Valentine (Bill Frisell album)
Valentine is a studio album by American jazz guitarist Bill Frisell.[8] The album was released on 14 August 2020 by Blue Note.[2] This is his second release on the label.
| Valentine | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 14 August 2020 | |||
| Recorded | late 2019 | |||
| Studio | Flora Recording and Playback, Portland, OR | |||
| Genre | Jazz | |||
| Length | 65:27 | |||
| Label | Blue Note | |||
| Producer | Lee Townsend | |||
| Bill Frisell chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| All About Jazz |   [1] |
| AllMusic | [2] |
| Financial Times | [3] |
| Jazz Journal | [4] |
| RIFF | 8/10[5] |
| Spectrum Culture |  [6] |
| The Times | [7] |
Reception
Thom Jurek of AllMusic stated, "Valentine is a portrait of this trio at a creative peak. While not the liveliest record in Frisell's catalog, it is one of his most inquiring, rhythmically inventive, and lyrical. Given his voluminous discography, that's saying plenty."[2] Ian Patterson of All About Jazz noted, "With Valentine, Frisell, Royston and Morgan revel in the tight but loose interplay that is a hallmark of the best groups, plying a course as deeply lyrical as it is adventurous. Feels like the beginning of a great adventure."[1] Jazz Journal review by Elliot Marlow-Stevens commented, "Valentine represents the more reserved, gentle approach to music that he demonstrated on albums like 1992’s Have a Little Faith. Nonetheless, it is still a highly original album, delivered with the ability and skill of a veteran jazz guitarist."[4] Jake Cole in his review for Spectrum Culture stated, "A breezy combination of blues, folk and jazz, Frisell’s latest is the sound of a maestro gently flexing his immense skills."[6] Chris Pearson of The Times wrote, "Bill Frisell has been exploring the fringes of jazz guitar so much lately that a trio album arrives as a bold departure. Yet the familiar elements remain: nostalgia, solitude and contemplation cloaked in an atmosphere of dead-of-night tranquillity."[7]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Baba Drame" | Boubacar Traoré | 4:59 |
| 2. | "Hour Glass" | Frisell | 2:59 |
| 3. | "Valentine" | Frisell | 6:28 |
| 4. | "Levees" | Frisell | 6:04 |
| 5. | "Winter Always Turns to Spring" | Frisell | 5:11 |
| 6. | "Keep Your Eyes Open" | Frisell | 6:05 |
| 7. | "A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing" | Billy Strayhorn | 7:23 |
| 8. | "Electricity" | Frisell | 3:19 |
| 9. | "Wagon Wheels" | Billy Hill, Peter DeRose | 4:15 |
| 10. | "Aunt Mary" | Frisell | 3:19 |
| 11. | "What the World Needs Now Is Love" | Burt Bacharach, Hal David | 5:56 |
| 12. | "Where Do We Go?" | Frisell | 3:09 |
| 13. | "We Shall Overcome" | Traditional | 6:26 |
| Total length: | 65:27 | ||
Personnel
- Bill Frisell – guitars
- Thomas Morgan – bass
- Rudy Royston – drums
References
- Patterson, Ian (August 3, 2020). "Bill Frisell: Valentine album review @ All About Jazz". All About Jazz. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
- Jurek, Thom (2020). "Valentine - Bill Frisell | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
- Hobart, Mike. "Valentine - unrivalled in jazz". Financial Times. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
- Marlow-Stevens, Elliot (11 August 2020). "Bill Frisell: Valentine". Jazz Journal. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
- Heilman, Max (13 August 2020). "ALBUM REVIEW: Bill Frisell writes a love letter to his trio with 'Valentine'". RIFF Magazine. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
- Cole, Jake (26 August 2020). "Bill Frisell: Valentine". Spectrum Culture. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
- Pearson, Chris (August 7, 2020). "Bill Frisell: Valentine review — a guitarist with a knack for revealing the secret heart of a tune". The Times. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
- "Bill Frisell "Valentine":: New Album Out Now". Blue Note. August 14, 2020. Retrieved 24 August 2020.