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Chris Dingman: The Subliminal and the Sublime
Search the word “subliminal" and you get the following: “below the threshold of sensation or consciousness; perceived by or affecting someone's mind without their being aware of it." Do the same for “sublime" and you have to be sure you include the word “definition" or else you get the website for the popular ska- metal band. But, seriously, the word sublime is really quite interesting and may refer to “something of such excellence, grandeur, or beauty as to inspire great ...
read moreChris Dingman: Waking Dreams
Judging by Waking Dreams, Chris Dingman has spent a lot of time listening to Bobby Hutcherson's classic Blue Note albums. Given that his instrument of choice is the vibes, it should come as no surprise, but it's uncanny how much Dingman's debut resembles classics like Oblique (1967) and Patterns (1968) in sound and feel. Heck, there's even a Joe Chambers tune on it. This is not to take anything away from Waking Dreams, which is quite good in ...
read moreChris Dingman: Waking Dreams
Many jazz releases suffer from the same old “song and dance" syndrome--a couple of obligatory ballads (song narrative) sprinkled between numbers of up-tempo (dance) tracks. This repeated programming can get old very fast. But this is not the case with Waking Dreams , the long overdue and brilliant debut by vibraphonist Chris Dingman. Emerging as a stylist with a pliable touch and warm presence, Dingman carries the deep tradition of patriarchs (Milt Jackson) and vibrant contemporaries (Stefon ...
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