Frisell's third album for Blue Note Records since signing with the label in 2019 proffers new interpretations of previously recorded originals as well as nine new tunes. The session brings together artists of independent spirits and like minds: Blue Note stablemates Gerald Clayton on piano and Johnathan Blake on drums, and longtime collaborator Greg Tardy on saxophone, clarinet, and bass clarinet.
"This combination of people had been floating around in the back of my mind since before the pandemic," says the Brooklyn-based artist.
For generations, critics and peers have recognized Frisell as one of the music's most treasured participants. Over the years, he's garnered praise and attention for his playing as well as the anatomy of his compositions — how he structures a form around often a simple melody or progression, creating a gesture at once complex and elemental. Four presents this side of his artistry at its most intuitive.