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Bill Dixon: Berlin Abbozzi
by Andrew Lindstrom
The evocative, untitled pen-and-ink abstract which graces the cover of Bill Dixon's latest release, Berlin Abbozzi (FMP), hints at the impressive aesthetic focus of the sounds contained within. The cover art is Dixon's own; it is a beautifully balanced piece, mostly shades of a single hue, with a certain aura of forboding mystery. The music only grows more interesting with each listening. Dixon's breathy, austere opening statement on the aptly titled “Currents", replete with Harmon mute and a touch of ...
Continue ReadingBill Dixon Quartet: Berlin Abbozzi
by Derek Taylor
By all accounts, including his own, Bill Dixon is a very private and passionate man. On the record in an interview with Cadence's Bob Rusch several decades ago Dixon recounted a litany of misconceptions ascribed against him and in no uncertain terms stated his disdain for those unable or unwilling to accept his artistry on its own terms. In the intervening years it appears that the flumes of his uncompromising muse have if anything continued to brighten. He has weathered ...
Continue ReadingBill Dixon with Tony Oxley: Papyrus Volume I
by Glenn Astarita
The under-recorded yet highly regarded trumpeter/composer/writer Bill Dixon teams up with renowned free-jazz, improvising drummer Tony Oxley on Papyrus Volume I. Here, Dixon extracts unusual sounds from his horn via sparse, irregular lines as he shapes spacious themes while affording the listener an opportunity to contemplate time and motion throughout these 12 pieces. The ever-inventive Oxley possesses a signature style and is revered for his unorthodox employment of the drum kit, percussion instruments and array of multicolored cymbals. The duo ...
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