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Bill Dixon: 17 Musicians in Search Of A Sound: Darfur

By Mark Corroto
August 26, 2008
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Bill Dixon: 17 Musicians in Search Of A Sound: Darfur

Unlike bassist Henry Grimes, Bill Dixon was never lost. Maybe his absence over the last 15 years was because he didn't want to be found. After the trumpeter, born in 1925, pioneered the New Thing jazz of the 1960s, including the October Revolution festival and the Jazz Composer's Guild, he dropped from the spotlights to teach for 30 years at Bennington College. While his recorded output has been spotty, adventurous listeners certainly treasure Vade Mecum I (1994) and II (1996) and Papyrus Vol. 1 (1999), all on Italy's Soul Note Records.

While his horn wasn't heard, his influence certainly gave birth to the careers of Axel Dorner, Taylor Ho Bynum, Peter Evans, and Rob Mazurek. And it's Mazurek who gets the credit for drawing Dixon back out for Bill Dixon With The Exploding Star Orchestra.

From the Exploding Star's 13 pieces, Dixon hatches his own 17-musician group for a live set at the Arts for Art series during the 2007 Vision Festival in New York. Like Monk and Town Hall or Charles Mingus' orchestral work, Dixon was given talent but little time for rehearsal and changes. This makes for a part composed, part improvised series of passages. There's the feeling that Dixon is guiding this who's who of creative players, but at other times they are free to fill in as their own muse dictates. The music is, nonetheless, up to Dixon's standards. Players create moods for his vast open landscape of a vision, crafting solos in between caverns of sound.

17 Musicians In Search Of A Sound has the feel of a coarse-sewn rug, made from very fine materials. Given time and perhaps a long tour—like, say, Peter Brötzmann's Tentets get—this music might become tighter and more easily consumable. But, then again, it wouldn't be Bill Dixon music.

Track Listing

Prelude; Intrados; In Search Of A Sound; Contour One; Contour Two; Scattering Of The Following; Darfur; Contour Three; Sinopia; Pentimento I; Pentimento II; Pentimento III; Pentimento IV.

Personnel

Bill Dixon

trumpet

Bill Dixon: trumpet, composer, conductor; Graham Haynes: cornet, flugelhorn; Stephen Haynescornet, flugelhorn; Taylor Ho Bynum: cornet, flugelhorn; Dick Griffin: tenor trombone; Steve Swell: tenor trombone; Joseph Daly: tuba; Karen Borca: bassoon; Will Connell: bass clarinet; Michel Cote: Bb contrabass clarinet; Andrew Raffo Dewar: soprano sax; John Hagen: tenor sax, baritone sax; J.D.Parran: bass saxophone, bamboo flute; Glynis Loman: cello; Andrew Lafkas: bass; Jackson Krall: drums, percussion; Warren Smith: vibes, tympani, drums.

Album information

Title: 17 Musicians In Search Of A Sound: Darfur | Year Released: 2008 | Record Label: AUM Fidelity

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