Petra Haden & Bill Frisell

Petra Haden & Bill Frisell

This is a true duet album, not simply a singer being backed by a stellar accompanist. Petra Haden's vocals, alone or with some judiciously deployed overdubbed harmonizing, move with a fluidity that is perfectly mirrored in Bill Frisell's guitar phrasing and sonorities. Playing covers (with a pair of originals) further celebrates the common ground they share. All of the songs are linked by their melodic bearing, whether originally performed by current bands like Foo Fighters and Colplay or such contemporary writers as Tom Waits and Stevie Wonder. They also looked beyond the realm of the rock world with twentieth century standard bearers George Gershwin and Henry Mancini. Drawing from jazz, folk, pop, and rock, this album bridges them all, tossing aside labels with the same gentle confidence that informs the music.