Guitarist Bill Frisell and Icelandic Bassist/Composer Skúli Sverrisson Find Inner Communion on ‘Strata’ (ALBUM REVIEW)

This collaboration between two incredibly gifted, sensitive, and imaginative musicians, guitarist Bill Frisell and Icelandic bassist/composer Skúli Sverrisson even goes beyond the concept of interplay. They don’t so much as respond to each other but instead blend seamlessly into what often sounds like one grand instrument. This session, recorded in 2017, was previously released exclusively on vinyl as part of a Newvelle Records limited-edition Season Three box set, which sold out in record time. This release will be the first time Strata is available digitally on streaming platforms and for high-quality digital download. What makes it even more special is the exceptional audio clarity that Newvelle Records is known for, with remarkable engineering by Marc Urselli that seemingly puts you in the same room with the two musicians.

This is the first recording for the duo, making their telepathic conversation even more remarkable as Frisell eases in so effortlessly to these ten original compositions by Sverrisson, who is a composer ranging from the immensely complex to the deceptively simple. It’s the latter we have here because the depth will escape most casual listeners. It’s as if Frisell and Sverrisson have a shared internal language that’s beyond most of we mortals.  Their sound is beautiful, trance-like, and totally engaging. Frisell remarks, “Skúli was tapped into something I dream of. When we did the recording, it took it to 100%. It felt like something that was in my imagination, but even deeper and further.”

Each plays electric and acoustic. Frisell is prone to layer some parts in as we well know, and you’ll hear both acoustic and electric blending from the outset on “Sweet Earth.” So, it’s not always just two instruments and yet even with the layers, the sound coalesces into one hypnotic sound with gorgeous echoes of the plucked strings playing almost fairytale or lullaby-like melodies, carried mostly by Frisell with Sverrisson unobtrusively hitting just the right notes that give depth to the overall sound. His bass is a bit more pronounced on “Vanishing Point,” appropriately combined with the guitar for a haunting effect befitting the title. Keep in mind though, that there’s little value focusing on specific tracks. In an era that values streaming music in short morsels, this reminds why the full meal of an album is so much more satisfying.  A listener can easily absorb these ten, none of which are much longer than five minutes and many closer to three, in one uninterrupted blissfully peaceful listen.

Anyway, just a few words on some others. The clarity of tone is impeccable throughout but especially so on one of the quietest pieces, “Ancient Affection.”  “Came to Light” features wonderful acoustic-electric blends. One of the more interesting titles, “Cave of Swimmers” is perhaps so named because of the lovely reverberating sustained notes, creating the effect of intimate chamber. “Afternoon Varient” (as spelled in the liners) stretches every possible harmonic and nuance from just a few chords and has a series of echoing lines. “Her Room” bears the kind of intimacy that could just as easily be interpreted as comforting as a quiet, sneaky trespass into otherwise private space.

Recently Frisell and another bassist, his frequent collaborator Thomas Morgan were named Best Jazz Duo by Jazz Journalists Association. On Strata Frisell proves he is equally in sympatico with Sverrisson.  

Related Content

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recent Posts

New to Glide

Keep up-to-date with Glide

Twitter