Bill Frisell is a Grammy-winning guitarist and composer whose distinctive sound has transformed the possibilities of American music. Born in Baltimore in 1951 and raised in Denver, Frisell began on clarinet before turning to guitar—a shift that launched a career now spanning over four decades and more than 40 albums as a leader. After studying at the University of Northern Colorado and Berklee, he made his mark as ECM Records’ in-house guitarist in the 1980s and quickly became a leading creative force in the New York jazz and avant-garde scenes.
Over the years, Frisell broke down stylistic boundaries, blending jazz, folk, blues, Americana, film music, and even classical into what the New York Times calls “one of the most distinctive and original improvising guitarists of our time.” His deeply collaborative spirit brought him together with visionaries like Paul Motian, John Zorn, Elvis Costello, and Lucinda Williams, as well as work for Buster Keaton’s silent films and TV’s The Far Side.
Moving to Seattle in the 1990s, Frisell’s sound evolved toward a panoramic Americana. He continued to innovate—recording for Blue Note Records, leading genre-defying ensembles, and serving as Resident Artistic Director for SFJAZZ.
“Music, for me, has always been a place where anything is possible—a refuge, a magical world where anyone can go, where all kinds of people can come together,” Frisell explains. “Whatever it is I’m thinking about, or worrying about, or feeling good about—music has just been there. It’s sort of like a model for the way things could actually work somehow.”
Named an inaugural Doris Duke Artist and subject of both a major documentary and biography, Frisell’s “quiet revolution” continues to inspire musicians, filmmakers, and listeners everywhere. “For me, the music community was always like a model for what could be. The way people would play together, just harmony and being—old guys and young guys, everybody