BILLBOARD
August 25, 2007
By Dan Ouellette

Throughout his career, guitarist Bill Frisell has worn a coat of many colors, ranging from red-seared rock in John Zorn's mid-80's "Cobra" game pieces to his earch-toned roots music fascination following his 1997 bluegrass-jazz "Nashville" masterwork. But he's never participated in the freewheeling kind of creative convergence spotlighted on "Floratone," Frisell springs loose by collaborating with drummer Matt Chamberlain on a playground of sprawling spontaneity that co-producers Tucker Martine and Lee Townsent then sliced, stithed and looped together into 11 grooved songs. Frisell later embellished some horn and string arrangements, while bassist Viktor Krauss entered into the potpourri of sounds to firm up the rhythmic foundation. The result is a soundscape bonanza infused with a melange of jazz, country, dub reggae, funk, rock and ambient music. Highlights include the blues-smeared "Louisiana Lowboat," the chilled "Swamped" and the reverberating title track.

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