Bill Frisell’s Bay Area run brings in some old friends and a world premiere

A 4.8 earthquake had just jostled Bill Frisell’s home in Brooklyn, but the temblor wasn’t strong enough to rattle the guitarist’s preternatural calm.

With an epicenter about 50 miles east in New Jersey, the shaker was an uncommon enough occurrence in the region to inspire a good deal of post-earthquake anxiety in New York. But Frisell sounded utterly preoccupied by the task at hand, preparing for a four-night residency at Freight & Salvage, April 18-21.

It’s his third extended run at the venue since 2019...