Bill Frisell

Bill Frisell
Frisell in 2021
Background information
Born
William Richard Frisell

(1951-03-18) March 18, 1951
Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
Genres
Occupations
  • Musician
  • composer
  • arranger
InstrumentGuitar
Works
Years active1978–present
Labels
Websitebillfrisell.com

William Richard Frisell (born March 18, 1951) is an American jazz guitarist. He first came to prominence at ECM Records in the 1980s, as both a session player and a leader. He went on to work in a variety of contexts, notably as a participant in the Downtown Scene in New York City, where he formed a long working relationship with composer and saxophonist John Zorn. He was also a longtime member of veteran drummer Paul Motian's groups from the early 1980s until Motian's death in 2011. Since the late 1990s, Frisell's output as a bandleader has also integrated prominent elements of folk, country, rock 'n' roll, and Americana. He holds six Grammy nominations and one win.