Bill Frisell
The end credits of Gus Van Sant’s remake of Psycho features a stripped-down version of composer Bernard Herrmann’s score tossed in almost as an afterthought. As transposed and played by guitarist Frisell, the iconic theme picks up meaning and nuance that adds to its tension. That’s typical of Frisell: He expands what we know about an artist’s work—whether it’s Aaron Copland or Bob Dylan or Madonna—by allowing the basic melody to move and breathe on new terms. Frisell, whose best work began after he left New York City for Seattle in 1989, gives his guitar an instantly recognizable tone. He stretches notes and phrases, elongating them to give them the same aural warmth they’d get from other bowed instruments (he and local violist Eyvind Kang complement each other on “Waltz for Baltimore” from Frisell’s recent History, Mystery). He’s even taken inspiration from silent comedians, releasing Go West: Music for the Films of Buster Keaton. Like Keaton’s, his singular style will never be outdated. —Riz Rollins
Because of him… Jazz guitar achieved infinite potential and global prominence.
Now hear this: Frisell’s reimagining of Madonna’s “Live to Tell” on Have a Little Faith lifts the song from its place as a minor pop ballad to a compelling meditation on survival.
Jack Endino
A lifelong passion took root during Endino’s teen years on Bainbridge Island, when he taught himself how to make music and record at the same time. “It was after high school,” he recalls. “I was a late bloomer. I started messing with drums, then a cheap electric guitar. I was bouncing tracks back and forth between two cassette decks before I could even really play. I always wanted to make records, and that included both skills, so the path was clear.” That path led him to Seattle, where in 1986 he cofounded and played guitar for proto-grunge outfit Skin Yard, which would appear that year on Deep Six, the landmark grunge compilation produced by Chris Hanzsek that included Green River, the Melvins, and Soundgarden. Shortly thereafter, Endino and Hanzsek founded Reciprocal Recording at a postage-stamp-size space in Fremont, where Endino would record Bleach, Nirvana’s debut album, for the famously paltry sum of $606.17. In 1992 he began working freelance, a flexible status that he enjoys to this day. His list of producing and engineering credits includes Soundgarden’s groundbreaking EP Screaming Life; Hot Hot Heats’ Make Up the Breakdown; and multiple albums for Titãs, a Brazilian band with platinum sales status in their home country. Endino shows no signs of retiring anytime soon—he still holds down lead guitar duties in his bands Slippage and Kandi Coded. —HL
Because of him… Nirvana’s demo tape ended up in the hands of Sub Pop owner Jonathan Poneman—changing the landscape of the Seattle (and the national) music scene.
Now hear this: The spare yet powerful production sound of “In ’n’ Out of Grace,” from Mudhoney’s recently reissued benchmark debut Superfuzz Bigmuff, is Endino’s engineering calling card.
The Fastbacks
A scene in the Seattle music documentary Hype! shows the Fastbacks gathered, giggling, on a couch, while ruminating in self-deprecating tones about their lack of commercial success compared to their peers in Nirvana, Mudhoney, and Soundgarden. “Maybe,” posits Kurt Bloch, the band’s founding guitarist, “we should find out what that’s like?” No, they never achieved high-profile status within the mainstream, but the Fastbacks made an indelible mark on Seattle music with their perfectly rendered pop-punk anthems—and with their near parody of rock band clichés: Though the total number of drummers hired, fired, and lost is disputable, everybody from a pre–Guns N’ Roses Duff McKagan to current Presidents of the United States of America Jason Finn has held the band’s percussive role. Formed in 1979, they lasted for more than 20 years, disbanding in 2002—in part because bassist and covocalist Kim Warnick joined up with Fastbacks-influenced rockers Visqueen. —HL
Because of them… The city’s punk bands discovered pop hooks.
Now hear this: The Hype! soundtrack takes us back to “K Street,” a buoyant love letter to Tacoma delivered with a sporadically sloppy spirit and sealed with a shiny kiss.
Published: December 2008
Agreed but would like to add another musician to list. Omar Torrez, most recently on world tour with Tom Waits as his lead guitarist. He is making a splash in other countries and has returned to his blues roots, but with an edgy quality that only playing with Tom Waits could achieve. Hot new music from Seattle’s own.
I have always thought this was true, so many people just………………?
Looking forward to watching this dvd.
I`ve been a Hendrix fan for so many years.
JIMI HENDRIX MURDERED? “NOT IMPROBABLE” SAYS NOEL REDDING…
The name Jimi Hendrix conjures up some of the most colourful and wildest moments that the sixties produced. Hendrix arrived, he conquered and took the music world by storm, got inside your head and went onto the great gig in the sky – all by the age of 27.
The Jimi Hendrix Experience , left you in no doubt that it was exactly that – an experience.
A trio of musicians who came together from both sides of the Atlantic and found common ground, fame and for one third of the group not very much fortune.
For Noel Redding the bass player in the group the experience was not to be forgotten. Since the death of Hendrix 40 years ago, much as been documented about him and the group.
Looking back to the sixties and you could be thinking you are on another planet. Any history relating to that period is taken up with music and culture. The Jimi Hendrix Experience played
it’s part.
Making a timely appearance is a DVD that is being put out by Discs International, containing a never before seen interview with Noel Redding recorded at his home in Ireland in 1988.
It makes fascinating viewing. All the years of seeing film of them in concert and photographs of Hendrix, Redding and Mitchell, you find yourself sitting in a living room not with just a legend – but an ordinary guy talking about his early days with the group. No rock star here, no pretentious name dropping, just plain talking. Listening to him you are left wondering how they made it to top.
I asked producer Will Scally who had the foresight to record this interview how it all came about. “ I had known and been friends with Noel for many years and always found him a very upfront, straightforward guy. We often spoke about doing an interview, he wanted to speak about the band, money, drugs and the death of Hendrix and much more – even speaking about the possibility of Hendrix being murdered. He was on good form that day and wanted to record this for posterity.Sadly Noel Redding died back in 2003 aged 57
For those interested in Hendrix, Redding and the history of sixties rock music this rare visual documentary should not be missed. The Redding Experience Release date
NOVEMBER 2010.
Barry LeveneThis comment has been removed.
Give Floyd Standifer some love, people. I’m sad he’s not on this list.
http://www.seattlepi.com/pop/300902_standifer24.html