Frisell’s freewheeling and erudite excursions have previously encompassed old-timey Americana (This Land), country (Ghost Town) and pan-global pop (The Willies). Producer Willner’s day job as Saturday Night Live music supervisor gives him access to hidden treasures of the expansive NBC music library-unlikely starting points for these free-form funk freak-outs, laced with Norman Whitfield psychedelic soul shadings. At best the stealth and ingenuity shine, but a dreamy tendency to take the long road to departure points gives the album a shapelessness that tries the patience.
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