Bill Frisell Good Dog, Happy Man Vinyl LP Record

Personnel: Bill Frisell (acoustic & electric guitars, loops, music box); Ry Cooder (electric & Ripley guitars); Greg Leisz (pedal steel, lap steel, National steel & Weissenborn guitars, mandolin, dobro); Wayne Horvitz (piano, organ, samples); Viktor Krauss (bass); Jim Keltner (drums, percussion).
Recorded at O'Henry Sound Studios, Burbank, California.
No doubt pleased with his countrified direction on Gone, Just Like a Train, Bill Frisell gives us a lot more of basically the same thing here -- only with expanded numbers in the ranks. Bassist Viktor Krauss and drummer Jim Keltner return, now accompanied by Wayne Horvitz's understated organ and piano; Greg Leisz on an assortment of fretted instruments, including the Dobro, pedal steel guitar and mandolin; and on "Shenandoah," Ry Cooder's atmospheric guitars. The first tracks of Good Dog, Happy Man pick up right where Gone, Just Like a Train left off -- low-key, perhaps too low-key -- but tracks like "Big Shoe" and "Cadillac 1959" add a bit of swagger to the lope and "Poem for Eva" sports the best tune. Again, Frisell often captures a loose, evolutionary jamming quality in these sessions, playing the country accents off of his jazz sensibilities. Unlike its predecessor, though, you can't imagine this being recorded on a backwoods front porch, for there are some production tricks and distant-sounding electronic loops that give away its Burbank studio origins. Purists on either side of the jazz/country divide are hereby warned to back off so that the rest of us can enjoy this. ~ Richard S. Ginell
Bill Frisell is like a chef or an alchemist. He brings together the characteristics and properties of diverse players to make one unique amalgam. With GOOD DOG HAPPY MAN, Frisell seeks the common ground between such musicians as bluegrass bassist Viktor Krauss, erstwhile New York downtown jazzbo keyboardist Wayne Horvitz, blue country steel guitarist Greg Liesz, and journeyman rock drummer Jim Keltner. What these very different players have in common is the inability to fit into easily defined categories or molds. Similarly, Frisell's own musical voice draws from all corners of American tradition.
GOOD DOG is an album steeped in locale. It exudes a sense of place. Frisell's compositions range from subtle groove frameworks ("Big Shoe") to fragile ballads ("Rain, Rain"). The lone cover, a traditional "Shenandoah," features guest guitarist Ry Cooder. This album falls beautifully between the earthiness of Frisell's NASHVILLE album and the spontaneous combustion of GONE, JUST LIKE A TRAIN.The Wire (7/99, p.54) - "...deceptive minamalism....A shimmering, gossamer quality is most distinctive of Frisell's guitar stylings....[a] strange and beautiful album..."
CMJ (6/7/99, p.27) - "...often [recalls] sunny, patriotic ditties or the bluesy, rootsy side of jazz....full of focused tunes and flawless musicianship, [it] is propelling [Frisell] from experimental ace to American classic."
JazzTimes (9/99, pp.78-9) - "...[GOOD DOG] is a recording full of gentle things, bolstered by innate smarts and rugged musicality."
Dirty Linen (2-3/00, p.92) - "...a beguiling instrumental stew that transcends genres and goes straight to the soul."