“Taking fragments of obscure vinyl records as a launching point, the (orchestra) traverses a landscape that passes, in an almost hallucinatory way, through myriad styles. A special pleasure is the lush yet piquant string arrangements . . . this is an utterly gorgeous and captivating disc.”—Billboard
The 2005 Grammy winner for Best Contemporary Jazz Album, Unspeakable paired the spellbinding innovation of guitarist/composer Bill Frisell and producer/turntablist Hal Willner, long-time “Saturday Night Live” music director and record-producing auteur (Stay Awake, Amarcord Nino Rota). Frisell and Willner are joined by core artists from that recording: Tony Scherr (bass), Kenny Wollesen (drums), Jenny Scheinman (violin), Eyvind Kang (viola), and Hank Roberts (cello). Using the album’s ecstatic mix of orchestral and digital soundscapes as a touchstone, the all-star band’s rare live performances of Unspeakable give the acclaimed recording a fresh life of its own.
