Bill Frisell With Dave Holland and Elvin Jones is surely one of the guitarist's strongest set to dates. There's a holistic feel to this group that wasn't as apparent in Frisell's handful of trio recordings with bassist Kermit Driscoll and drummer Joey Baron, where the guitarist was always front-and-centre. And, while the expansive Americana sound of Gone, Just Like a Train, Good Dog, Happy Man and Nashville are hinted upon in the guitarist's lyrical playing, this CD is unmistakably jazz. There's no real theme here, just Frisell at his creative peak--the numerous loops and effects he uses with his guitar finally sounding organic and coherent--with two great collaborators. Hints of exotica can be found on "Blues Dream" and "Smilin' Jones", Frisell's cover of "Moon River" is sublime, and Stephen Foster's "Hard Times" sounds like a loose jam session in the hands of this threesome. It's a great album, full of rich textures that would do spaghetti western composer Ennio Morricone proud, and ample doses of Frisell's unmistakably contemplative, minimalist guitar sound. --Jason Verlinde