Guitarist Bill Frisell and composer/conductor/arranger Michael Gibbs have known each other for decades, contributing ideas and sounds to each other’s work. Despite tantalizing hints, though (such as the moments captured in the Frisell documentary Bill Frisell: A Portrait), the pair have never recorded a full-on orchestral work together. For Orchestras, that changes dramatically, fulfilling a long-held dream on the part of Frisell.
Each disc covers concerts with different orchestras, with disc 1 featuring the Brussels Philharmonic in Belgium and disc 2 the Umbria Jazz Orchestra in Italy. Gibbs does not conduct any of the performances, but he arranged everything, as well as contributing his compositions “Nocturne Vulgaire” and “Sweet Rain” to the Belgian shows. Otherwise, Frisell and his stalwart sidefolks Thomas Morgan (bass) and Rudy Royston (drums) sample diverse songs drawn from equally diverse periods in the guitarist’s long career. In Belgium, he breaks out his appropriately-energetic original “Electricity,” floats swiftly through “Sweet Rain,” unsurprisingly essays the Billy Strayhorn classic “Lush Life,” and meshes beautifully with the lavish accompaniment on Stephen Foster’s iconic “Beautiful Dreamer,” a perfect tune for orchestra. In Italy, he ranges all over the map of his catalog, from eighties standards “Strange Meeting” and, in an especially strong version, “Lookout For Hope,” to nineties standout “Monica Jane,” to the recent “Levees,” from his soundtrack to filmmaker Bill Morrison’s The Great Flood. Versions of Ron Carter’s “Doom” (better known as “Mood”) appear on both disks.
All the musicians perform at their top level, exploiting the melodies to their fullest. But the success of these performances is ultimately a testament to Gibbs’ talents. His masterful arrangements allow each half of the equation – jazz band + orchestra – to shine without stepping on each other’s toes, creating a near-perfect blend of big string/horn sounds and small jazz combo. The breadth, quality, and beauty of Orchestras holds Frisell’s dream fulfilled.