Bill Dixon

This essay is offered as a replacement for a review of Bill Dixon's new release, 17 Musicians in Search of a Sound: Darfur (In Concert at Vision Festival XII) - entirely inspired by the music contained therein and in that sense a tribute to the potency of its contents.

What is the quality of music that distinguishes the revolutionary from the mundane, the seeking from the sought, the cherished from the discarded? Music can serve many functions (and I am adamant in my belief that music is a highly functional art), but in this continuum of music we might call jazz, or in the history of African American creative music that people of all colors, shapes and sizes have participated in and drawn from, what is the quality that musicians who stand out from the pack cultivate?

To my ears and personal experience, there is an element of sincerity of approach and vision, a seriousness in purpose and path that translates into a pure expression of a personal music. The element of individuality is one of the qualities as well, correct? An outward manifestation of an inner understanding or quest for understanding, what George Lewis has termed an Afrological approach to music, where the musician is searching for a sound and personal voice both as a composer and as an instrumentalist (the two are inseparably intertwined).

This is as opposed to a Eurological approach to organizing sound as a composer to be faithfully reproduced in accordance with the original vision of the composer, where the individual instrumental voice is subsumed by the compositional voice.

We can see in the Afrological model that there is a potential to enhance and expand the concept of the latter, where the individual voice is empowered within the context of a compositional structure to enhance and expose supra-musical elements, and indeed is encouraged to do so. It requires not only following a pre-conceived musical score, but also understanding the sound the composer is searching for. To achieve that goal, the musicians must listen and react in addition to following structural concerns.

This idea of searching for a sound, a whole sound that we can hear from its development to its completion, is markedly different than a notion of constructing harmonic and melodic composition, but certainly does not exclude it. Both of them work toward goals and reward the forest view of music, how the trees compose the whole, how the tension contrasts with the release. The former is decidedly more exploratory, and the goal is oftentimes more elusive. There isn’t a conclusive map that will lead to the sound, although as with any unknown territory, the more a musician searches and finds, the easier it will be to map and return.

This brings us back to the original question proposed at the beginning of this piece – that the process of searching for a sound, both as an individual musician, or as a composer, is an ongoing process that leads to the creation of a certain type of music palpably, viscerally distinguishable from music that does not. Bill Dixon is nothing short of a master when it comes to this concept of sound, and at his age and stature is unique in his ability to offer us an incredibly refined vision of this different approach to sound and music.

You can read more about the event itself at Stephen Haynes' blog and at SpiderMonkey Stories.

Last night at Ganz Hall, a quintet of fine musicians led by Bill Dixon played what was billed as Mr. Dixon's first appearance in our fine city. In some after show remarks, he clarified that it was his first "official musical" appearance, hinting that he might have played here earlier in a different context but offering no details as to when and in what circumstances that might have been.

The venue was a nice hall that seated about 200 people. I'd say it was around 2/3 full, a great crowd, and very diverse in age range. I was glad to see the turn out: many more people in the audience than on the stage.

Speaking of the stage, the lineup: Bill Dixon, trumpet, Ken Vandermark, bass clarinet and baritone sax, Nate McBride and Josh Abrams, bass, and Michael Zerang drums.

My pre-concert impressions of the lineup were a mixture of skepticism and intrigue.

I was skeptical because I had no idea how the lineup was put together: by the promoter, by Mr. Dixon, or some combination of both. I had no sense of why these particular musicians in this particular lineup were chosen for the event. Also, I had some reservations about Mr. Vandermark's participation if only because I saw his personal aesthetic as radically different from what I knew about Mr. Dixon's approach to music.

I was intrigued because I knew all of the musicians are capable of sensitive accompaniment, engrossing improvisations, and dizzying musical heights. Not to resort to hyperbole....

Anyway, the show began with Michael Zerang on stage scratching his snare drum with a stick with little fingers on it - it kind of looks like a back scratcher. He uses it to bring really interesting tones out of his drum, and he played the whole drum, plucking the snare underneath with his hand as he drew these tones out of his set.

After a brief solo by Mr. Zerang, the two bassists joined him on stage and played their own duo improvisation with Mr. Zerang watching along. Similar to Mr. Zerang's improvisation, there was en exploration of sound as much as pitch, a recurring theme throughout the concert. Their duo was brief as well, an invocation or warm up, and then Ken Vandermark walked on stage.

My apprehensions about Ken's place in the group was mostly due to his tendency for musical bombast in comparison with Dixon's restrained intensity. Vandermark is more likely to open the floodgates while Mr. Dixon opens holes in the dam. He did his solo improvisation on the bass clarinet, combining sputters and breathy textures with long tones and bends.

Soon, Ken ended his opening solo, and while his applause began Bill Dixon walked on stage, and the applause grew to welcome him.

Bill had four microphones set up, and to the best of my knowledge and attention he only used 3 of them. One had a heavy delay, and the other two had subtly different reverbs.

He began his solo utilizing his delay microphone. I really enjoyed his use of delay, and you can immediately tell that it's not merely an effect that is used as an enhancer, utilizing it as a musical device that he interacts with in order to produce the sound he has in mind. His solo delay trumpet excursions came across as some kind of avant-space-dub-trumpet otherworldly journey, at times going places that were dark and nightmarish, and other times floating in a more ethereal airy realm. To be perfectly honest, I could have listened to him play solo for the entire set and I would have gone home happy.

Of course that was not to be since there were four other musicians standing on stage. They soon joined in and it was clear that they all had a reverent attitude towards Bill deferring to him musically in terms of the direction and aesthetic of the music. There were times when I felt there was maybe a bit too much restraint, but their close attention to Mr. Dixon's playing allowed the music to unfold very patiently and clearly. They were all free improvisations as far as I could tell, and I'd be interested to know what, if any, discussions were had between Bill and the musicians about their approach to the music for the evening.

To the best of my recollection there were two long improvisations (might have been three...they all blended together in my mind), both of them defying any compelling verbal descriptions on my part. The music went by extremely quickly, totaling over an hour from beginning to end when all was said and done.

I enjoyed the concert thoroughly, even if I was not particularly moved or stirred by the sounds coming off the stage. I make this distinction only because the music that I often see in Chicago is in the more ecstatic vain, which doesn't necessarily make it better, just different. It certainly made me want to delve into Mr. Dixon's catalog to hear his development as a musician and trumpeter. I can definitely see why he is such an influential and revolutionary figure, and also why some people might hold strong opinions about his musical aesthetic, both good and bad.

My patented out of focus pictures from the show will be available soon.

Coming up: I've got a bunch of recordings that I'm going to be writing about in the coming days and weeks, and I also have a longer, more philosophical post brewing. Stay tuned....

....reveals the truth.

As I mentioned earlier, Bill Dixon will make two appearances in Chicago this year, the latter of which it is now prudent to mention since it is public information:

He will appear as part of the Chicago Jazz Festival as a guest artist with Rob Mazurek's Exploding Star Orchestra.

That should be an interesting one, to say the least.

Other artists of interest for the festival: Charlie Haden will be the artist in residence, performing with his Liberation Music Orchestra, with a band of local musicians, and with a band of student musicians. The Mingus Big Band will perform as well. Sadly, Andrew Hill was scheduled to perform. No word as to whether they will try and do a tribute to him or who will fill that cavernous void in the schedule.

There will also be a tribute to Dizzy Gillespie featuring Jon Faddis, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, James Moody, Giovanni Hidalgo and Ignacio Berroa that will most likely produce some smoldering latin jazz.

To follow up on my earlier post about Ornette's Pulitzer, there was some fruitful discussion both in that post and also at Night After Night, including a link to this discussion at the Organissimo forums, and some astute comments from DJA.

More later....

Sometimes things come together for no apparent reason.

Bill Dixon's name comes up more often these days, and his exposure seems to have increased as a direct result of the internet and blogosphere.

I recently found out that he will be making what is believed to be his first ever appearance in Chicago this summer.

The first appearance will be a concert on Wednesday, July 11. There will also be a Master Class and an in-gallery talk about his visual art. I hear the concert will feature Ken Vandermark and Michael Zerang. I'll post the details here when everything is confirmed and set up. I'm hoping to interview Mr. Dixon if he's willing and available.

There will be a second Bill Dixon show here in Chicago, in an intriguing setting and format, later in the summer. I'll divulge that info when everything is confirmed and it seems appropriate to do so.

Bill Dixon will be honored this year at the Vision Festival. I'm really going to try to make it out there this year.

What: Vision Festival XII
A Dozen Years Of Visionary Music, Dance, Spoken Word, Film And
Visual Art

Date: Tuesday, June 19 through Sunday, June 24, 2007

Time: Tuesday - Saturday 7pm; Thursday 6pm; Sunday 5pm
plus a Saturday afternoon session starting at 2pm on June 23!

Place: Angel Orensanz Foundation
172 Norfolk Street, New York, NY

Tickets: $30 per night in advance / $35 day of show / $150 for 6
night pass
on sale April 5 at http://www.BrownPaperTickets.com or 800.838.3006

More Info: http://www.visionfestival.org or 212.696.6681

Vision Festival XII Schedule

Tuesday June 19
Poet/Host Lewis Barnes

7:00 Opening Invocation
Patricia Nicholson / William Parker / Hamid Drake

7:30 William Parker - "Double Sunrise Over Neptune" - World
Premiere
Lewis Barnes trumpet / Rob Brown alto saxophone / Sabir Mateen reeds
Bill Cole double reeds / Joe Morris guitar, banjo / Jason Kao
Hwang violin
Mazz Swift violin / Jessica Pavone viola / Shiau-Shu Yu cello /
Brahim Fribgane oud
William Parker bass / Shayna Dulberger bass / Hamid Drake drums /
Gerald Cleaver drums

8:30 Fieldwork
Steve Lehman saxophones, compositions / Vijay Iyer piano,
compositions
Tyshawn Sorey drums, compositions

9:30 The Keyboard Project: Cooper-Moore Quartet with Marlies Yearby
Darius Jones alto saxophone / Cooper-Moore keyboards
Nioka Workman cello / Chad Taylor drums / Marlies Yearby dance

10:30 Spiritual Unity featuring Marc Ribot (with special guest Henry
Grimes)
Roy Campbell trumpet / Marc Ribot guitar
Henry Grimes bass / Chad Taylor drums

Wednesday June 20 - Bill Dixon Lifetime Recognition
Poet/Host Barry Wallenstein

7:00 Barry Wallenstein and Friends
Barry Wallenstein vocals, poetry / Daniel Carter reeds, trumpet /
special guests TBA

7:30 Bill Dixon with the Sound Vision Orchestra - World Premiere
Bill Dixon trumpet, compositions
Graham Haynes trumpet / Stephen Haynes trumpet / Taylor Ho Bynum
cornet
Dick Griffin trombone / Steve Swell trombone / Joe Daley tuba
Andrew Raffo Dewar soprano saxophone / Michel Cote reeds / J.D.
Parran reeds
Will Connell, Jr. reeds / John Hagen reeds / Karen Borca bassoon
Glynis Lomon cello / Andrew Lafkas double bass
Warren Smith vibraphone, percussion / Jackson Krall percussion

9:30 Co-Pilots: Henry Grimes and Marilyn Crispell
Henry Grimes bass / Marilyn Crispell piano

10:30 Survival Unit III
Joe McPhee reeds, flügelhorn / Fred Lonberg-Holm cello
Michael Zerang drums

Thursday June 21
Poet/Host Alexandre Pierrepont

6:00 New York - Paris Poetry
Tribes, New York
Miguel Algarin, Steve Cannon, Steve Dalachinsky, Post Midnight,
Ishle Park
The Weavers, Paris
Thomas Gilson, Mathias Gross, Alexandre Pierrepont, Laurence
Pierrepont, Daniel Vassaux

7:30 Nicole Mitchell's Black Earth Ensemble - Xenogenesis Suite: A
Tribute to Octavia Butler
David Young trumpet / Nicole Mitchell flute / David Boykin reeds
Justin Dillard piano / Tomeka Reid cello / Josh Abrams bass
Arveeayl Ra drums / Marcus Evans drums / Mankwe Ndosi vocals

8:30 Hardcell
Tim Berne alto saxophone / Craig Taborn piano / Tom Rainey drums

9:30 Local Lingo
Jason Kao Hwang violin, viola, compositions / Sang Won Park ajang,
kayagum, voice

10:30 Jayne Cortez and The Firespitters
Jayne Cortez poetry / Bern Nix guitar / special guests TBA
Al MacDowell bass / Denardo Coleman drums

Friday June 22
Poet/Host David Budbill

5:30 Panel Discussion Part I - Art in America: A Grassroots Struggle

7:00 50 Violins for Leroy Jenkins
Memorial tribute led by Billy Bang, coordinated by Jason Kao Hwang

7:30 Matthew Shipp Solo Piano

8:30 Roy Campbell's Ahkenaten Suite - World Premiere
Roy Campbell trumpet / Billy Bang violin / Bryan Carrott vibraharp
Hilliard Greene bass / Zen Matsuura drums

9:30 Dance/Music/Art Installation "A State of Mind" by Patricia
Nicholson
Dance: Miriam Parker, Julia Wilkins, Gus Solomons, jr
Music: Lewis Barnes, Rob Brown, William Parker, Hamid Drake
Artists: Jo Wood Brown, Katie Martin, Kazuko Miyamoto, Phyllis
Bulkin-Lehrer, Lili White

10:15 Fred Anderson Trio
Fred Anderson tenor saxophone / Harrison Bankhead bass
Hamid Drake drums

11:15 Spindrift for Leroy Jenkins
Myra Melford piano, melodica / Mark Taylor French horn
Brandon Ross guitars / Shuni Tsou di-zi

Saturday Afternoon June 23

2:00 Michael Bisio Quartet
Stephen Gauci winds / Avram Fefer winds
Michael Bisio bass / Jay Rosen percussion

3:00 SYNERGY Sight and Sound
Amir Bey costumes, set design / Saco Yasuma alto saxophone,
compositions
Ras Moshe reeds / Dave Ross guitar / Christopher Dean Sullivan
bass / Lou Grassi drums

4:00 Mary Halvorson and Jessica Pavone
Mary Halvorson guitar, vocals / Jessica Pavone viola, vocals

5:00 Corey Wilkes Quintet
Corey Wilkes trumpet, flügelhorn, vocals / Kevin Nabors tenor
saxophone
Junuis Paul bass / Isaiah Spencer drums / Jumaane Taylor dance

Saturday Night June 23
Poet/Host David Budbill

7:30 Ganelin Trio Priority
Vyacheslav Ganelin piano, synthesizer, percussion / Petras
Vysniauskas soprano sax
Klaus Kugel drums, percussion

8:30 Eddie Gale All-Star Band
Eddie Gale trumpet / Prince Lasha reeds / Kidd Jordan tenor saxophone
Valerie Mih piano / William Parker bass / Alvin Fielder drums /
Patricia Nicholson dance

9:30 Rob Brown Quartet
Rob Brown alto saxophone / Lewis Barnes trumpet
Todd Nicholson bass / Guillermo E. Brown drums

10:30 Whit Dickey Trio
Sabir Mateen reeds / Todd Nicholson bass / Whit Dickey drums

11:30 Amiri and Amina Baraka's Blue Ark
Amiri Baraka poetry / Amini Baraka poetry, vocals
Dwight West vocals / Rene McLean reeds / Adegoke Steve Colson piano
Curtis Lundy bass / Pheeroan akLaff drums

Sunday June 24
Poet/Host Alexandre Pierrepont

3:30 Panel Discussion Part II - What Is "Serious" Music or Art?

5:00 T.E.C.K. String 4tet
Tomas Ulrich cello / Elliott Sharp acoustic guitars
Carlos Zingaro violin / Ken Filiano double bass

6:00 Hamid Drake now
Hamid Drake drums / Paolo Angeli prepared guitar
Sabir Mateen reeds / Patricia Nicholson dance

7:00 Thomas Buckner Trio
Thomas Buckner vocals / Jerome Bourdellon flute / Roscoe Mitchell
reeds

8:00 Daniel Levin Quartet
Daniel Levin cello / Nate Wooley trumpet / Joe Morris bass / Matt
Moran vibraphone

9:00 Louis Moholo and Friends
Kidd Jordan tenor saxophone / Dave Burrell piano
William Parker bass / Louis Moholo drums

Visual Art at The Vision Festival
A State of Mind
Dialogue Amongst the Arts

Amir Bey - installation
Jo Wood Brown - installation
Kazuko Miyamoto - installation
Yuko Otomo - installation
Maura Sheehan - installation
Cassie Thornton - installation

Bill Mazza - live drawings
Jorgo Schaefer - live drawings
Jeff Schlanger - live drawings

Bill Dixon - painting
Robin Kahn - painting

Phyllis Bulkin Lehrer - video
Katy Martin - video
Lili White - video

Peter Gannushkin - photographer
Luciano Rossetti - photographer
Michael Wilderman - photographer