History, Mystery is the twentieth album by Bill Frisell

Bill Frisell

William Richard "Bill" Frisell is an American guitarist and composer.One of the leading guitarists in jazz since the late 1980s, Frisell's eclectic music touches on progressive folk, classical music, country music, noise and more...

 to be released on the Elektra Nonesuch

Nonesuch Records

Nonesuch Records is an American record label, owned by Warner Music Group and distributed by Warner Bros. Records.-Company history:Nonesuch was founded in 1964 by Jac Holzman to produce "fine records at the same price as a trade paperback", which would be half the price of a normal LP...

 label. It was released in 2008.

Reception

The Allmusic review by Thom Jurek awarded the album 4½ stars stating "Frisell's inherent love of formal lyricism, expansive harmonics, and divergent musical histories reflects his tireless passion for tracing sources. In composing his own material, he also interprets and arranges his sources. On History, Mystery he achieves musical alchemy; he creates something new from familiar, exotic, and even forgotten forms, providing listeners with a magical aural experience".

Track listing

All compositions by Bill Frisell except as indicated

Disc 1

1. "Imagination" - 1:51
2. "Probability Cloud" - 4:45
3. "Probability Cloud Part 2" - 1:01
4. "Out of Body" - 2:27
5. "Struggle" - 5:32
6. "A Momentary Suspension of Doubt" - 0:38
7. "Onward" - 1:38
8. "Baba Drame" (Boubacar Traoré
   Boubacar Traoré
   Boubacar Traoré is a renowned singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Traoré also goes by the nickname Kar Kar, "the one who dribbles too much" in Bambara, a reference to his soccer playing: "a nickname I got from playing soccer when I was young...
   
   ) - 6:09
9. "What We Need" - 1:37
10. "A Change Is Gonna Come
    A Change Is Gonna Come (song)
    "A Change Is Gonna Come" is a 1964 single by R&B singer-songwriter Sam Cooke, written and first recorded in 1963 and released under the RCA Victor label shortly after his death in late 1964. Though only a modest hit for Cooke in comparison with his previous singles, the song came to exemplify the...
    
    " (Sam Cooke
    Sam Cooke
    Samuel Cook, , better known under the stage name Sam Cooke, was an American gospel, R&B, soul, and pop singer, songwriter, and entrepreneur. He is considered to be one of the pioneers and founders of soul music. He is commonly known as the King of Soul for his distinctive vocal abilities and...
    
    ) - 8:49
11. "Jackie-ing" (Thelonious Monk
    Thelonious Monk
    Thelonious Sphere Monk was an American jazz pianist and composer considered "one of the giants of American music". Monk had a unique improvisational style and made numerous contributions to the standard jazz repertoire, including "Epistrophy", "'Round Midnight", "Blue Monk", "Straight, No Chaser"...
    
    ) - 2:55
12. "Show Me" - 3:16
13. "Boo and Scout" - 2:28
14. "Struggle Part 2" - 6:25
15. "Heal" - 1:41
16. "Another Momentary Suspension of Doubt" - 0:37
17. "Probability Cloud (Reprise)" - 1:36

Disc 2

1. "Monroe" - 4:18
2. "Lazy Robinson" - 2:18
3. "Question #1" - 1:14
4. "Answer #1" - 0:40
5. "Faces" - 1:52
6. "Sub-Conscious Lee" (Lee Konitz
   Lee Konitz
   Lee Konitz is an American jazz composer and alto saxophonist born in Chicago, Illinois.Generally considered one of the driving forces of Cool Jazz, Konitz has also performed successfully in bebop and avant-garde settings...
   
   ) - 5:39
7. "Monroe Part 2" - 1:52
8. "Question #2" - 0:56
9. "Lazy Robinson Part 2" - 3:18
10. "What We Need Part 2" - 1:16
11. "Waltz for Baltimore" - 8:47
12. "Answer #2" - 1:50
13. "Monroe Part 3" - 2:58

Personnel

• Bill Frisell
  Bill Frisell
  William Richard "Bill" Frisell is an American guitarist and composer.One of the leading guitarists in jazz since the late 1980s, Frisell's eclectic music touches on progressive folk, classical music, country music, noise and more...
  
  : guitars
• Ron Miles
  Ron Miles
  Ron Miles is an American trumpeter, cornetist and composer.-Career:Miles moved to Denver, Colorado at the age of 11 and attended Denver East High School. Ron went on to study music at the University of Denver and the Manhattan School of Music . He is among Denver's most prominent jazz musicians...
  
  : cornet
• Greg Tardy: tenor saxophone, clarinet
• Jenny Scheinman
  Jenny Scheinman
  Jenny Scheinman is an accomplished violinist. Renowned as a jazz violinist, she has credits with artists in many genres. She has collaborated and played with Linda Perry, Norah Jones, Nels Cline, Lou Reed, Ani Difranco, Bruce Cockburn, Aretha Franklin, Lucinda Williams, Bono, and Bill Frisell and...
  
  : violin
• Eyvind Kang
  Eyvind Kang
  Eyvindur Kang , only child of Charles Shin-Chul Kang and Kristjana Gunnars, is an American composer, violinist, tuba, and erhu player...
  
  : viola
• Hank Roberts
  Hank Roberts
  Hank Roberts is an American jazz cellist and vocalist. He plays the electric cello, and his style is a mixture of rock, jazz, avant garde, folk and classical influences...
  
  : cello
• Tony Scherr
  Tony Scherr
  Tony Scherr is an American jazz and folk rock bassist, guitarist, singer-songwriter and record producer.-Biography:Scherr was born in New Haven, Connecticut. He played with Woody Herman as a teenager, and moved to New York City in the late-1980s, where he became a prolific session musician, working...
  
  : bass
• Kenny Wollesen
  Kenny Wollesen
  Kenny Wollesen is an American drummer and percussionist.Wollesen lives in New York City. He has recorded and toured with many musicians including Tom Waits, Sean Lennon, Ron Sexsmith, Bill Frisell, Norah Jones, Steven Bernstein and John Zorn. He is a founding member of the New Klezmer Trio and a...
  
  : drums