Described as being "at the very epicentre of modern American music" (BBC), Bill Frisell’s career as a guitarist and composer has spanned more than 35 years and over 250 recordings, including 40 albums of his own. He has collaborated with a wide range of artists, filmmakers and legendary musicians, but it is his work as a leader that has garnered increasing attention and accolades.
Frisell’s recording catalogue, has been cited by Downbeat as "the best recorded output of the decade." It includes his most recent albums for Savoy – Sign of Life with the 858 Quartet, his trio recording Beautiful Dreamers and his collection of interpretations of the music of John Lennon, entitled All We Are Saying.
Frisell’s Nonesuch output spans a wide ranging wellspring of musical expression – from original Buster Keaton film scores to arrangements of music for extended ensembles with horns and strings (the Grammy nominated History/Mystery, the Grammy-winning Unspeakable, Blues Dream and This Land); interpretations of work by other classic and contemporary American composers (Have a Little Faith); collaborations with the acclaimed rhythm section of bassist Viktor Krauss and drummer Jim Keltner (Gone, Just Like a Train, Good Dog, Happy Man). Other releases include an album with Nashville musicians (Nashville), the solo album Ghost Town, an album of Frisell’s arrangements of songs by Elvis Costello and Burt Bacharach (The Sweetest Punch), two trio albums with jazz legends – Dave Holland/Elvin Jones and Ron Carter/Paul Motian; and a collection of  traditional American folk songs and original compositions inspired by them, entitled The Willies. The Grammy nominated The Intercontinentals is an album that combines Frisell’s own brand of American roots music with the influences of Brazilian, Greek, and Malian sounds. His album, Disfarmer, was inspired by the work of the mid-century rural Arkansas photographer Mike Disfarmer.
In 2012, Frisell was named a Doris Duke Artist – one America’s most vital and productive performing artists. In 2006, Frisell was named a USA Rasmuson Fellow grant recipient offered by United States Artists. He is also a recipient of grants from Meet the Composer and National Performance Network.