Disfarmer

iTunes Review

Disfarmer resulted from a commission for Bill Frisell to write music to accompany a touring retrospective of the rural portraits captured by eccentric Arkansas photographer Michael Disfarmer between 1939 and 1945. Frisell, who has long drawn inspiration from a wide swath of Americana, is a master guitarist of rare understatement and delicacy whose impressionistic approach, subtle use of distortion and sound loops, and idiosyncratic phrasing create an atmosphere conducive to introspection. Joined by bassist Viktor Krauss, violinist Jenny Scheinman, and Greg Leisz on steel guitars and mandolin, these moody instrumentals are spare, evocative, and mysterious. Many of the 26 tracks are melodic vignettes that run less than two minutes — they swirl about hauntingly before drifting away like smoke. Most of the tunes were composed by Frisell but he also adds a few covers that fit in smoothly including Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup’s “That’s Alright, Mama” and Hank Williams’ “I Can’t Help It (If I’m Still In Love With You)” and “Lovesick Blues.” Disfarmer is another moving work by this brilliant and difficult-to-classify guitarist.