Odyssey: Solo Works

Last updated
Odyssey: Solo Works
Bill Dixon Odyssey.jpg
Studio album by
Bill Dixon
Released2001
Recorded1970-92
Genre jazz
Label Archive/Edition
510 1925 1
Bill Dixon chronology
Berlin Abbozzi
(2000)		Odyssey: Solo Works
(2001)		 Bill Dixon with Exploding Star Orchestra
(2008)

Odyssey: Solo Works is a six-CD album by Bill Dixon. It was recorded from 1970 to 1992 at a variety of locations, and was self-released in limited quantities in 2001, with distribution by Triple Point Records. The sixth disc contains commentary by Dixon on his music and life. The album also includes two booklets, one containing interviews and essays, and the other containing reproductions of some of Dixon's paintings. [1] [2] [3]

Contents

Odyssey includes all of the tracks previously heard on Collection (1985), [4] as well as several tracks that were previously released on Considerations 1 (1981) [5] and Bill Dixon 1982 (1982). [6]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [2]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [7]

In a review for AllMusic, Steve Loewy wrote: "While five hours of solo trumpet is exhausting to hear... there is no denying Dixon's original voice, individual style, and astonishing technique. Space plays an important role in his sound, the trumpeter knowing when to harness the power of silence. Purity of sound is another important element, Dixon's pristine tone a pure pleasure. Dixon occasionally adds reverb, giving his notes a slight echo. Other distinguishing characteristics include his use of the full range of the horn, from the pedal tones to the highest reaches, and his extraordinary use of breath, pushed through the horn at varying volumes. Granted, this is not easy listening, and there are few melodies or conventional signposts. Listening to all these hours of solo Dixon takes self-discipline and might be compared to hearing a long postmodern poetry recital. But, for those willing to make the effort, and who can appreciate the contributions of an extraordinary talent, this boxed set will bring endless hours of pleasure." [2]

The authors of The Penguin Guide to Jazz awarded the album 3½ stars, and stated: "These mostly lo-fi recordings are a valuable record of [Dixon's] progress as a solo performer... The box set... is for specialists only but it's a rewarding experience... for anyone interested in his self-determined and sometimes lonely career... it's to Dixon's eternal credit that every piece... seems to have its own logic and purpose." [7]

Writing for Burning Ambulance, Phil Freeman commented: "Odyssey remains a landmark in Bill Dixon's artistic journey, and in the history of what he referred to as 'this music,' meaning post-bebop Black creative music... this is extraordinarily beautiful music, capable of captivating anyone who listens with even the most casual curiosity... It's not the easiest thing to find... but there are still some copies floating around, and it's absolutely worth the search." [8]

Track listing

All compositions by Bill Dixon.

Disc 1

  1. "When Winter Comes" – 8:15
  2. "Webern Work / Study" – 1:14
  3. "Tracings II" – 1:22
  4. "The Long Walk" – 7:44
  5. "Momenti" – 2:42
  6. "Stanza" – 5:00
  7. "I See Your Fancy Footwork – 1" – 8:05
  8. "I See Your Fancy Footwork – 2" – 5:28
  9. "I See Your Fancy Footwork – 3" – 2:52
  10. "Mosaic" – 0:43
  11. "Albert Ayler" – 0:59
  12. "Summerdance For Judith Dunn – Pt. One" – 8:28
  13. "Tracings" – 9:00
  14. "The Long Line" – 5:44
  15. "Swirls" – 2:29

Disc 2

  1. "Requiem For Booker Little" – 5:07
  2. "Masques I" – 8:38
  3. "The End Of Silence" – 0:59
  4. "Odyssey/Interruptus" – 5:35
  5. "Murmurs" – 6:46
  6. "Flame" – 3:09
  7. "Meta-pedal" – 6:11
  8. "Elegantissmo" – 9:51
  9. "Changes" – 2:54
  10. "Dominoes" – 2:52
  11. "Pyramide" – 3:57
  12. "Long Alone Song" – 6:34
  13. "Shrike" – 0:57

Disc 3

  1. "Jerusalem" – 26:50
  2. "Umbra E Luce - For Sid Makay" – 11:31
  3. "The Somnambulist" – 4:08
  4. "Conncordde" – 4:37
  5. "Fortunata" – 8:13
  6. "Graffiti Sui Soffiti" – 1:51

Disc 4

  1. "Postcards" – 5:56
  2. "For Wallace Thurman" – 4:22
  3. "Pensieroso" – 1:01
  4. "Masai" – 1:04
  5. "Sttretta" – 1:40
  6. "Chalk Circle - Blue" – 2:39
  7. "Shadowland" – 6:25
  8. "Spaces" – 1:18
  9. "The Cloisters" – 2:06
  10. "Chromma" – 1:34
  11. "Sketch For Ernie Chritchlow" – 3:56
  12. "More Than Something" – 1:36
  13. "Manuscripts For Fathers & Sons" – 4:22
  14. "Poemm Per I Delicati" – 1:48
  15. "Circle Chalk - Red" – 5:26
  16. "Hush" – 3:59

Disc 5

  1. "Relay - Dance #1" – 9:41
  2. "Relay - Dance #3" – 2:10
  3. "Relay - Dance #4" – 2:45
  4. "Relay - Dance #5" – 3:21
  5. "Relay - Dance #6" – 4:35
  6. "Relay - Dance #7" – 6:20
  7. "Relay - Dance #8" – 5:53
  8. "Relay - Dance #2" – 1:47
  9. "Chiasmus" – 7:17
  10. "Shards" – 1:50
  11. "Pasquinade" – 6:00

Disc 6

  1. "Introduction To The Questions" – 1:03
  2. "How Do You Call The Music You Play?" – 6:26
  3. "Does Your Music Express A General Conception?" – 1:54
  4. "Do You Think Before Or During Improvisation?" – 0:47
  5. "Is Swing Important?" – 0:45
  6. "Do You Enjoy Playing?" – 1:08
  7. "Is Beauty Your Goal?" – 0:36
  8. "What Is Freedom In Music?" – 2:28
  9. "Are You Able To Make A Living From Music?" – 0:54
  10. "What Would You Like To Do In The Near Future?" – 2:08
  11. "How Do You See The Future?" – 2:05
  12. "Odyssey Preface" – 2:19
  13. "Teaching" – 14:25
  14. "The Solo" – 0:32
  15. "The Odyssey Solo Work" – 2:42
  16. "Teaching In Madison, 1971-72" – 11:57
  17. "Genesis Of The Solos" – 3:45
  18. "Solos: Craft And Language" – 1:35
  19. "Solos: Notation And Spatiality" – 3:19
  20. "Solos: Composing Oneself And Composition" – 3:25
  21. "Solos: Philosophy And Communication" – 4:25
  22. "Conclusion" – 1:46

Personnel

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Dixon</span> American composer and educator

William Robert Dixon was an American composer and educator. Dixon was one of the seminal figures in free jazz and late twentieth-century contemporary music. His was also a prominent activist for artist's rights and African American music tradition. He played the trumpet, flugelhorn, and piano, often using electronic delay and reverb.

<i>Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton</i> 1966 studio album by John Mayall with Eric Clapton

Blues Breakers, colloquially known as The Beano Album, is the debut studio album by the English blues rock band John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, originally credited to John Mayall with Eric Clapton. Produced by Mike Vernon and released in 1966 by Decca Records (UK) and London Records (US), it pioneered a guitar-dominated blues-rock sound.

<i>70th Birthday Concert</i> 2003 live album by John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers

70th Birthday Concert is a live electric blues video recording of John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers to celebrate Mayall's 70th Birthday. Recorded in Liverpool, England on 19 July 2003, the concert was notable as it featured Eric Clapton as a guest, so marked the first time he and Mayall had performed together in almost 40 years, if one discounts Clapton guesting on Mayall's Back to the Roots. The set also features Mick Taylor and Chris Barber.

<i>Digital III at Montreux</i> 1979 live album by Ella Fitzgerald

Digital III at Montreux is a 1979 live album featuring a compilation of performances by Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie, Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen, Joe Pass, and Ray Brown, recorded at the 1979 Montreux Jazz Festival. It was produced and has liner notes by Norman Granz. The cover photo is by Phil Stern.

<i>Fancy Footwork</i> 2007 studio album by Chromeo

Fancy Footwork is the second studio album by Canadian electro-funk duo Chromeo, released on May 8, 2007 by Turbo Recordings and Last Gang Records. The album spawned three singles: "Fancy Footwork", "Tenderoni", and "Bonafied Lovin". In the United States, Fancy Footwork reached number eleven on the Top Electronic Albums chart and number twenty-five on the Top Heatseekers chart.

<i>The Quintessence</i> 1962 studio album by Quincy Jones

The Quintessence is an album by Quincy Jones and his orchestra. It was released in 1962 and was his only album for Impulse! One critic called it "the sound of the modern, progressive big band at its pinnacle."

<i>In Person Friday and Saturday Nights at the Blackhawk, Complete</i> Four-disc collection of the 1961 live performances of the Miles Davis Quintet

In Person Friday and Saturday Nights at the Blackhawk, Complete, also called The Complete Blackhawk, is a 2003 four-disc collection of the 1961 live performances of the Miles Davis Quintet at the Black Hawk nightclub in San Francisco. These sets, performed with recording in mind, forged new ground for jazz musician Miles Davis, who had never previously been recorded live in a club with his combo. Material from the four sets was first released simultaneously by Columbia Records on two albums in September 1961, titled In Person Friday Nights at the Blackhawk, San Francisco, Volume 1 and In Person Saturday Nights at the Blackhawk, San Francisco, Volume 2. Although those albums were subsequently rereleased several times, the complete sets were not commercially available until Sony Records released a digital mastering of this collection. Simultaneous to this release, the material was made available as two separate double-albums, entitled Friday Night: In Person at the Blackhawk in San Francisco, Complete and Saturday Night: In Person at the Blackhawk in San Francisco, Complete. In conjunction with Sony, Mosaic Records released the 6 LP set.

<i>I Told You So</i> (Count Basie album) 1976 studio album by Count Basie and Orchestra

I Told You So is a 1976 album recorded at RCA studios, New York City on January 12, 13 and 14 1976 and released in 1976, featuring Count Basie and his orchestra. All the titles were arranged by Bill Holman. Sound engineer was Bob Simpson and the tape editor was Ben Jordan. The producer was Norman Granz.

<i>Charms of the Night Sky</i> 1998 studio album by Dave Douglas

Charms of the Night Sky is the tenth album by the trumpeter Dave Douglas. It was released on the German Winter & Winter label in 1998 and contains performances by Douglas, Greg Cohen, Mark Feldman and Guy Klucevsek.

<i>Double Brutal</i> 2009 studio album by Austrian Death Machine

Double Brutal is the second full-length album by As I Lay Dying vocalist Tim Lambesis' parody project Austrian Death Machine. Unlike the previous album, Total Brutal, Double Brutal is a two disc effort; the first disc composed of original songs inspired by Arnold Schwarzenegger movies, and the second disc being covers of songs that can relate to Schwarzenegger movies. Upon release, the album debuted at No. 105 on the Billboard 200.

<i>Have Trumpet, Will Excite!</i> 1959 studio album by Dizzy Gillespie

Have Trumpet, Will Excite! is a 1959 studio album by trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie.

<i>Shock Treatment</i> (Don Ellis album) 1968 studio album by Don Ellis

Shock Treatment is an album by trumpeter Don Ellis recorded in 1968 and released on the Columbia label.

<i>Papyrus Volume I</i> 2000 studio album by Bill Dixon

Papyrus Volume I is an album by American jazz trumpeter Bill Dixon recorded in 1998 and released on the Italian Soul Note label.

<i>Papyrus Volume II</i> 2000 studio album by Bill Dixon

Papyrus Volume II is an album by American jazz trumpeter Bill Dixon recorded in 1998 and released on the Italian Soul Note label.

<i>Moods: Playing with the Elements</i> 2005 studio album by Trio X

Moods: Playing with the Elements is an album performed by multi-instrumentalist Joe McPhee's Trio X recorded in 2002 and first released on the CIMP label.

<i>Taylor/Dixon/Oxley</i> 2002 live album by Cecil Taylor, Bill Dixon, Tony Oxley

Taylor/Dixon/Oxley is a live album by pianist Cecil Taylor, trumpeter Bill Dixon, and drummer Tony Oxley. It was recorded on May 19, 2002 during the Festival International de Musique Actuelle de Victoriaville in Victoriaville, Quebec, and was released in 2002 by Les Disques Victo.

<i>Collection</i> (Bill Dixon album) 1985 studio album by Bill Dixon

Collection is a double-LP album by Bill Dixon. It was recorded from 1972 to 1976 at Bennington College in Bennington, Vermont, and was released by Cadence Jazz Records in 1985. The album was reissued in 2000 as a double-CD set. While most of the tracks are recordings of solo trumpet pieces, one track features two percussionists and three tracks feature the voice of Dixon's young son.

<i>Broad Strokes</i> 2000 studio album by Roswell Rudd

Broad Strokes is an album by trombonist Roswell Rudd. It was recorded during March 1999–January 2000 at various locations, and was released by Knitting Factory Works in 2000. On the album, Rudd appears in a broad range of ensemble contexts, with varying personnel.

<i>Considerations 1972–1976</i> 1981 live album by Bill Dixon

Considerations 1972–1976, Volumes 1 and 2, is a pair of live albums by trumpeter and composer Bill Dixon. They were recorded during 1972 to 1976, a period during which Dixon was teaching at Bennington College and was, in his own words, "in total isolation from the market places of this music." Released in 1981 by the Italian Fore label, the recordings help to document the gap between the 1967 album Intents and Purposes and the Soul Note albums of the early 1980s.

<i>Opium</i> (Bill Dixon, Franz Koglmann, and Steve Lacy album) 2001 compilation album by Bill Dixon, Franz Koglmann, and Steve Lacy

Opium is a compilation album by trumpeter Bill Dixon, trumpeter Franz Koglmann, and saxophonist Steve Lacy. It brings together recordings that were initially issued on the small, obscure Pipe label, founded by Koglmann in 1973, and having a total of three releases in its catalog. Four of the album's tracks were recorded in Vienna in 1973, and originally appeared on the 1973 LP Flaps, credited to Koglmann and Lacy. The remaining tracks, recorded in Paris and Vienna during 1975 and 1976, are from the 1977 LP Opium for Franz, credited to Koglmann and Dixon. Opium was released in 2001 by the German label Between the Lines, and was remastered from copies of the two LPs, as the original tapes had been lost.

References

  1. ↑ "Bill Dixon: Odyssey". Jazz Music Archives. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 Loewy, Steve. "Bill Dixon: Odyssey". AllMusic. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
  3. ↑ "Bill Dixon: Odyssey". Triple Point Records. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
  4. ↑ "Bill Dixon: Collection". AllMusic. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
  5. ↑ "Bill Dixon: Considerations 1". AllMusic. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
  6. ↑ "Bill Dixon: Bill Dixon 1982". AllMusic. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
  7. 1 2 Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2006). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings. Penguin Books. p. 351.
  8. ↑ Freeman, Phil (June 1, 2021). "Odyssey @ 20". Burning Ambulance. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.