Drummer Whit Dickey has never much cottoned to overtures at the limelight. Considering his vocation as a free jazz musician it’s an advantageous mindset to maintain. Dickey’s been a valued member of the Vision Festival community since before that once annual event’s founding going on three decades ago, but with only occasional exceptions to the capacity of sideman rather than leader, at least on record. That’s changed in recent years with a welcome increase of projects at the helm. Expanding Light is the inaugural release on a new label under his aegis with an assist from the well-established AUM Fidelity imprint. Grounded in abiding fealty to Buddhism, Dickey’s modest and unassuming nature remains intact, but the new outlet bodes well for activities under his leadership.
Altoist Rob Brown is an old and dependable friend of Dickey’s, making his appearance on the project unsurprising. Bassist Brandon Lopez is a generation younger, but similarly plugged into the scene. Six pieces are credited to Dickey “in collaboration with Trio” and are very much in line with the energy-fueled, improvisation emphasizing vocabulary that all three musicians speak fluently. “The Outer Edge” initiates on a tersely tumbling roll from Dickey as Brown’s piquant alto alights and hovers with vertical bursts. Lopez’s fingers remain motionless for the opening minutes before busying themselves with a rich, anchoring line that accelerates the leader’s eddying and crashing beats. Intervals of tension and release follow around a drum solo that feels at once organized and pinion-averse.
“Desert Flower” blooms out of incremental sounds made by dampened bass strings and brushes. This time it’s Brown’s turn to wait in the wings, leaving his colleagues to a conversation comprised of rubberized strums and swishing cymbal accents. Alto entry comes gradual with purring legato shapes threading through the resulting rhythmic thicket. Once again, there’s a palpable tensity to the interplay that carries over into the arco-driven threnody of “Plateau” where Dickey’s mallets and high-hat accompany a downcast dance of querulous alto. The sprawling title piece returns things to fertile freebop territory. Weighed against Dickey’s earlier work there isn’t anything here that strays far afield. Instead, it’s high caliber business as usual, and all the better for the consistency.
They say experience is the greatest teacher and let me tell you, from the depths of my Being, no truer words… these last 24 hours have been mind altering in my experiences.
At the end of meditation class on Oct 15th, spirit snuck thru my lips to let everyone know that on Sat in Earth Magic class 3, we are going to be doing a group meditation to create a new hologram. Of course, all week long I…
After Yosemite, we stayed a night in Ananda Village - an intentional community in Nevada City, CA. We were so grateful for delicious food, real beds, and good vibes.
