“Peace Planet -&- Box of Light” is released on “Aum Fidelity Records”. The album was recorded by Whit Dickey and “Tao Quartets”. Here featured jazz masters are playing together – it’s Matthew Shipp (piano), Rob Brown (alto saxophone), William Parker (bass),
Whit Dickey (drums) in “Peace Planet” (1-5 tracks) and Rob Brown (alto saxophone), Steve Swell (trombone), Michael Bisio (bass) and Whit Dickey (drums) in “Box of Light” (6-11 tracks). Two compositions were created and arranged by Whit Dickey. Composer was using a different principe of the composing and was trying to create absolutely contrasting and different sound of these two cycles. All musicians are the central figures of avant-garde jazz scene. Their music is totally based on avant-garde jazz and its newest innovations, as well as free improvisations, experimental jazz and modern jazz styles. The ideas of modern composing, contemporary academical music and academic avant-garde are used here, in this album. Whit Dickey manages to find a suitable balance between contemporary academical music, modern composing and free improvisation.
“Peace Planet -&- Box of Light” are two different compositions, who’re contrasting with each other. The music is dynamic, bright and vivid. The improvisers are the masters of their art. They’re getting on ambitious adventures, luminous culminations, research of strange timbres and special effects, original and extravagant decisions, eclectic and exotic stylistic allusions, fusions of various jazz styles and expressions. “Peace Planet” has a expressive and moving sound – here Matthew Shipp, Rob Brown, William Parker and Whit Dickey are playing together. The music is bright, luminous and dynamic. It’s a great synthesis of modern and experimental jazz styles. Free improvisation is the main form of all compositions. All four improvisers are balancing between spontaneous improvisations and arranged-pieces. Sparkling, moving and enegretic piano solos are bright and evocative mood. Matthew Shipp is demonstrating his best and splendid playing technique, masterful virtuosity, wide musical knownledge and marvelous, expressive and impressive playing style. His improvisations are like real bursts of energy, filled with drive, expression, roaring riffs, sharp, perturbating and breaking chords sequences, transcendental passages, remarkable and impressive melodies and inspiring, thrilling and striking pieces. Alto saxophone’s tunes by Rob Brown are expressive, moving and dynamic. The rhythms of modern jazz styles and free improvisation are mixed up together with calm, relaxing and silent pieces. Expressive and remarkable melodies, driving and thrilling solos, wah-wah, hot growls, imitations of various tunes, special effects, dizzy passages, charming and simply impressive culminations, roaring, breaking and luminous riffs are accompagnied by perturbating sessions and spontaneous surprises. William Parker’s bass tunes are dynamic and universal – it’s filled with strange tunes, stable bass line, formed from tight bass tunes, deep and heavy solos, vigilant and vibrant culminations, passionate riffs or solemn and peaceful pauses. William Parker is experimenting on each case of musical language – his music is dynamic, filled with fascinating sound experiments, original decisions, rare tunes, exotic combos, special effects and huge variety of tunes. Whit Dickey’s drums section is based on free improvisation, but is highly influenzed by bebop, post bop, hard bop, cool, mainstream and other modern jazz styles. Rapid and monotonic beat of eights, extravagant and nervous solos, transcendental and extremely rapid passages, expressive, light, dramatic and wild culminations – all these elements are made by using fusion of contemporary, modern and experimental jazz styles. “Box of Light” is similar to “Peace Planet”, but has its own sound and individual character, which differs from the first part. The music is more calm – it starts in blue, silent, calm and relaxing mood. The tunes of cool, fusion, some sounds of traditional jazz styles, extravagant, expressive and nervous bebop, aggressive hard bop, relaxing and contemplative cool, modern mainstream are connected to free, spontaneous and evocative improvisations. Rob Brown’s saxophones tunes are dynamic and emotional. Saxophonist is going throught huge range of moods – his playing is more dynamic and contrasting than in “Peace Planet”. From silent, dreamy and calm beginning improviser jumps on expressive and moving culminations, remarkable and vivid melodies, roaring, growling and crazy riffs, dizzy passages, sound experiments and special effects. Trombone by Steve Swell is bright, tremendous and sparkling. It’s a burst of energy and source of drive. Deep, heavy and cracking solos are growing to vibrant, powerful, perturbating and luminous culminations, bright and explosing riffs, special effects and free improvisations. All music has vibrant, effective and original sound. Here we have an opportunity to hear another great bassist – Michael Bisio. His playing is based on synthesis of free improvisation, experimental music and the main tendencies of avant-garde jazz. Sound experiments, special effects, the developpement of effective, expressive and unique playing technique, rare tunes, exotic timbres, ambient tunes – all these elements are used here. Bassist manages to create dynamic and original sound. Heavy, solemn, deep and lyrical tunes grow to terrific, vibrant and luminous culminations, filled with radical ideas, wild and crazy riffs, powerful riffs and original musical decisions. Bassist also manages to create stable and bright bass line. Whit Dickey’s drums section here is similar to “Peace Planet”, but it has individual sound. It’s more calm, relaxing and dreamy in the beginning. From stable and slow beats, subtle free improvisations, lyrical excerpts, mionimalistic and meditative excerpts the music goes straight to powerful explosions, roaring and spakrling riffs, tremendous rolls, vibrant culminations and special sound experiments. The music of this album is contrasting and dynamic – it has unique and original sound.
Avant Scena 