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Whit Dickey: Morph
ByShipp's ever-evolving lexicon for jazz piano finds an ideal match in Dickey's resourceful playing. Reckoning opens with a furiously paced "Blue Threads," an exercise in technique and crisp, thought-provoking, exchanges; those gestures are later echoed in "Steps" and the wide-open "Helix." Slower paced, quieter pieces such as the Disc 1 title track, the classically influenced "Thick" and the overall title track are marked by Shipp and Dickey's distinctive, regularly shifting dynamic suspense. The trio disc highlights the contrast between Shipp's frequently beefy playing and Wooley's sprinkling of notes. The two frequently alter accountability for the melody, pivoting around a gyrating system as they do on "Noir 1" and "Epiphany." In the mix are noise ("Pulse Morph"), quirky lyricism, ("Noir 3") and the netherworld combination of both on "Noir 4."
Throughout the two Morph discs, Dickey alternates between guiding and following Shipp's or Wooley's variations in motion. He uses the drum set to evoke a wide range of moods, the smallest nuances becoming substantial shifts in dynamics. Shipp, Wooley and Dickey play free jazz with refinement and confidence, adeptly using the setting to create an immersive experience that is spellbinding from start to finish.
Track Listing
CD 1: Reckoning - Blue Threads; Reckoning; Dice; Thick; Helix; Steps; Morph; Firmament. CD2: Pacific Noir - Noir 1; Noir 2; Take the Wild Train; To Planet Earth; Epiphany; Pulse Morph; Space Trance; Noir 3; Noir 4.
Personnel
Album information
Title: Morph | Year Released: 2020 | Record Label: ESP Disk
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