At long last, US jazz guitar maestro Bill Frisell finds his way back to Australia for a national tour, this time joined by good friends, bassist Thomas Morgan and drummer Rudy Royston as the Bill Frisell Trio.
Last in Australia pre-pandemic, the Bill Frisell Trio arrive in October for a tour that includes performances at Brisbane International Jazz Festival, Perth Jazz Festival and a residency at Melbourne International Jazz Festival among a handful of other dates.
"We're all totally excited and having been there before we know a little of what to expect," Bill says. "I've only been there a couple of times but it's a wonderful audience. Getting there and the travel stuff is always a challenge but then it feels great when we get there and get to play."
The trio's most recent album, 'Valentine', was released on Blue Note in 2020 and is widely regarded as a modern masterpiece. However, audiences shouldn't expect a straight run through of the album; that just wouldn't be jazz as Bill knows it.
"We've been playing so much for – well, Rudy I've known now for more than 30 years and Thomas for 20 years, and as a trio we've been playing together for 10 or 15 years," he says.
"So, when people ask: 'What are you going to play?' I can't tell you what we're going to play because the possibilities are so limitless to what we can do. The amount of time we've had together and all the songs we know, so whatever we play has a lot to do with what happened that day and what we're thinking about.
"We don't have a planned set list; we really don't know what we're going to play until we just start in. I'll make a sound, and Thomas will make a sound, and it will lead us into something that we know but it's really stepping off into the unknown every time.
"I feel really lucky there's an audience that's open to that. Hopefully, they'll recognise some of the songs we're playing but it's never a set format like a show or anything."
Bill shares a rare chemistry with Thomas and Rudy, a unique bond formed and perfected over years of playing together, distilled into pure musical magic. It's what keeps Bill excited about playing and that connection only gets stronger each time they get back together. "They still surprise me," Bill says of his bandmates.
"If it wasn't that, I wouldn't do it, but every time we're going to play, I can't wait to see what's going to happen. I really am genuinely excited, and every night is a whole other adventure. That's what's in the nature of the music. We're all doing so many other things at the same time.
"We all go off in different directions then come back, so every time we get together there's more – each of us has hopefully learnt more and have something to bring to it.
"It's like this big family of musicians that are going around visiting each other all the time and coming back with all the news."
Bill Frisell Trio 2025 Tour Dates
Wed 22 Oct - City Recital Hall (Sydney)Thu 23 Oct - Brisbane International Jazz Festival @ Brisbane Powerhouse
Fri 24 Oct - Melbourne International Jazz Festival @ The Jazzlab* 7pm & 9.30pm shows
Sat 25 Oct - Melbourne International Jazz Festival @ The Jazzlab* 7pm & 9.30pm shows
Sun 26 Oct - Melbourne International Jazz Festival @ The Jazzlab* 7pm & 9.30pm shows
Tue 28 Oct - Clarence Jazz Festival @ Rosny Farm Arts Centre(Hobart)* early & late shows
Wed 29 Oct - The Gov (Adelaide)
Fri 31 Oct - Perth International Jazz Festival @ Regal Theatre
