Bill Frisell Trio plays May Gallery in Beaver Creek

It’s no wonder Bill Frisell is considered a bit of a guitar god — or guitar icon, if you prefer. Jazz Journalists Association has repeatedly voted him Guitarist of the Year, he’s won DownBeat Critics Poll several times throughout the past three decades and the Doris Duke Foundation named him one of the nation’s “21 most vital and productive performing artists.”

Frisell brings his trio, featuring bassist Thomas Morgan and drummer Rudy Royston, to the May Gallery for two intimate shows Wednesday night at Vilar Performing Arts Center.

“Bill Frisell is a once-in-a-generation kind of musician who has unlocked new doors, passageways and galaxies for the electric guitar,” said Owen Hutchinson, Vilar’s artistic director. “He is a jazz player by trade but will be known well into this future as one of the great musical innovators of the 21st century.”

Frisell’s friendship with Morgan and Royston stretches back decades, but they had never all played together in a trio. Morgan has garnered a reputation for his melodic phrasing, which counterbalances Frisell’s more wide-open approach. Meanwhile, Royston layers in subtle textures, from light cymbals to dynamic percussion.

Through the trio, Frisell — known not just for his tone and texture, but also for blurring lines between musical genres, including jazz, folk, country and experimental music — has created a group that thrives on innovative musical conversation. They might reinterpret a Bob Dylan or pop song, stretch and reshape a jazz standard, belt out the blues instrumentally or simply explore improvisational worlds. Whatever they do, they listen and respond to each other, following where the music takes them, just like a conversation between old friends. As such, each show feels like an intimate journey into sonics, particularly in the relaxed, lounge-like setting of the May Gallery.

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“Listening to Bill Frisell’s music is like sitting with a great painting for 10 or 20 minutes, looking at the colors used, the direction of the brushstrokes, the use of light and the many nuances that the painter used collectively to capture a powerful moment on canvas,” Hutchinson said. “How fitting that we will experience Frisell’s music in the Vilar Center’s May Gallery, where we often think about art in this manner. We will bring this frame of mind to his performance Wednesday night, to connect with deeper layers of sound and color in his performance that we may not otherwise detect. Presenting the trio of Bill Frisell, Rudy Royston and Thomas Morgan in the May Gallery is really such an important artistic moment for the Vilar Center.”

The trio’s “Small Town” release in 2017 showcases the musicians’ chemistry and ability to reimagine familiar songs in innovative ways. Of course, since then, the trio has evolved, pushing boundaries of sound while still remaining true to their spirit of exploration. Through it all, Frisell has become one of the most important musicians in modern jazz.

“Frisell’s style of the guitar is very melodic, often drawing listeners in with a familiar melody played with an airy, vocal-like quality. While he is deeply rooted in the American Songbook and his contemporary original music, he most notably draws on a massive catalogue of musical interests in his live shows,” Hutchinson said.

“His recent albums have interpreted music of The Beatles, ’60s surf rock, classic Americana and many brilliant recordings of jazz standards. Much of that work finds its way into his live performances.”