Orchestras is a studio album by American jazz guitarist Bill Frisell, featuring his usual trio backed by the Brussels Philharmonic and the Umbria Jazz Orchestra. Disc 1 was recorded on September 23 and 24, 2022 at De Bijloke, Ghent, Belgium and Flagey, Brussels, Belgium. Disc 2 was recorded from December 30, 2021 to January 1, 2022 at Teatro Mancinelli, Orvieto, Italy.

Reception AllMusic's Matt Collar stated, "Frisell marries intimate parlor jazz lyricism with wide-screen orchestrations [...] Rife with moments of artfully sustained anticipation, Orchestras is one of Frisell's most accessible and virtuosic recordings."

Glide Magazine commented, "[Michael] Gibbs knows Frisell's musical vocabulary and style as well as anyone and is responsible for these arrangements [...] that evoke Gil Evans [...] His lush canvasses gorgeously frame Frisell's trademark tone, natural melodicism, and unhurried phrasing. [...] Every tune here would be a candidate for a film score, much of the moody and dramatic material conducive to Hitchcock."

The Irish Times wrote, "Far from being a predictable soloist-with-strings project, Orchestras fully integrates guitarist, trio and ensembles into one multifaceted whole. [...] the arrangements seem to take on an entirely different dynamic and dimension; it's as if they are projections of Frisell's searching and sometimes mysterious musical imagination itself. [...] the philharmonic sounds lush, cinematic and darkly romantic; the jazz orchestra feels more earthy and laidback – there is a kind of easy dissonance to its mood."

John Fordham, writing for Jazzwise, stated, "The repertoire stretches from staples of Frisell's songbook such as 'Strange Meeting' (with its gently dreamy harmonies turning to softly early-rockish guitar tones) to a gently swinging, orchestrally-lilting 'Sweet Rain', which Gibbs originally wrote in the 1960s for Stan Getz. Striking versions of standard songs include a tonally gleaming but wistful 'Lush Life' and a chorally-textured and reverential 'Beautiful Dreamer'. [...] The Umbria tracks ... are invitations to Frisell and the trio to play harder, and for Gibbs' arrangements to foreground his enthrallingly Gil Evans-inspired use of high woodwind and trumpet exclamations, and resonant deep brass – a combination that furnishes many of the collection's standout moments."

Mojo wrote, "A few [tracks] sag under the weight of brooding brass and strings – 'Lookout For Hope', 'Doom' – but others soar – 'Beautiful Dreamer', 'Electricity', 'We Shall Overcome'. Ultimately it's a winner."

The Times called Frisell "consistent in style, applying his eerie, echoey vibrato to all forms of Americana from ancient folk to modern rock. Yet his music is as outward looking as it is reflective."

Uncut noted, "On the first LP, the 60-piece Brussels Philharmonic adds top-heavy accompaniment to his melodic playing. [...] On the second LP, however, the 11-member Umbria Jazz Orchestra sounds simultaneously nimbler and heavier."

The Wire said, "Orchestras must be the greatest album from a jazz composer since the glory days of Gil Evans."

Track listing

Recorded September 23 & 24, 2022, at , Ghent, Belgium, and Flagey, Brussels, Belgium Commission by , Flagey, and Brussels Philharmonic, in the series "Jazz Meets Symphonic"

Recorded December 30, 2021 – January 1, 2022 at Teatro Mancinelli, Orvieto, Italy; additional recordings at 25th Street Recording, Oakland, California

Personnel

Musicians Bill Frisell – electric guitar Thomas Morgan – bass Rudy Royston – drums Brussels Philharmonic (disc one – 1.1–1.9):

Umbria Jazz Orchestra (disc two – 2.1–2.7):

Manuele Morbidini – conductor, alto saxophone, clarinet Pietro Tonolo – flute, alto flute, soprano saxophone Rossano Emili – tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone, clarinet, bass clarinet Pedro Spallati – tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, clarinet Giovanni Hoffer – French horn Francesco Lento, Mirco Rubegni – trumpet, flugelhorn Glauco Benedetti – tuba Federico Pierantoni, Massimo Morganti – trombone Eva Zahn – cello

Technical Lee Townsend – producer Luke Jacobs, Perfecto Creative – design Brussels Philharmonic (1.1–1.9), Flagey (1.1–1.9), (1.1–1.9) – works commissioned by Jeff Kolhede – assistant and additional recording engineer (2.1–2.7), assistant mixing Claudio Venturelli (2.1–2.7), Marco Melchior (2.1–2.7) – live recording engineer Patrick Lemmens – live recording engineer, pre-mixing (1.1–1.9) Maarten Van Rousselt – management (Flagley jazz programmer) (1.1–1.9) Kristof Roseeuw – management (Muziekcentrum De Bijloke jazz programmer) (1.1–1.9) Greg Calbi – mastering Manuele Morbidini – music director (2.1–2.7) Brussels Philharmonic, Flagey, Muziekcentrum De Bijloke – producer (live concerts) (1.1–1.9) Annika Larsson Rugiano, Ava Szene, Francesco Chiocci, Stefano Lazzari – assistant producer (2.1–2.7) Adam Muñoz – additional recording engineer (2.1–2.7), mixing Claudia Engelhart – live sound technician

References

External links

(in Dutch)