Brian Dickinson

Biography
Articles

Christopher Parnis: Everything You Could Be

Read "Everything You Could Be" reviewed by Neil Duggan

by Neil Duggan
August 13, 2024

There cannot be too many jazz albums that find inspiration from as broad a spectrum as NASA's Mars rover missions and the horror novels of Clive Barker. Throw in some Kenny Wheeler influences and you have Everything You Could Be, the debut album from Canadian bassist Christopher Parnis. Parnis has been involved as a bandleader and sideman in the Canadian jazz circuit for many years. At the same time, he has also been gathering a quintet to perform ...

Album Review

Canadian Jazz Collective: Septology

Read "Septology" reviewed by Jack Bowers

by Jack Bowers
May 14, 2023

The Canadian Jazz Collective is a septet comprised of several of that country's leading jazz musicians. Trumpeter Derrick Gardner, tenor saxophonist Kirk MacDonald and guitarist Lorne Lofsky certainly need no introduction to jazz fans, in Canada or most anywhere else, nor do pianist Brian Dickinson, bassist Neil Swainson, drummer Bernd Reiter and clarinetist Virginia MacDonald. Septology, a compendium of eight songs written by Gardner, Lofsky or MacDonald, was recorded at a studio in Germany's Black Forest during a European tour ...

Album Review

The Brian Dickinson Quintet: The Rhythm Method

Read "The Rhythm Method" reviewed by Dan McClenaghan

by Dan McClenaghan
January 14, 2017

Toronto-based pianist Brian Dickinson explores the “quintet with a two sax front line" on The Rhythm Method. He takes his lead from the somewhat overlooked pianist/conceptualist Lennie Tristano, who broke the ground with his historic 1949 Capitol Sessions featuring Lee Konitz on alto sax and Warne Marsh on tenor sax; and with his 1956 recordings with Marsh and Ted Brown, both on tenor. The set opens on Wayne Shorter's “Orion," featuring a sparkling extended solo by Dickenson that ...