Bill Dixon

World War II Veteran found his calling in the world of music

In 1946, when Dixon was 21, he was discharged from the service and returned to New York. He quickly got married and had three children by 1949. He used money from the G.I. Bill to study painting.

"The racism was just too much for me, so I left that," said Dixon. "I was sitting in Central Park. I was about 22 years old. I thought my life was completely over and I always wanted to study music."

He attended the Hartnett Conservatory of Music, where he studied the trumpet. He was helped along by the likes of jazz giants Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie.

"It was just absolutely wonderful," said Dixon. "Charlie Parker was not what people write about him. He was really good with beginning people."

Dixon said that he would work a variety of 9 to 5 jobs and then play music at night until he built up the confidence to make it his career.

"I studied music because I was interested in music. I never intended to become a musician to become a musician, but before you know it, you're in it," said Dixon. "Music is still a mystery to me. I don't totally understand it."

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.