Let's review a CD.

Bill Frisell Quartet is an eponymous CD that features an odd bit of instrumentation, which isn't unusual coming from this guitarist. Along with Mr. Frisell's guitar, he adds trumpet, trombone and violin. Of course, nothing Bill Frisell does is conventional, and I'm not even sure that you can categorize his music, although I'll bet that if you visit your local music shop, you'll find his disks in the jazz section.

Bill Frisell is as eclectic a musician as you're likely to encounter. He plays an electric guitar heavily modified with electronics, including looping and pre-set effects he triggers while playing, but he also plays gorgeously on an unadorned acoustic guitar now and then--and every variation in between those ends of the spectrum. At times, it's difficult to distinguish what is Mr. Frisell's playing and what is studio effects added afterward. Meanwhile, he takes the opportunity to use his wide sonic palette to explore seemingly every possible aspect of American musical tradition, from the blues and Western swing to tightly focused jazz fusion and some tunes that sound suspiciously like they were inspired by Hollywood soundtracks.

This disk is a good example of Mr. Frisell's approach, ranging from a clear, yet eerie, nod to Bob Wills' "Deep In The Heart Of Texas" to "Prelude", a bit of muted trumpet and dissonant, floating guitar notes, reminiscent of Miles Davis' interludes on the Jack Johnson soundtrack. In between, there are hints of bluegrass with elaborately plucked guitar figures and down-home fiddling, smeared New Orleans jazz lines, and animated marching tunes. Bill Frisell grew up in Denver and current Denverite Ron Miles joins him here, a welcome addition. Mr. Miles' trumpet sound is as blurred and warm as Mr. Frisell's guitars usually sound and his solos add a bit of the spark that the leader doesn't always provide.

That missing spark is a common problem for Mr. Frisell. He favors languid tempos with complex, slow-moving harmonies and melodies. The tempos, even when they move to the brisk side, don't burn and nobody ever sets up a real groove (not necessarily due to the lack of a conventional rhythm section) or an actual racket. This languid mood may be because the disk is mostly material from a film soundtrack: it stands up on its own well enough, although the languor may be partly due to the need for the music to stand as a background for other media. Still, Mr. Frisell has far too much personality on the guitar to ever fade to the background and if you haven't heard him perform "Convict 13", which he's recorded more than once, you deserve to treat yourself to that beautiful tune.

7 out of 10

CDs listened to today:

• Gyorgy Ligeti: Musica Ricercata (adaptation for barrel organ)
• Ned's Atomic Dustbin: God Fodder
• Kenny Wheeler: Music For Large & Small Ensembles
• Claudio Monteverdi: Il Quarto Libro Dei Madrigali
• The Posies: Dear 23
• Kevin Puts: Dark Vigil