Leave it to Bill Frisell and Matt Chamberlain to produce one of the best albums to hit our desk this month — you have to hear this new Floratone disc.

Floratone came together after Frisell and Chamberlain spent a few days together jamming in a studio. Producers Tucker Martine and Lee Townshend listened to the tapes, after which they picked out the best grooves to form the base of a new album. Matt and Bill re-entered the studio with bass player Viktor Kraus, cornet player Ron Miles and Eyvind Kang on strings to complete an album that features plenty of climactic peaks and beautiful valleys. The results: outstanding.

Photo by Michael Wilson

Floratone includes aspects of many different types of music within each track. Louisiana Swampboat starts with a thick groove before Frisell starts layering his typically strange but sublime melodies on top of the beat. The Future provides a different, more sparse soundscape, accented by some Bitches Brew-esque horns and Frisell wailing on an overdriven guitar that sounds like it was run through one of Jerry Garcia’s Mutron pedals. We’ve always been big Frisell fans but have been waiting for a more groove-oriented release. Floratone delivers on our wish in a big way; now if only they would play a few shows.

But don’t take my word for it — get your own copy of Floratone. We will send a copy of the album to the person who comes up with the best dream Bill Frisell quartet. Pick three guys you’d like to see Bill play with and leave their names in a comment below. The contest runs until 12:01 am on October 10th.