Bill Frisell ventures to Nashville to explore Americana with a supporting cast of Music City greats, including dobro virtuoso Jerry Douglas and bassist Viktor Krauss, and guest vocals from Robin Holcomb. "Comprising acoustic instrumental folk tunes with unpredictable stylistic accents," L.A. Weekly declared, “Nashville boasts a dreamy, seductive grandeur."
Bill Frisell’s Nashville evokes a distinct American regional flavor and marks an entirely new chapter in a career that the forward-thinking musical community has applauded for its innovation and diversity. In natural succession to recordings like This Land and Have a Little Faith, Nashville provides a deeper look into Bill Frisell’s long-standing fascination with Americana. As with his previous Nonesuch recording, Quartet, it is a departure from the traditional jazz quartet, both in its instrumentation and repertoire.
Recorded in the country-music capital of the world with some of this country’s finest musicians, Nashville features Adam Steffey (mandolin) and Ron Block (banjo), of Alison Krauss’s band Union Station; Jerry Douglas (dobro), widely known for his work with artists ranging from Jerry Garcia to Hank Williams, Jr.; and Viktor Krauss (bass), a veteran of Lyle Lovett’s band. Frisell originals and a few covers make up this record, including Neil Young’s “One of These Days” and Skeeter Davis’s 1963 hit “The End of the World,” both sung by Robin Holcomb.
Frisell is commonly called the most inventive guitarist at work in the world, and this is nowhere more evident than on Nashville, a recording that represents a genuine synthesis from an artist who has said, “It sure is nice to move around and hear the music from a different perspective.”
PRODUCTION CREDITS
Produced by Wayne Horvitz
Recorded and mixed September 1995 and October-November 1996 at Sound Emporium, Nashville, TN
Engineered by Roger Moutenot
Assistant Engineer: Jason Lehning
Mastered by Greg Calbi at Masterdisk, New York, NY
Associate Producer: David Bither
All compositions by Bill Frisell except track 3 by Neil Young, track 6 by Hazel Dickens, and track 13 by Arthur Kent / Sylvia Dee
Design by Barbara deWilde
Cover Photograph by Kevin Ellsworth
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MUSICIANS
Bill Frisell, guitar (1-14)
Viktor Krauss, bass (1-14)
Jerry Douglas, dobro (1-6, 9, 10, 12)
Ron Block, banjo (2, 6, 8, 11, 13, 14), acoustic guitar, (3, 7)
Adam Steffey, mandolin (2, 3, 6-8, 11, 13, 14)
Robin Holcomb, vocals (3, 6, 13)
Pat Bergeson, harmonica (2, 8)
