Bill Frisell’s ‘All We Are Saying’

Eclectic, uncategorizable guitarist Bill Frisell takes his John Lennon seriously on “All We Are Saying,’’ on which he makes no apologies for his love of Lennon and the Beatles. This is not a collection of wry covers. This is a record by a man who can unearth all sorts of nuggets in a familiar tune’s nooks and crannies. Frisell’s band, too, is made up of musicians who love to hang out in the place where rock, pop, folk, blues, and jazz intersect: violinist Jenny Scheinman, bassist Tony Scherr, drummer Kenny Wollesen, and second guitarist Greg Leisz. So what do we have here? Sixteen radio-length tracks that include a gorgeous, ethereal version of “Across the Universe’’ whose somber violin and country twang could bring on tears; a honky-tonk take of “Revolution’’ that makes you want to square-dance; a sleepy, dreamy redo of “Imagine’’ in which Frisell takes considerable care to pick just the right notes not only when he plays the melody but when he improvises; a folk cover of “Julia’’ that contains not an ounce of cynicism; and an almost ambient sketch of “Give Peace a Chance’’ that dares the listener to find the original melody buried deep within. (Out Sept. 27)