Good Dog, Happy Man
Good Dog, Happy Man finds adventure in small changes. Bill Frisell brings country, blues and jazz together without making a show of their differences. A simple melody can remain in place while the sounds around it gradually shift. The pace is relaxed, but the music is rarely obvious.
The group gives him plenty of possibilities. Greg Leisz adds pedal steel and dobro among other instruments, Wayne Horvitz plays keyboards, and Viktor Krauss and Jim Keltner keep the music moving easily. Frisell's guitar does not always need to stand at the front. The instruments can build a mood together, with a small response or unexpected sound providing enough change.
On Cadillac 1959, organ parts give the guitar melody another direction. Cold, Cold Ground has a stronger blues feel, but its unusual sonic details keep it from becoming an ordinary boogie. The record can sound earthy and elusive at the same time.
Ry Cooder joins Frisell on Shenandoah (For Johnny Smith). Their guitars give the familiar melody space and restraint. The title track works on a smaller scale, its mostly acoustic fingerpicking sounding simpler than its construction really is. Closer Poem for Eva then shows how effective a clear tune can be within this approach.
Some early pieces are very understated. If you mainly want immediate tension, the record may take time to get going. Loops and studio colours can also require more attention than the relaxed surface suggests. Yet that combination gives the album its character. Good Dog, Happy Man makes familiar musical forms just strange enough to hear them afresh, with warmth and melody providing a steady foundation.
