Elvis Costello & Bill Frisell - The Sweetest Punch: Songs Of Elvis Costello And Burt Bacharach

Guitarist Bill Frisell is first and foremost a song man. He has covered, sans irony, songs by Madonna and John Philip Sousa. He has even been witnessed performing "Beer Barrel Polka" when the mood strikes. His respect for classic songs and great singing has always been evident in his own playing and compositions. One singer Frisell has always respected is Elvis Costello, who was recording Burt Bacharach songs as far back as his Stiff Records days (check out the Live Stiffs anthology). Costello and Frisell make their collaboration on this recording a product of mutual admiration and shared love of Burt Bacharach, an unabashed melodic master. Recording simultaneously with Costello and Bacharach's Painted from Memory, Frisell arranged the same tunes working from bare piano-vocal demos. His small group orchestrations stretch but never break the songs, revealing a deep empathy for their mood and meaning. Bill and company (Brian Blade, Don Byron, Viktor Krauss, and others) are equally at home with the music's lyrical nature and quirky construction--both Bacharach trademarks. Costello and Cassandra Wilson add a few guest vocals, but it is the voice of Frisell's guitar and arranging that shines through here. --Michael Ross Amazon.com

beautiful

This was a can't-miss concept, and the result was even greater than I assumed it would be. Frisell proves himself as an imaginative orchestrator, never heavy-handed. The feeling of the album is light but substantive, effervescent but always grounded in the deep well of musicianship brought to the project by Frisell, Costello/Bacharach, and a lineup that includes such giants as Brian Blade, Don Byron and Cassandra Wilson. August 24, 2006

Give it a chance

Sometimes sparse, sometimes lush arrangements of a superb set of songs. Bill Frisell's signature guitar sound echoes both actually and figuratively throughout the set, and lends thoughtful interpretation. The infrequent other solos sound a little unpolished, but it's in line with the rest of the straightforward approach to this album as a whole. Being so familiar with the original album, this took some getting used to. Mind you, it took me a while to appreciate Gil Evans, too. April 27, 2006

The "real" Elvis.

With apologies to the hip shaking, sneering, biter from Graceland, Mr. Costello is the only Elvis that matters to me. Having been introduced to E.C. only in the last 7-8 years or so, I've quickly become a huge fan. He offers a vastly different approach to rock music and music and general, and I'm thankful for his offerings. Being also a mammoth Jazz fan, I glanced upon this album about 5 years ago but didn't pick it up at the time. I had no idea I would be passing up one of my favorite albums PERIOD that I own. While only featuring Costello on two tracks this collection of songs from the "Painted From Memory" album are given the jazz treatment by guitar extrordinaire Bill Frisell. And man does he work em! With a tight linup featuring Brian Blades and Don Byron (two players I was previously familiar with) the playing on these songs is tremendous! And Cassandra Wilson lends her sultry vocals to an incredible version of the title track. This is truely one of those albums that defines "good music". Feel free to pop it on while driving, relaxing or romancing. A must have! March 2, 2006

An entirely attractive vibe . . .

. . . that never fails to lift my spirits.

Yes, I could do without the vocals, which seem to break the spell (although I'm even beginning to appreciate what they attempt), but the rest is so fine I end up not caring.

A project like this is probably destined to please no one. Jazzers will disdain it as a commercial ploy. Popsters will regard it as too esoteric.

They'd be wrong. You've got to take this kind of sui generis outing on it own terms--gorgeous, mesmeric, pop-jazz of the highest order. Nothing more, nothing less.

With its line-up of brilliant, top drawer, scintillating players, it would be hard to imagine how this could not succeed. And it does, gloriously. Brian Blade (drums), Don Byron (clarinet, bass clarinet), Billy Drewes (alto sax--one of THE most underrated players on the scene), Curtis Fowlkes (trombone--a monster on the NY downtown scene), Ron Miles (trumpet--one of the most innovative voices on his instrument to come along in ages), and leader Frisell keeping everyone honest and focused--one could hardly imagine a suppler, more creative band.

If things seem a little "arrangement heavy," lacking in stunning solo improv work, that's just the nature of this project. It's senseless to ask music to be something it wasn't intended to be, and this, simply, isn't a heavy improv session. Does that somehow diminish it? I don't think so. There's way sufficient group interaction and conversation to make up for any (perceived) lack of improv.

I LOVE this disc. Really, it never fails to lift my spirits. OK, it's not William Parker or Josh Roseman, but what it is, is pretty special. December 17, 2003

Touch of Gold

Whatever Bill Frisell touches seems to turn to "gold". And the sweetest punch is another in a long line of golden eggs.
Add to that some great vocals by Cassandra Wilson and of course Elvis Costello and you truely have some sweet sweet punch. Drink it up! February 7, 2002

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