The work of Cincinnati, Ohio-based photographer Michael Wilson has graced the covers of countless Nonesuch albums over the years, including the iconic imagery featured on Nonesuch albums by David Byrne, Bill Frisell, Emmylou Harris, Randy Newman, the Brad Mehldau Trio, and Nicholas Payton. His photography will be on display in an exhibit at the Boone County Public Library in Cincinnati beginning this Wednesday. Michael will be on hand to discuss his work in an opening reception that night.

Bill Frisell's latest release, History, Mystery, receives five stars from the Manchester Evening News (UK). On the album, Bill's "mellifluous guitar, enhanced by pedals and switches, interacts with a genteel string trio and flesh and blood drummer." For the "ethereal/beautiful" music on History, Mystery, "Frisell creates a world full of mystery, enigma and romance, transforming classic Americana like "A Change Is Gonna Come" along the way. Two CDs doesn't seem to overstretch a great artist at his peak."

Bill Frisell's latest Nonesuch release, the two-disc History, Mystery, is out today. The Financial Times gives it four stars, as does The Times, which finds it "hard to think of an electric guitarist who has explored so much musical territory and always claimed it as his own." The Independent names it Jazz Album of the Week, calling it "full of musical contrasts, rich textures, lengthening shadows, and unexpected turns" and "consistently engaging" with a closing guitar solo that's "just wonderful."

Bill Frisell's latest Nonesuch release, History, Mystery is due out this Tuesday. The BBC exclaims: "[T]he whole album stands as yet another testament to the man's place at the very epicentre of modern American music. Yes, he's done it again ... refining and expanding his palette with every release." The Guardian, in a four-star review of the album says it is "studded with gems."

Bill Frisell introduced his new quintet to European audiences at the Cheltenham Jazz Festival on Sunday, and, writes The Times, it was "the highlight" of the four-star event. The Telegraph says Frisell offered his trademark "beautifully shaped lick," bringing the set into focus with his "favourite territory of musical Americana, with blues and bluegrass and Miles Davis alongside Frisell's own compositions." All About Jazz says Bill "comes up trumps again" with his new album. "It's a delight of the first order."

Bill Frisell and Glenn Kotche will be on hand in Cincinnati, Ohio, this week as the third annual MusicNOW festival, organized by native son Bryce Dessner of The National, gets under way at Memorial Hall tonight. Kotche performed in the inaugural MusicNOW in 2006 and returns this Friday to perform with Dessner and Bang on a Can on a double bill with Dirty Projectors. Frisell makes his MusicNOW debut tomorrow night.

The Santa Barbara Independent takes advantage of the start of the New Year to combine the paper's list of the best of last year with a look at the best of what's to come. There Will Be Blood is among the best films of 2007, and among the city's best live shows last year, the Independent's Josef Woodard lists both Wilco's concert at the Santa Barbara Bowl in support of Sky Blue Sky and the Pat Metheny / Brad Mehldau Quartet gig at Campbell Hall. For this week's Show of the Week, Woodard names Bill Frisell's return to the city's Lobero Theatre, where "the always intriguing and poetic guitarist" will perform on Saturday with drummer Joey Baron. Woodard recalls Bill's 2004 performance at the Lobero as "one of the more enchanted musical encounters in the long history" of the Theatre, and says that Frisell "continues to surprise and delight," citing the guitarist's "dynamic" 2006 Nonesuch release with the "inspired" Ron Carter and Paul Motian.

Just in time for the holidays, famed jazz photographer Jimmy Katz has published Jazz Katz: Jazz in NY, a collection of black-and-white photos that All About Jazz calls "a feast for the eyes." The book featuring jazz luminaries, including Brad Mehldau and Bill Frisell, on stage and behind the scenes.

"Clearly one of the most original and most proficient guitarists now playing, he is acknowledged as one of the most influential and exciting jazz guitarists to emerge in the latter half of the 20th century," says All About Jazz in a feature profile of Bill Frisell. "Noted for his unparalleled sensibilities, over the years Frisell has pursued emotional honesty over technical perfection to achieve a specific sound that is both powerful and beautiful. As a solo artist, he has explored various music venues and taken his listeners to a lot of places ... Simply put, you never know what to expect from Frisell."