rest of the album. Frisell & Co. shine when they're working around the loops and edits with both nimbly fingered and more sparing licks, but become a little closer to trite and predictable with the "roots and groove" bits.

Regardless, the piece as a whole has been sculpted by a handful of the most talented musicians and producers working in their field today, and the distinctive approach to its composition deserves recognition. Collective interpretation between composer, musician, producer and player is what makes Floratone a unique listening experience, even if it sounds (at times) like coffee shop background music. Frisell has always been masterful when it comes to guitar work (and yes, soloing) that fills space but doesn't eat it: he's not trying to stomp on every beat, he's working around and with all of them, letting the space do its thing as well. He doesn't stray from that with these songs, and his partners stand alongside him in that respect. Overall, the album manages to sound pure, unique and not too unlike what you'd imagine a really tight jam session with someone like Frisell might be like. The added bonus is that despite all the editing and computer work that went into it, it still maintains a feeling of spontaneity.

Floratone: [MySpace] [Official]

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