1 Blues Dream
2 Ron Carter
3 Pretty Flowers Were Made for Blooming
4 Pretty Stars Were Made to Shine
5 Where Do We Go?
6 Like Dreamers Do, Pt. 1
7 Like Dreamers Do, Pt. 2
8 Outlaws
9 What Do We Do?
10 Episode
11 Soul Merchant
12 Greg Leisz
13 Tractor
14 Fifty Years
15 Slow Dance
16 Things Will Never Be the Same
17 Dream On
18 Blues Dream (Reprise)

From Amazon.com

Hard to Pigeonhole

 Album Rating: (4 of 5 stars)

Review Comments: Guitarist Frisell's previous couple of recordings found him in something of a mellow, acoustic-oriented vein. Although these were nice recordings, it is nice to be able to report that Frisell has cranked up the energy a couple of notches on Blues Dream, which features Frisell on both acoustic and electric guitars. The rest of the group comprises Greg Leisz on various steel guitars and mandolin, Ron Miles on trumpet, Billy Drewes on alto sax, David Piltch on drums, Kenny Wollesen on drums, and Curtis Fowlkes on trombone.

The recording opens with what sounds like a blues holler played on the trumpet, and the blues dream begins. Perhaps because he has a trumpeter named Miles in this band, Frisell names two of the cuts after musicians, "Ron Carter" (with some big fat bass notes) and "Greg Leisz" (moody and atmospheric, sounding something like soundtrack music). Overall, this is rich stuff, with plenty of texture. The players weave in and out of various cuts; it is especially interesting to hear the occasional interplay between trumpet and guitar.

Frisell's music is hard to pigeonhole. It sounds distinctly American, but it is at once rural and cosmopolitan. His is a unique musical vision; perhaps he will one day be recognized as a seminal force in American music. This is an amazingly satisfying recording that you will want to play over and over again and recommend to your friends, be they jazz buffs, country fanatics, folkies, blues enthusiasts, or whatever.

Bill Frisell's "Blue Dream"

 Album Rating: (5 of 5 stars)

Review Comments: "Blues Dream" released in 2001 on Nonesuch is one of Frisell's best efforts as a leader. The music, as always with Frisell, is very hard to categorize. It's essentially blues-jazz combined with folk, bluegrass, country, and a touch of avant-garde, because we all know Frisell favors a little bit more dissonance than other jazz guitarists. This is a great beginning album for people just starting to get into Frisell as is his album "Good Dog, Happy Man."

The musicianship, as with any Frisell album, is top-notch. Bill has a talent for finding just the right musicians to play his music. I was particuarly impressed with drummer Kenny wollesen, pedal-steel guitarist Greg Leisz, and trumpeter Ron Miles. All the other musicians are fantastic, but it seems these musicians really took this session to another level.

The audio quality of this recording is also very well done. This album is again produced by Lee Townsend, whom I feel is just as important as any of the musicians. You can really hear his mark on this album's production. Townsend has been producing Frisell's albums for many, many years now and always does a fine job.

If you enjoyed his albums "Good Dog, Happy Man" and "The Intercontinentals" then this would be a welcome addition to your collection. Very highly recommended.

Blues Dream

 Album Rating: (4 of 5 stars)

Review Comments: This is wonderful music. I found it innovative in the way Frisell used Blues, Jazz, and Country elements to weave an evocative soundscape

What can I say?

 Album Rating: (5 of 5 stars)

Review Comments: This album was not my first Frisell, and I was looking, when getting it, for something rather specific that, IMHO, only Frisell can do with the richness it deserves- the extended ballad, and this album has what is, again IMHO, his finest, and probably _the_ finest and most achingly gorgeous piece of emotive completeness- What Do We Do.

Scintillatingly marvelous.

Musical Neo-Americana

 Album Rating: (5 of 5 stars)

Review Comments: I was new to Bill Frisell and after reading some reviews and listening to the sound clips on Amazon, I purchased this CD. I have absolutely NO regrets.

Although I am not a huge fan of country or bluegrass music, Blues Dream is a delightfully progressive fusion of those, along with a healthy portion of folk, rock and blues added. The resultant sounds paint relaxing (and sometimes hypnotic) sketches of a musical Neo Americana.

Blues Dream is a progressive 'jazz-like' fusion of a few musical styles, but one which never fails to lose the sound, or the mood, of it's traditional American roots.