Brussels Philharmonic | album Bill Frisell: Orchestras ft. Brussels…

album Bill Frisell: Orchestras ft. Brussels Philharmonic

Bill Frisell: Orchestras is out now on Blue Note Records!

Guitarist Bill Frisell’s new double LP Orchestras documents two inspired concert-hall engagements arranged by Michael Gibbs for Frisell’s long-standing trio with bassist Thomas Morgan and drummer Rudy Royston: one featuring the nearly 60-piece Brussels Philharmonic, conducted by Alexander Hanson; and one with the 11-piece Umbria Jazz Orchestra, under the musical direction of Manuele Morbidini.

“The idea is that we’re always going to be on the edge of what we know, or hopefully off the edge of what we know, into some sort of uncharted territory. We were still playing whatever comes into our imagination.” - Bill Frisell

With the album Orchestras, released on April 19 on Blue Note Records, Frisell continues to redefine the boundaries of jazz. Frisell has always projected an orchestral scope through his remarkably complete sense of harmony, a unique gift for melodies, and a keen feel for how dynamic range can be used to convey emotion. Check out the album, and discover how he makes those symphonic evocations a reality.
check out the album
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Bill Frisell: Orchestras LP1
1. Nocturne Vulgaire / Brussels Philharmonic
2. Lush Life / Brussels Philharmonic
3. Doom / Brussels Philharmonic
4. Rag / Brussels Philharmonic
5. Throughout / Brussels Philharmonic
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1. Electricity / Brussels Philharmonic
2. Sweet Rain / Brussels Philharmonic
3. Richter 858, No. 7 / Brussels Philharmonic
4. Beautiful Dreamer / Brussels Philharmonic

Bill Frisell: Orchestras LP2
1. Lookout for Hope / Umbria Jazz Orchestra
2. Levees / Umbria Jazz Orchestra
3. Strange Meeting / Umbria Jazz Orchestra
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1. Doom / Umbria Jazz Orchestra
2. Electricity / Umbria Jazz Orchestra
3. Monica Jane / Umbria Jazz Orchestra
4. We Shall Overcome / Umbria Jazz Orchestra

The New York Times praises the album, noting its unique blend of expansive orchestral maneuvers. The arrangements by Gibbs are described as "dense yet spacious," providing the perfect backdrop for the trio to interact seamlessly with the Brussels Philharmonic.
"Undertakings like these can easily fall victim to bloat and inelegance, but “Orchestras” feels balanced and natural. Gibbs’s arrangements, dense yet spacious, leave space for Frisell, the bassist Thomas Morgan and the drummer Rudy Royston to weave nimbly through the textures. [...] Listen to how the trio and Brussels orchestra seem to expand and push each other upward in Frisell’s “Throughout” and “Richter 858, No. 7."