Bill Dixon with Archie Shepp - 7-Tette & Orchestra Revisited

2023 release

Trumpeter, composer, and educator Bill Dixon’s music has always been something of an enigma to me, but with this logical and well-remastered collection, the veil really began to lift to reveal music that was surprisingly accessible and continually interesting. The first two tracks come from the Archie Shepp-Bill Dixon Quartet album, recorded for Savoy Records in Newark in October 1962. These recordings, "Trio" and "Quartet," find them being joined by Don Moore on bass and Paul Cohen on drums. They make for a very exciting unit with two strong performances that tap into the energy of the raw young Shepp juxtaposed against the more mature, refined Dixon to create very nuanced freebop, which was highly advanced at the time.

Two years later, Dixon and Shepp (with the New York Contemporary Five) recorded a split LP for Savoy to complete their contract, with Dixon's 7-tette contributing lovely performances on "Winter Song 1964" and "12th of November." In 1966, to the surprise of many, RCA Records signed Bill Dixon and was generous with time and resources, even letting him set levels for various parts of the 10-piece ensemble, resulting in the masterful Intents and Purposes LP. Two lengthy pieces are presented, "Metamorphosis 1962–1964" and "Voices," with a stellar group featuring Jimmy Garrison on bass, Byard Lancaster on bass clarinet, Catherine Norris on cello, and Robert Frank Pozar on drums, among others.

Plumbing the lower depths of music, the deep sound of the bass and bass clarinet gives a unique and unusual sound for Dixon to improvise over. His role is fascinating as he alternately leads with strong trumpet and supports with slurs and accents to the benefit of the other musicians. The shorter pieces, "Nightfall, Pieces 1 and 2," are short vignettes for trumpet and flute by George Marge that develop like short stories of music against the novel like longer pieces. In retrospect, it is easy to understand why the music from these albums has garnered such enthusiasm among fans and musicians.

The music sounds like nothing else of the period (or today, for that matter), and the palette of instruments and musicians is continually fascinating.

 – Tim Niland